Gym Coach, Vol.

5 (2011) 12-21

www.thegypress.net Technical Report

Teaching a great Yurchenko layout vault

Valentin Uzunov
J.E.T.S Gymnastics, Rochester MN, USA

ABSTRACT

This article continues on from the discussion presented in “Qualitative description of the ideal Yurchenko layout vault
technique” published in Vol 4, 2010 issue of the Gym Coach Journal. In the first part of our discussion and examination of
the Yurchenko layout, it was concluded from available research and data that all good Yurchenko vaulting performances
had three biomechanical characteristics in common: an appropriate CM pre-flight velocity, a high level of pre-flight
angular momentum and contact the horse with a large body angle of attack. The purpose of this article is to use the insight
from the previous discussion and practically apply it in the presentation of a methodological model for coaching of the
Yurchenko layout vault. The training model presented uses a series of drills, progressions, and specific physical
preparation exercises chosen for their specificity and development of the key biomechanically factors identified with
successful Yurchenko layout performance.

Key Words: Yurchenko vault, coaching vault, vault, vault conditioning

INTRODUCTION outstanding performance and mediocre or poor

performance lay in the gymnast’s ability to generate greater
The Yurchenko vault has become the accepted vaulting angular momentum and the appropriate flight path of the
standard for the majority of elite and high level female Centre of Mass (CoM) during pre-flight, as well as the
gymnasts. Even though gymnasts and coaches have had a optimum body position and angle on horse impact. In
high success rate with this specific vault, it still remains an essence, the execution of the pre-flight and horse contact
open question what is the best and most efficient way to will dictate the level of success of the performance.
coach and execute the Yurchenko. Although such a question Successful training and execution is further complicated by
would be hard to answer, due to the large degree of the fact that an optimum pre-flight is dependent on the
variability amongst performers, coaches and training successful execution of the preceding phase, or springboard
methods used, there are certain similarities between all top entry.
Yurchenko vault performances. In “Qualitative description
of the ideal Yurchenko layout vault technique”, Vol. 4 of the The scope of this article is to present a systematic training
Gym Coach Journal the author reviewed the current progression that employs current understanding of the
research and coaching textbooks and concluded that the best Yurchenko layout mechanics and modern training methods,
approach to developing this vault should focus on three key and in doing so train gymnasts to attain superior
characteristics: a) Training the gymnast to generate and performance and by-pass potential shortfalls of less
maintain the appropriate velocity of the CM during pre- Yurchenko specific training methods.
flight; b) entering the pre-flight with high levels of angular
momentum; and c) to contact the horse with a large body-
angle of attack and angular velocity. TECHNIQUE
As with all vaulting, the key to success is in the approach and In order to understand the training progressions employed
the pre-flight. Few vaults have specific post flight it’s important to first examine each phase a little more
characteristics, such as the handspring double front (Roche closely and provide the reader with a better understanding
vault) vault, which demands specific post-flight training as of the rationale behind the progressions used in the training
recommended by Takei, 2003, Takei 2007. From our methodology.
previous examination of the kinematic and kinetic
For this purpose two vault examples are used to study and
mechanics of this vault (Uzunov, 2010) it was possible to
illustrate the ideal model of execution.
conclude that the key factors that differentiate between
©2011 The Gym Press. All rights reserved Gym Coach Vol.5, April, 2011 - 12-
Uzunov V. Teaching great Yurchenko layouts, Vol 5, 2011 www.thegympress.net

Example 1 - Unknown gymnast (Yurchenko layout) As can be seen in the two video examples, each gymnast
uses a comfortable sprinting style and approach speed.
The hurdle is not often discussed in detail. It nevertheless
plays a critical role in the performance and execution of the
vault, with critical errors often arising from this seemingly
simple action. The hurdle is characteristically described as
being long and low for all vaults. The reason for this is to
conserve maximum horizontal momentum (3) going into
the next skill/phase, which in the case of the Yurchenko is
the round-off. During the hurdle, the arms should be swung
upward and forward aggressively giving the gymnast the
sensation that s/he is being pulled forward by the arms. At
the peak of the arm swing the gymnast shoulders should pin
his/her ears and simultaneous protract the shoulder (this is
known as the “chest in” position). The shoulder girdle must
be fully elevated and protracted throughout the entire
hurdle and the entry into the round-off. This action can be
observed in both video examples however example 2 shows
it especially well.
Example 2 - Kohei Uchimura (Yurchenko layout 2½ ) Coming out of the hurdle the gymnast needs to be prepared
for ground impact onto the back leg (ref to Figure 3). On
first impact the back leg should impact the ground
underneath or even behind the gymnast with the gymnast’s
CoM in front of the foot (Figure 3).

