Gymnastics
Vault; Handspring
A front handspring is a common gymnastics skill that is often demonstrated outside competitive gymnastics as well. There is an appeal to being able to run forward, kick through a handstand and spring back to your feet. While less intimidating and safer to learn than a back handspring, a front handspring is far more difficult to perform CORRECTLY. Performing a correct front handspring requires you to override several natural reactions. It also requires a strong kick accompanied by a strong push with the legs. Good shoulder flexibility is necessary to optimize push off the floor and allow for efficient positioning. There are two prerequisites to a front handspring. You must be able to do both a decent hurdle and a solid kick to handstand. The kick to handstand should go straight to the handstand with proper shoulder extension. Some key concepts that the book Crowood Sports Guides Gymnastics: Skills-Techniques-Training by Llyod Readhead, offers are, “A dynamic but controlled run-up. A fast and low pre-jump onto the springboard. Powerful take-off from the vaulting table. Repulsion through the arms from the table. Trajectory from the table with desired flight path and degree of rotation. Changes body shape or position during the flight phase as required by the vault. A controlled landing.” (pg. 39). These are basic points that I try to hit every vault I perform, although it is hard to wrap your head around all of them at once. But of course, this means practice! And practicing good technique is a great way to get there sooner, and good advice from the text says, “There should be a powerful thrust from the legs against the board as the arms are swung forwards and upwards into the late-off. In the flight onto the platform, lift that heels strongly and reach quickly with the arms to contact the vault table.” (pg. 39). These are great points for me to focus on because I have a hard time getting enough power to drive my heels up quickly and to block, which mean not to bend your arms, but to use your shoulders to push off the table. The video shows my progress using these tips from Readhead’s book. Tell me what you think in the comments!
Gymnastics seems hard! In the video you make vaulting look so easy, but based on you explanation, it seems to be the opposite. The only kind of gymnastic - ish type thing I've tried are cartwheels, and i'm not even good at those. How difficult is it to stick a landing on a vault?
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty hard to keep ALL muscles squeezed in order make it over clean, and stick the landing. Keeping tight is probably the biggest and most important part of vaulting, as is blocking, which I explained in the post, it also really important because if you don t push off, then you will arch your back and land in a sitting position and fall on your bottom. And you have to block properly using your shoulders to push off the table, because if you don't use your shoulders, you use your arms and if you bend your arms, they can't support your body weight and you will fall on your head or hit it on the horse table.
ReplyDelete