WAG Spring Floor Versus Foam Floor

[John]

This weekend DD gym hosted there yearly meet. Things went smoothly and I actually had fun volunteering all weekend long. During setup and tear down the coaches were available and much bonding took place.

I learned our gym does not have a spring floor but instead a foam floor. The HC/Owner expressed to me that he likes it because it is not easy. He knows when the girls visit other gym power will not be an issue.

Does anyone have thoughts on Foam floor versus Spring floor?

 

[thefellowsmom]

No spring floor past level 4 would be a deal killer for me. Our old gym had a foam floor at one of their locations and no one was allowed to do more than at most a back handspring back tuck on it. No one trained higher than level 4 at that location.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Just 5 years ago we had only like 1 or 2 spring floors in this whole country. Gymnasts all over the country did just fine and performed high level skills on floor. Now the clubs have invested in spring floors and they have become more popular. I would estimate that we have 10 spring floors in this country right now. Many clubs do just fine without one.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Are you talking about a foam roll floor(like is sometimes rolled out for things like cheer competitions), or a floor system that uses foam block instead of springs under the wood, like these?

http://www.tiffinmats.com/products/foam-block-floor/

https://carolinagym.com/products/carolina-gym-supply-foam-block-spring-floor

 

[John]

Are you talking about a foam roll floor(like is sometimes rolled out for things like cheer competitions), or a floor system that uses foam block instead of springs under the wood, like these?

http://www.tiffinmats.com/products/foam-block-floor/

https://carolinagym.com/products/carolina-gym-supply-foam-block-spring-floor

Yes in place of springs there are foam blocks. After I heard I got down on my hands and knees and looked. I do not have an opinion as I do not know enough to have one. I was looking for the opinions from CB as many here have much knowledge to share.

DD has no problem generating power, I have seen her double tuck and triple full from the floor to resi over the pit.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I'm talking about foam block floor, and I assumed that John did too. I would not make anyone tumble on foam roll floor. We had one like that before we got the spring floor and all tumbling was done on rod floor tumble track (you don't have those in the US I think)

 

[wandrewsjr]

I'm talking about foam block floor, and I assumed that John did too. I would not make anyone tumble on foam roll floor. We had one like that before we got the spring floor and all tumbling was done on rod floor tumble track (you don't have those in the US I think)

Generally only the gyms in the US that also compete T&T have the rod floor strip, but I have seen them at a handful of very well equipped artistic gyms, too.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Yeah, I apologize for my hastreply. I’m sure there ar many different types of “Foam” floors and they would vary in quality and support and safety. Just like you can learn and successfully compete with less equipment and no pit and such I’m sure it can be worked around and done safely. Those two links above seem to claim they are just as good. I am definitely not an expert.

Having said that Sprung floors are the norm as far as I have seen in the US though. I know of four different gyms in our area alone that replaced their old spring floors with new ones this year. Our gym is in the process or acquiring a new spring to replace our old one as well.

I am really interested to hear what others have to say about this. My gut still tells me, from my perspective of having a level 10 daughter who will have to pound her body for the next five years, hopefully nine years, that that sprung floor, much like a pit, is an essential piece of her training environment.

Like others have mentioned about pits, just because it can be done doesn’t mean it is the safest or best way to go about training. Again though, I really know nothing

 

[John]

DD's gym also has a rod floor. And yes they do have a T&T team. DD also had a rod floor at the old gym but it was not the quality of the current gym. A T&T rod floor is quite the piece of equipment.

@thefellowsmom when I saw the floor was foam blocks I was alarmed. I too hope to hear more about this hopefully, some coaches will lend their opinions.

Lastly, it was quite shocking to see the other teams faces as they warmed up tumbling.

 

[gymdog]

Weird. Truthfully I don't know of any gyms in this country with level 10s or higher that have a foam block floor. At some point timing becomes a major issue which leads to an increased injury risk. I would not personally recommend this line of thinking but if you only have up to level 8 in your gym it'll be fine.

 

[gymdog]

I should say "anymore" - back in the day they were much more common and we did double backs. But we also weren't working with the equipment or spring floors of today. And in level 9 and 19 now more difficult tumbling combinations are more common. The rules have changed with the times too. Example, a front layout used to be a C.

 

[skschlag]

My ds' gym has carpet bonded foam floors. They are tough. He has to limit his tumbling, and will do more on the resi or onto mats than the floor most of the time. However, he does generate a ton of power on spring floors and loves them. But the impact on the home floor can be an issue. I keep hopign they might make one of the floors a spring floor.

 

[2G1B]

I had actually never heard of this before this post. It seems that every gym here has a spring floor. My girls' gym has a spring floor, a rod floor, and tumble track. DS's gym has a couple of spring floors and a couple of tumble tracks. The rod floor at my girls' gym seems to be a rarity in our area; but like I said, spring is the norm. Honestly, I think that if any of my kids went to a meet and found that the floor wasn't a spring floor that the coaches would be quite annoyed unless they had been made aware of that first. As for practicing, it does seem like it could be much tougher on the joints of the kids, which would be a concern for me. At my kids' old gym the spring floor was pretty old. They said that it was always great to go to meets because they tumbled so much better; but their joints took a beating in practices. I can't imagine them being OK with something even less springy...

 

[John]

@2G1B I thought the same thing about competing on the floor. I asked DD she had zero clue says she just thought the floor was just "dead".

The floor is quite springy for foam (my interpretation) and if I had to chose it seems "softer" than a spring floor. I have seen the owner double lay on the floor. Watching men tumble is very impressive.

 

[2G1B]

@2G1B I thought the same thing about competing on the floor. I asked DD she had zero clue says she just thought the floor was just "dead".

The floor is quite springy for foam (my interpretation) and if I had to chose it seems "softer" than a spring floor. I have seen the owner double lay on the floor. Watching men tumble is very impressive.

Some people are just amazing tumblers though. I have seen one of DD's coaches do AMAZING tumbling on asphalt!!! He is REALLY impressive on the rod floor! All that to say that even if someone super talented can do crazy tumbling on the floor, it doesn't mean that it isn't too hard for an average (or below average) tumbler to avoid overuse injury (IMO). I really hope that your gym had somehow made it known that they didn't have a spring floor before hosting a competition.

 

[John]

@2G1B I am going to do some research.

 

[sce]

Generally only the gyms in the US that also compete T&T have the rod floor strip, but I have seen them at a handful of very well equipped artistic gyms, too.

Many gyms in my area have a rod floor strip, along with a spring floor. Non of them compete T&T.

 

[mommyof1]

Many gyms in my area have a rod floor strip, along with a spring floor. Non of them compete T&T.

Yes, my kid's gym has a spring floor for team, a foam floor for rec, and a rod floor strip (plus tumble track and tramp). No T&T.

 

[raenndrops]

I'm talking about foam block floor, and I assumed that John did too. I would not make anyone tumble on foam roll floor. We had one like that before we got the spring floor and all tumbling was done on rod floor tumble track (you don't have those in the US I think)

Lol, one gym we compete against had just a foam roll floor for years. They recently (in the last few years) got a spring floor, but it is not in the main gym (so not usable for meets). When we went to their gym for meets, our Optionals would alter their routines... until they started hosting meets at an outside location with a spring floor.
SO they don't have to rent the other location, they are hosing a Level 3 ONLY meet this year. IT will work well for that

 

[blue_5678]

I wonder if the host gym has to specify what kind of floor will be available? I know for big international competitions, they specify the brand etc. Not sure how that works for smaller meets!