Figure 3- Ground contact at end of hurdle. Notice that in both

examples the gymnasts have impacted the ground with the back le
leg behind their CoM, which is ideal for creating eccentric force
on leg drive. The left example shows a mistake: the hips are in not
As with any vault, the run-up represents the first phase. in too much of a pike.
Research has shown that for direct vaults such as
handspring and Tsukahara vaults, maximising approach
speeds is critical. However, this is not the case for Ensuring the gymnast’s CoM is in front of the back leg foot
Yurchenko vaults. From examination of a limited but placement is important because from this position the
representative range of technical literature on gymnastics gymnast can eliminate the majority of breaking forces
coaching (3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) it seems clear that generating (slowing down, decelerating forces) on ground contact and
sufficient speed and control into the hurdle is more puts the gymnast in a positions from which s/he can
important than max horizontal velocity on approach. generate the most amount of turnover going into the round-
Studies have shown that approach speeds during the off.
Yurchenko are significantly lower compared to other styles
of vault (1). Running styles and technique are rarely The effectiveness of the round-off onto the springboard
discussed in great detail in gymnastics literature. Rybecki decides the uppermost limits of what the gymnast can attain
(2008) encourages teaching proper run-up technique and during the successive phases (2). Going into the round-off
posture, which help set up the most conducive conditions for from the hurdle the gymnast must continue to reach
the hurdle (9). Running technique is discussed in detail by forward while powerfully kicking the back leg over, to
Uzunov 2009 for readers interested in learning more about initiate the round-off turnover (going from and upright to
sprinting training for vault. an upside down position). The back leg should aggressively
kick over the gymnast’s head, and continue without any
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deceleration of the leg. This is referred to as having ‘follow-

through’. The front leg should push downward and
backward, thereby generating a lifting of the CoM. Both legs
should come together just prior to springboard impact. A
common mistake in learning and performing the round-off
is to slow down the back leg (first leg) in order to try and
allow the front leg to catch up.
A fast turning over at the round-off is critical not only in Figure 5 - Springboard take-off position. Notice the tight upper
order to establish a high level of angular momentum back arch, with the hips directly above the feet. This is a key
throughout the vault, but also in order to facilities the block position and coaches should look for it.
in the round-off. The block during the round-off helps raise
Following the take-off from the springboard take-off the
the CoM so that the gymnast can impact the springboard in
gymnast should be rotating very quickly backward whilst
the correct position.
his/her CoM is rising upward. This is critical in order for the
gymnast to make quick contact with the table at a high angle
First impact with the springboard must be high, at
of impact (12), thereby creating the ideal conditions for the
approximately 60° angle (12) with the gymnast’s upper body
subsequent repulsion phase.
(in particular his arms, head, shoulders) moving very
quickly over the top of the feet (5).
The effectiveness of the repulsion phase is a combination of
the take-off body position and dynamics. Technical
coaching literature always advises that the gymnast needs to
impact the table with an open (fully flexed) shoulder angle,
however this is rarely, if ever, observed in top vaulters. A
better coaching focus is to develop a fast turnover and
impact the table with a high angle of attack with the
shoulder joint being as close as possible to 180° of flexion
(figure 6).

Figure 4 - Springboard impact phase shows a high impact angle

approximation – 60° in both angles - with minimal flexion of hips
and knees The gymnast in the example does a better job at keeping
the shoulders pinned to the ears with the arms and head acting as
one unit.

