Gymnastic coaches have a wide array of equipment and equipment set-ups to assist in safe and easy skill learning. Just as there is a particular skill learning progression, there are learning equipment progressions for each event also. These equipment progressions need to be followed because they are safer for gymnasts, a make learning new skills easier for gymnasts, make it possible to take smaller steps of progression and overall to learn more quickly.

Spotting Mixed with Skill and Equipment Progressions

Coaches have the chance to use and intermix skill progressions, equipment progressions and spotting to provide however many steps of progression a particular gymnast needs to learn a skill. Judicious coaching effectively combines all three learning aids to move gymnasts forward through skill progressions.

Vault Equipment Progressions

Vaulting progressions can use a variety of different types of gymnastics safety pits and matting. Not all gyms can have more than one type of gymnastic safety pit, but all of the gyms can utilize a variety of matting techniques. Other vault equipment progressions can include tramp vaulting on and off, mini-tramp vaulting and using foam vaulting tables.

Bar Equipment Progressions

Bar progressions also can utilize the entire range of gymnastics safety pits and matting options for falling safety, release moves and dismounts. There are a number of bar equipment progressions – strap bars, floor bars, single bars, tumble tramp bars, bounce handstand bars, trench bars – that can be used.

Beam Equipment Progressions

Beam equipment progressions usually have more to do with the height and padding of the beam equipment progressions. Beam equipment progressions start with a line on the floor and progress to competition high beams. Matting underneath and beside the beams can also be used to vary the effective height of the beam. There are also a variety of beam pads available for use.

Tumbling Equipment Progressions

Tumbling equipment progressions center around a variety of take-off and landing surfaces and densities. Tumbling progressions include using trampolines, tumble trampolines, air floors, power tumbling floors and a variety of matting, stacked mats, inclined mats and tumbling into a variety of types of gymnastics safety pits.

Safer and Faster Learning

In general, it is logical that the more equipment set-ups and progressions that are available for coaches and gymnasts to use, the safer and faster gymnasts can learn.