WAG Vault form help needed!

[emmaflips]

Hey guys! I picked up gymnastics again after a few years off; this time competing adult gymnastics. I recently had my first competition of the season, and I realized just how bad my vault form is (whoops). I'm actively trying to get a better heel drive and more amplitude, but I'm currently stuck on the lack of hight I'm getting. I've attached a video of my vault, and I'm hoping to get some tips on what I might be able to fix!

In the video, I'm focusing specifically on my heel drive, so I have the vault set up more like a drill station. It's set to a hight of 100. The springboard I use has 7 springs (I'm 5'4", 135 pounds for reference). You can see that I'm really not getting much height, and although my heel drive is better than it was a week ago, it's still not where I need it to be.

Is there anything that sticks out to anyone as something that I can focus on to help my heel drive/height. Thank you SO much in advance! <3

 

[emmaflips]

If it helps, here's a video that includes my run (and slightly worse form haha)

And an embedded version of the first video:

 

[gymnast9283849]

Hey guys! I picked up gymnastics again after a few years off; this time competing adult gymnastics. I recently had my first competition of the season, and I realized just how bad my vault form is (whoops). I'm actively trying to get a better heel drive and more amplitude, but I'm currently stuck on the lack of hight I'm getting. I've attached a video of my vault, and I'm hoping to get some tips on what I might be able to fix!

In the video, I'm focusing specifically on my heel drive, so I have the vault set up more like a drill station. It's set to a hight of 100. The springboard I use has 7 springs (I'm 5'4", 135 pounds for reference). You can see that I'm really not getting much height, and although my heel drive is better than it was a week ago, it's still not where I need it to be.

Is there anything that sticks out to anyone as something that I can focus on to help my heel drive/height. Thank you SO much in advance! <3

you are also closing your shoulders, think about your arms by your ears! hope it helps, it looks great otherwise to me but i’m just a gymnast and rec coach hahah

 

[estamey21]

The thing that stands out the most to me is an incorrect shape coming off the springboard. It’s especially noticeable from the side view in your first video. Ideally you want flat hips, hollow chest, and arms up covering your ears. You have the exact opposite shape: bend at the hips, arched lower back, shoulders closed, head sticking out.

I slowed down the video for you to see. The good news is that you know how to hit a tight hollow because you find the correct shape on the other side of the vault when you’re on the barrel. (See attachments.)

This is my favorite front handspring training video: . I think you should try some drills from the “Entry/Blocking Drills” section (3:18). When you are vaulting, focus on getting your arms up to your ears as fast as possible and reaching as far as you can with a hollowed chest.

Lastly, I would recommend picking up your speed. This advice is a little generic because pretty much any vault can be improved by a faster entry onto the board. But when you’re an adult, your can get a bigger return on investment because you have a lot of “potential energy” stored up in your adult leg muscles.

Exciting to see adult gymnastics in the wild! Keep up the good work!

 

[emmaflips]

The thing that stands out the most to me is an incorrect shape coming off the springboard. It’s especially noticeable from the side view in your first video. Ideally you want flat hips, hollow chest, and arms up covering your ears. You have the exact opposite shape: bend at the hips, arched lower back, shoulders closed, head sticking out.

I slowed down the video for you to see. The good news is that you know how to hit a tight hollow because you find the correct shape on the other side of the vault when you’re on the barrel. (See attachments.)

This is my favorite front handspring training video: . I think you should try some drills from the “Entry/Blocking Drills” section (3:18). When you are vaulting, focus on getting your arms up to your ears as fast as possible and reaching as far as you can with a hollowed chest.

Lastly, I would recommend picking up your speed. This advice is a little generic because pretty much any vault can be improved by a faster entry onto the board. But when you’re an adult, your can get a bigger return on investment because you have a lot of “potential energy” stored up in your adult leg muscles.

Exciting to see adult gymnastics in the wild! Keep up the good work!

Thank you SO much for this info! This definitely helps with what I need to focus on, and thanks for the drills for it too! I'm definitely going to be doing those.

As far as the shoulder angle part of things, I definitely agree with that being an issue. I tried working on that during my last practice, but I ended up having less than no block with only a slightly better shoulder angle lol. That could have to do with my speed (I was using a short run for the purpose of being able to do more back-to-back vaults). I'm guessing that since it's a combination of the heel drive and the shoulder angle, I have to fix both at the same time in order to get enough amplitude.

