Dealing with Bar Setting Changes

[GetaGrip]

I have a meet on Sunday, but my coach still decided that this was a great time to move the bars closer together. I know I shouldn't be worried because I'm barely 5', but I'm still not used to the bars.

Where the bars are I can hollow down and not hit my feet on the pad my coach puts on the low bar. Right now, I am too scared to stretch all the way to the bar, but I can't make my giants around enough. I keep tapping up to handstand and either barely making it over or falling the wrong way.

I'm also nervous about pushing out too much on my clear hip and hitting my feet :/

On a side note, what is the elite bar setting? I've heard its even closer together than what I have mine at!

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

elite: low bar is 1 click above the line. high bar is 1 click above the line. front spreader at the low bar is all the way up. back spreader at the high bar is 2 lines under 4.

and you'll just have to get used to it. you will not be able to perform low bar to high bar and high bar to low bar transitions if the 2 bars are a mile apart from each other.

 

[gymnut1]

Dunno do you think USAG should use FIG settings like everyone else. For all pieces.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'll tell you...sure makes meets easy. no moving anything. 2 boards with already proscribed spring format. no moving mats. no physical work whatsoever on our part as coaches.

unfortunately, just the fig bar setting would knock everyone out of the sport or completely change or alter what the kids do on bars. and they would have to train many more hours. not doing fig accomodates a lot more shapes and sizes. like kids that lack flexibility or power/speed and must raise the table to 6 or even sometimes 7. they do great yur layout fulls. they could never do these at 125/5.

i suppose beam wouldn't matter much, although raising the beam to 125 from 120 helps the drop/distance factor of a dismount. maybe just enough for the athlete to make it. this is why coaches remove mats. you have no choice at fig. 8 inch mat with a 4 inch competition mat on top. can't movem. same for vault and bars.

by the way, the bar setting i set forth above is for AAI bars. for speith, gymnova, etc; the high bar is 8 holes showing, the low bar 7 holes showing and the spreader on no more than 181cm.

the newer speith and other european bars have FIG right on the uprights and spreaders. when you attend one of these meets, the equipment is already set anyway. there is no moving anything or you risk lapidation on site. same at the ranch. marta would feed you to the camels if you attempted to touch/adjust the bars.

 

[gymnut1]

unfortunately, just the fig bar setting would knock everyone out of the sport or completely change or alter what the kids do on bars. and they would have to train many more hours. not doing fig accomodates a lot more shapes and sizes. like kids that lack flexibility or power/speed and must raise the table to 6 or even sometimes 7. they do great yur layout fulls. they could never do these at 125/5.

You see I don't agree Dunno. Plenty of kids doing gym in the UK and all around the world on FIG settings. And I can definitely tell you that 90% of kids in the UK train way less hours than USAG.

And your mention of 'making it easier for coaches' on one setting. Well there are plenty of threads on here about US coaches who wont change settings during training even when it could benefit the kids concerned. So just because they can doesn't mean they do adjust for each kid.

I just find it weird that US uses such a different system. Why not just use the world regulation. Even all the deductions are different. 0.5 for a fall is just so strange. Everywhere else has been a mark for years. And scoring out of 10 went out a long time ago. I understand a different system with recreational gymnastics. But for girls doublebacking and doing release moves on bars to use such a different system seems weird to me. I can't help but think level 8 and up girls should break out of the bubble and compete in the real world. And I mean that in a nice way.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

no disrespect gymnut1. you don't understand or see the big picture here in the US. if you tabulate a total of all the kids in the world doing gymnastics, it doesn't even come close to how many kids are participating in gymnastics in the US.

and the reason they don't adjust bars is because the further you adjust away from the FIG setting the worse the technique. not saying it is right, and i don't do this myself, but it is what it is nonetheless.

we have what's called a USAG JO program AND NCAA AND HIGH SCHOOL AND YMCA AND SOKOL AND TURNERS AND PARK DISTRICTS. it is estimated that the US has over 10 million kids participating in gymnastics programs. doesn't mean were better, just means we have more and more different levels. we have lots of kids that train less hours than the UK! we have some kids that go 1 hour a week until they hit high school gymnastics. and a lot of these kids are doing double saltos and release moves on bars. most of our collegiate teams could WIN world meets if all were allowed to compete enmasse with open equipment rules. you're not seeing the big picture in its full scope.

and for another conversation...we have tort law here in the US that dictates a lot of what we do here in gymnastics. we also have liability insurance and rules that govern what we do and what the sports governing bodies are not allowed to do. no such thing anywhere else.

so as you can see, there is a bigger picture more than anywhere else in the world of gymnastics here in the US.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I like a lot of the US system, I am envious that they realise that the FIG code is developed for elite gymnasts (what percent of the gym population are they again?). I would rather have modified gear and routines than the current baby FIG I have to work with. I hate seeing dead-end skills and skills that are not important at a certain stage being performed simply because they are the easiest code element to teach.

 

[nevertooold]

if you tabulate a total of all the kids in the world doing gymnastics, it doesn't even come close to how many kids are participating in gymnastics in the US

we have USAG JO AND NCAA AND HIGH SCHOOL AND YMCA AND SOKOL AND TURNERS AND PARK DISTRICTS. it is estimated that the US has over 10 million kids participating in gymnastics programs.

so as you can see, there is a bigger picture more than anywhere else in the world of gymnastics here in the US.

Amen!

Adjusting the equipment makes the sport accessible to a wider range of kids, something that isn't necessarily valued by all in this sport.

It just makes sense to let your super itty bitties use the table lower and the bars closer. I hate seeing a tiny seven yr old level 5 squirrel jump to a high bar that's 2ft away even when they are standing up and the coach off the mat. What's that prove?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

the other issue is that there are approx 5200 private gymnastics clubs in the US. these are private businesses. how many in the UK? 5?? understand?? i have 17 gyms within a 15 mile radius of MY gym.

the clubs would all be doing birthday parties and mom&dad nights out 24/7 if we only went by FIG.