Yurchenko Vault

This is not the vault of the future.  It is the vault of the present.  A double twisting Yurchenko is just about the standard International vault and has been for a number of years.

USA Gymnastics did, up until last year, restrict the vault from anyone lower than Level 10.  They now allow it for Level 8 and up (likely due to the low start value of the vault).  We never believed that restricting the vault was a good idea and we always began teaching progressions for Yurchenko vaults for all of our gymnasts as soon as they began working on Optionals.

We do believe that the vault (along with many other skills) can be potentially dangerous.  We therefore like to have the gymnasts work just the front side of the vault for at least a year before we have them turn it over.  We want them to be thoroughly comfortable with doing the front side onto the horse action and have t mastered to the point that it is a reflex memory muscle movement. 

We always thought it was more dangerous to have gymnasts never work the vault at all and then try to learn and master it in one off-season (as little as four or five months when they get to Level 10.  We start the early progressions (board work, Round-off layouts, etc.) along with all of the other vault front sides - handspring, ½ on, Round-off ½ turn to front handspring onto the horse (and even front handspring onto the board) together.  We are in no rush to turn over the back side of the Yurchenko vault and usually do not have the gymnasts do that for a year or year and a half.

We use a number of equipment progressions – the ones you mention and tumble tramp and trampoline Yurchenko stations and the use of a foam vault table training apparatus.

Many call this vault a round-off back handspring onto the horse vault.  We want to have our gymnasts look at this vault in a different way.  We call it a round-off layout onto the vault table.  We feel that too many gymnasts have a bad habit of throwing their head backwards (and therefore downwards) on back handsprings (none of our gymnasts do that, of course).  We certainly don’t want that habit transferred to the Yurchenko vault.

We want them to start with a neutral head, like on a layout, and be, if anything, too high onto the horse in the beginning.  We can then work downward to where the vault should be.  Better to be too high on at first that too low.  Of course, many gymnasts also throw their head on backs also (it is the most common bad habit).  But again, we are working from a position of too high on and going into a pit or onto a ResiPit mat without turning over, so the most dangerous aspect of the vault (going backwards head first into the horse is minimized).

We take it slow with this vault (and every other skill as well).  Slowly, slowly.  Only one little tiny step of progress at most each day.  When done this way, any potential dangers are vastly and dramatically reduced and success is inevitable.

The Yurchenko vault seems to provide more potential rotational power and dynamics than a regular Tzukahara vault, important especially for ectomorph gymnasts, like say Nastia Liukin, vs. a mesomorph gymnast like Mary Lou Retton.

We must compliment you on your attitude toward coaching and your evident willingness to learn.  You seem to have done all the right things, including learning through reading, watching video and going to clinics.  And even when you were fairly certain you were right, you were willing to do more research and ask questions when the safety of your gymnasts might be at stake.

We firmly believe that most of the best coaches continue to learn and never feel that they know it all.  We learn from gymnasts every day we are in the gym and while we have read and studied as much or more than anyone else, we continually research and record new and better ways to do things. 

Keep up the good work.  If there is anything else we can do for you or any more questions you have, feel free to contact us.

See another article on Yurchenko vaults.

There is more information about Yurchenko vaults in this article:
Not the Way To Do It

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