NOTE: We would normally have included this information in one of our e-Books that we sell, but since Yurchenko vaults have legitimate safety concerns in the learning process for the front side of the vault, we are providing this information free of charge as part of our free gymnastics safety program.

Learning to Go Straight

NOTE: We always use a sting mat placed on the front of the springboard and marked with where a gymnast’s hands should go. Hands must be placed in a straight line to go straight, just like on beam.

NOTE: Always use a Yurchenko board mat when training this vault, even during drills.

• Standing round-off on a tape line (hands and feet on the line).
• Power hurdle round-off on a tape line (hands and feet on the line).
• 3 step hurdle round-off on a tape line (hands and feet on the line).
• Running round-off on a tape line (hands and feet on the line).
• Standing round-off onto a vault board size mat.
• Power hurdle round-off onto a vault board size mat.
• 3 step hurdle round-off onto a vault board size mat.
• Running round-off onto a vault board size mat.
• Standing round-off onto a vault board.
• Power hurdle round-off onto a vault board
• 3 step hurdle round-off onto a vault board.
• Running round-off onto a vault board
• Standing round-off bound-up onto a 12″ mat.
• Power hurdle round-off bound-up onto a 12″ mat
• 3 step hurdle round-off bound-up onto a 12″ mat.
• Running round-off bound-up onto a 12″ mat
• Running round-off onto board, back layout onto 12″ mat.

NOTE: We train the run and board work until the gymnast can do a full speed, full-length vault run approach onto the springboard consistently.

Learning to Keep the Head Neutral

• Running round-off onto board, back layout onto 18″ – 24″ mat.

Initial Trampoline Whole Front Side of the Vault Drills

Yurchenko timers from trampoline and/or tumble-tramp (round-off entry only onto padded trapezoid) and into pit. (Use at least two foot high trapezoid sections or one trapezoid section and (we prefer to always use) an 8″ crash mat over the trapezoid, at a minimum, to avoid and protect from exacerbating the common error of whipping the head and not fully extending the arm angle. After successful mastery of this height, eventually add another trapezoid section on tramp and eventually all four on tumble-tramp. We recommend no more than three trapezoid sections and the 8″ crash mat on trampoline).

Round-Off Back Layouts off Springboard

• Running round-off onto board, back layout, 1&1/4 to back drop onto stacked mats.
• Running round-off onto board, back layout onto a Level 4 vault mat

Initial Yurchenko Timers

NOTE: We recommend you safety spot EVERY Yurchenko timer on the front side until the gymnast can consistently do them correctly every time over the regular vault table.

• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto a Level 4 vault mat (lowest level).

Land Timer Over Low Vault on Feet

• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto foam vault table (lowest level) and land on 12″ – 24″ mat on feet.

AND/OR

• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto two trapezoid sections (or stacked roll-fold mats) covered with 8″ crash mat and land on 12″ – 24″ mat on feet

Very Slowly Raise Vault Training Height

• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto a Level 4 vault mat (with one extra Level 4-8″ mat).
• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto three trapezoid sections (or stacked roll-fold mats) covered with 8″ crash mat and land on 12″ – 24″ mat on feet

Full Foam Vault Height Timers

From here on, we advocate the Theory of 1000+ for Yurchenko vault timers. We recommend gymnasts do 3 – 5 Yurchenko timers every day for a year. That will be between 1000 -1500 Yurchenko timers over a period of a year. This gives the gymnast an excellent, consistent and safe base for the front side of the Yurchenko vault.

• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto foam vault table (regulation level) and land on 12″ – 24″ mat on feet.

Transition to Real Vault Table

• Running round-off onto board, Yurchenko timer onto vault table (at lowered level) padded with 8″ crash mat at regulation height (or special vault table soft mat) and land on 12″ – 24″ mat on feet.

Yurchenko Timers with Block Emphasis

• Round-off vault onto full height Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop onto stacked mats or Level 4 mat (lowest level).
• Round-off vault onto horse (padded with 8″ crash mat and lowered to make equal to regulation height) with backside timer to back drop onto stacked mats or Level 4 mat (lowest level).

Slowly Stack Mats Higher on Backside as Block Improves

• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop onto stacked mats at vault table height.
• Round-off vault onto vault (padded with 8″ crash mat and lowered to make equal to regulation height) with backside timer to back drop onto stacked mats at vault table height.

Tramp Vault On Timers (onto trampoline covered with crash mats)

• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop.
• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop and bounce on mats into back pullover.

Tramp Vault On Timers (onto trampoline with crash mat and wedge mat)

• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop.
• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop and bounce on mats into back pullover.

Transition to Unpadded Vault Table

• Round-off vault onto vault table with backside timer to feet onto stacked mats.
• Round-off vault onto horse with backside timer to back drop onto stacked mats.
• Round-off vault onto horse with backside timer to back drop onto mats stacked even with vault table.

Yurchenko Timers On Regulation Vault Table with Block Emphasis

• Round-off vault onto vault table with backside timer to feet onto stacked mats.
• Round-off vault onto horse with backside timer to back drop onto stacked mats.
• Round-off vault onto horse with backside timer to back drop onto mats stacked even with vault table.

Regulation Vault Table Tramp Vault On Timers (onto trampoline covered with crash mats)

• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop.
• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop and bounce on mats into back pullover.

Regulation Vault Table Tramp Vault On Timers (onto trampoline with crash mat and wedge mat)

• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop.
• Round-off vault onto Foam Vault Table with backside timer to back drop and bounce on mats into back pullover.

Simultaneous Tzukahara Vault Progressions with Back Side Salto Rotation

We assume a similar progression for Tzukahara vaults is also being done simultaneously and that much of the back side rotational learning for the Yurchenko vault will come from there.

The Tzukahara back side salto rotation learning process would, of course, include Tzukahara vaults done off of a mini-tramp into loose foam Bungee pit, Bungee ResiPit, onto ResiPit, onto 12″ crash mats and then onto regulation landing mats.

The Tzukahara (and Yurchenko eventually) back side salto rotation learning process would, of course, progress through tuck, pike, open tuck, layout, ½ twisting, full twisting etc. through to triple twisting layout.

Yurchenko Vaults

At this point, the front side of the Yurchenko vault having been trained thousands of times should have become an automatic, consistent memory movement. And the back side salto rotations should have been thoroughly learned during Tzukahara vault progressions.

The gymnast is now ready to turn over their first Yurchenko vault(s) into a loose foam pit in a tuck position.

NOTE: We recommend spotting again at this point.

• Round-off vault onto horse with backside somersault into pit.
• Increase progression through normal somersault progressions – tuck, pike, open, layout, twisting etc. into Bungee loose foam pit, Bungee ResiPit, ResiPit, onto 12″ crash mats and onto regulation mats.

We will stop the detailed Yurchenko progressions at this point because we have covered our safety concerns and progression with the front side of the vault. The skill and safety progressions for the Yurchenko back side saltos are the same as they are for Tzukahara vaults.