Coaches length of hurdle

[coachinkal]

What do other coaches see as an ideal length for the hurdle for vault.

What would be a good distance for the hurdle from the point of leaving floor to hitting the board, or to the start of the beatboard if this is easier to measure.

I would think that the distance might change depending on the size of the gymnast. Bigger gymnast longer hurdle?

I seem to recall previous threads where someone mentioned putting down sting mats prior to beatboard to increase the length of the hurdle. Is this a useful thing to do?

Should the length of the hurdle change depending on the type of vault or would it always be the same?

Views appreciated.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

That depends on a LOT of different factors. How tall is the gymnast? How fast do they run? What does their board contact position look like?

I've generally found that a longer hurdle is often helpful to prevent kids from leaning forward too much on the board, but beyond that I can't really give you an answer that will apply to any kid; it's very individual.

 

[gymdog]

I've generally found that a longer hurdle is often helpful to prevent kids from leaning forward too much on the board, but beyond that I can't really give you an answer that will apply to any kid; it's very individual.

I agree with this, but I also think sometimes it makes kids kind of drag their feet and not get them in front to punch as powerfully. So I tell them to pick their feet up. You don't want them to go awkwardly high, of course, but I don't usually have that problem too much as long as I emphasize forward (not backward) pressure on the board. Mas Watanabe wrote something about the hurdle on his GymSmarts blog.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I agree with this, but I also think sometimes it makes kids kind of drag their feet and not get them in front to punch as powerfully. So I tell them to pick their feet up. You don't want them to go awkwardly high, of course, but I don't usually have that problem too much as long as I emphasize forward (not backward) pressure on the board. Mas Watanabe wrote something about the hurdle on his GymSmarts blog.

Agreed absolutely. I always tell my kids to think about pushing the board forward, like they're trying to slide it under the table as they punch.

 

[CoachTodd]

The hurdle should be low and fast. Having said this, if the hurdle is too close to the board, there isn't enough time to get the feet in position to punch correctly. The exact distance is really dependent on the speed of the gymnast. You want the hurdle far enough away to get their body in the correct punch position but not so far away that they lose velocity from the run. I've started using a drill where I have the gymnast hurdle UNDER a soft water noodle to keep the focused on the low hurdle. I've had amazing results with some of the kids. I just need to do it more often.

 

[coachinkal]

I agree with this, but I also think sometimes it makes kids kind of drag their feet and not get them in front to punch as powerfully. So I tell them to pick their feet up. You don't want them to go awkwardly high, of course, but I don't usually have that problem too much as long as I emphasize forward (not backward) pressure on the board. Mas Watanabe wrote something about the hurdle on his GymSmarts blog.

It was the article by Mas Watanabe that made me wonder about the length of the hurdle. It was a really interesting article.

I had thought that the longer hurdle may prevent the kids leaning forward, thanks Geoffrey Taucer for suggesting that it seems to help with this.

I was going to video this week to check on the angle of entry onto the board and technique for each gymnast. I suspect that they may not all be
hitting the beatboard with their feet forward and shoulders open. Several have a diving forward issue. I will try the longer hurdle on these kids and see whether there is any improvement.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

I think for like a front handspring or something that takes off in the same position (half on, full off, front front, etc.) then have the gymnast put there feet at the edge of the beat board and lie down with their feet there. then put there arms above their head that is the approximate spot they should take off for the best hurdle and stretch.

 

[BlairBob]

Hawaii, I would use that as a base minimum.

Again a factor of how fast they run and how far they can jump. Basically how much power they can generate.