 

[sun]

Learn how to front layout if you haven't already - it is really effective for developing FHS to pad up the vault table (drape a 8" or 4" over it, landing mats on the other side) and practice front tucking over the whole table and building up to a front layout over the table.

A common overarching problem on these vaults is aiming for the table, losing all your speed when you hit handstand, then crumbling off the other side. This makes the table an obstacle to overcome. If you approach it like you are trying to punch clear over the table, then the table becomes a tool for you to use to push off on your way over.

 

[comingback]

As soon as you punch you should be hitting the hollow laid out shape rather than havibg to force your shoulders open on the table. I might honestly suggest putting the table height up a couple settings because it almost looks like you're reaching down towards the table in the air (closing your shoulders in the process). Another drill I suggest is just kicking up to a handstand on the ground and trying to immediately "hop" your hands doing as big a block as possible. As soon as your hands hit the table in your vault you should be recreating that popping motion. I'm attaching a video of what I consider to be a solid FHS vault!

 

[emmaflips]

You guys are amazing!! Those tips make so much sense and made a lot of difference for me, even in just one practice. Many more drills to go, but I’m feeling more confident!

 

[JBS]

What is your starting number?

 

[emmaflips]

What is your starting number?

In the training videos I’m vaulting on 100, and in the competition vault I’m on 105

 

[JBS]

In the training videos I’m vaulting on 100, and in the competition vault I’m on 105

No… where do you run from? How many feet?

 

[emmaflips]

Ohh, I gotcha now. I start at 58’ 6”.

 

[JBS]

Ohh, I gotcha now. I start at 58’ 6”.

11 steps? Left to left?

 

[JBS]

11 steps? Left to left?

Not counting that back step hop to right foot back to your starting point that you do.

 

[emmaflips]

Not counting that back step hop to right foot back to your starting point that you do.

Yup. I didn’t use to count my steps until like 3 days ago, so sometimes it varied, but 11 is a safe bet for my average run.

 

[HopefulGymnast]

You guys are amazing!! Those tips make so much sense and made a lot of difference for me, even in just one practice. Many more drills to go, but I’m feeling more confident!

Your form is already looking so much better than it did in the first video. Still the same things to work on, but it looks like it's going in the right direction.
Did you put the springboard further away? I had the same comments as everyone else here, except I was also thinking in the first video the springboard seemed very close. That would also make it very hard to get on the vaulting table without piking your hips.

 

[emmaflips]

Your form is already looking so much better than it did in the first video. Still the same things to work on, but it looks like it's going in the right direction.
Did you put the springboard further away? I had the same comments as everyone else here, except I was also thinking in the first video the springboard seemed very close. That would also make it very hard to get on the vaulting table without piking your hips.

That makes a lot of sense. In the most recent video it was a few inches further away, but not a huge difference. I’ll play around with that a bit at my next practice and see if that helps!

 

[JBS]

Yup. I didn’t use to count my steps until like 3 days ago, so sometimes it varied, but 11 is a safe bet for my average run.

So take this how you will... but there is really no way to correct anything but your run and board strike at this point... you don't have enough power.

At 5' 4" you should be starting further back than that with the same amount of steps... 11 steps. Your jump to the board should be longer... but the only way to do that is run faster. Let's say your board is at about 2'... that means you are hitting the board at about 3' (on the tape measure)... that means you should be hurdling from 12' or 13' back.

So... run faster... back your steps up a little at a time until you can no longer make it to the board with 11 steps. Once you back up that far... then move forward to the last spot you were able to make it. Don't over stride either.

To give you an idea... you are starting where my gymnasts that are about 4' 6" start. For your height you are going to be back into the mid 60's for a starting point in order to have power for 11 steps on a forward entry vault.

 

[Ms.Zoey]

If it helps, here's a video that includes my run (and slightly worse form haha)
View attachment 8960
And an embedded version of the first video:

View attachment 8961

Ok so what I've noticed is u have decent heal drive its good but ur arms!!! U need to keep ur arms straight and push through ur shoulders not ur elbows!! Similar to a backbend or backwards roll. It is all in the shoulders. Push ur shoulders back behind u to warm them up or reach them above ur headand reach behind u but don't bend arms