All high-scoring Yurchenko vaults involve a quick transition

over the top of the springboard (1). The hip angle on Figure 6 – Both gymnasts demonstrate a high body angle attack
springboard impact should be as close to full extension on table impact, with the shoulder angle close to 180° of shoulder
(open) as possible, the chest is closed, shoulders are in
flexion (the right example camera angle distorts the angle of
contact with the ears, and the head is in a neutral position
attack for a better comparison).The gymnast on the left does a
(5,8) (Figure 4). Landing high on the board will prevent
better job at keeping the head between the arms and the shoulder
excessive leg bend and will also aid the athlete to quickly
angle closer to 180°.
rebound off the springboard.

On springboard take-off the gymnast must fully extend all A high body angle of attack facilitates the generation of
joints, so that all limbs align to a tight upper back arch angular momentum during impact with the table because
position (Figure 5). the reaction force passes behind the whole body CoM. If the
angle of attack is low, the gymnast will lose angular
Following the take-off from the springboard take-off the momentum on impact because “the gymnast’s weight acts
gymnast should be rotating very quickly backward whilst as a moment arm in a counter-rotation direction of the vault
his/her CoM is rising upward. This is critical in order for the and so reduces the angular momentum of the gymnast” (11).
gymnast to make quick contact with the table at a high angle The correct position and dynamics on table contact,
of impact (12), thereby creating the ideal conditions for the coordinated with a strong and powerful push through the
subsequent repulsion phase. shoulders and wrists joints, allows the gymnast to quickly
deflect off the table and establish increased vertical lift of
the CoM. The gymnast must complete the block action and

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depart from the table just prior to reaching handstand or at simultaneously: Special Physical Preparation, Special
handstand with the feet forming a slight arch (figure 7). Technical Preparation, Simulation and Performance. At
the beginning the gymnast should only focus on physical
and technical preparation through specific exercises and
drills. Only after sufficient technical preparation can the
gymnast start including full simulation drills and actual
vaults safely and effectively. It is very important to use
develop technical training early on in the course of
preparation and not rush the process.

Special Physical Preparation

Figure 7 - Good example of how the gymnast has completed the Special physical preparation (SPP) for the Yurchenko vault
block and deflected from the table at handstand, with very can begin early in the gymnast’s career. SPP exercises can
showing on a slight tight arch. be differentiated within the following categories.

As the gymnast blocks, s/he gymnast again perform a snap • Reach back
up action, lifting the chest, shoulders and arms. Only once o Dorsal lifts with straight arms
the gymnast has initiated the chest lift should the hands o Standing reach backs (weighted)
come down to help speed up rotation (9). This is important o Standing BHS onto raised surface
for learning the twisting Yurchenko vaults latter (figure 8). o Standing whipbacks
• Repulsion
o Bridge shoulder shrugs and bounces on
tramp (4)
o Back-handspring block to handstand
(video )(7)
o RO turnover drill (video)
• Shape change
o Arch to hollow in handstand
o From bridge to handstand
o Shape change between panel mats
Figure 8 - Following the block both gymnasts show a clear rise of • Approach/ Springboard punch
the shoulder, arms and head in the backward somersault. A clear o Sprint training (16)
snap-up action is clearly demonstrated o Step punch back handspring
o Step punch straight jumps
• Spatial orientation
Once the gymnast leaves the table his/her potential for o Cody on trampoline (video)
technical execution of the layout during the post-flight is o Consecutive back tuck and layout
established and cannot be altered. With gymnasts who show o Simulated flipping from HS drills
poor layout positions the coach should carefully examine
each preceding phase to identify the short falls that are The select few exercises recommended are highly specific to
causing the poor post-flight the training model presented. There are hundreds of
exercises that can be listed for each category of physical
preparation, each having merit, however the selected
METHODOLOGY exercises are deemed by the author to be suitable for the
majority of gymnasts learning this vault, as well as being
For coaches who wish to coach this vault, implementing a very specific to the vault. Coaches are however always
long term development plan is recommended. Preparation advised to seek and learn as many SPP exercises as possible
for this vault should start 1 or 2 years (depending on the in order to target a specific gymnast’s weaknesses and
gymnasts and their proficiency at the handspring vault and counteract boredom in training. It’s not appropriate to
Round-off back-handspring on floor (4)) before performing suggest repetitions per drills station as this can vary greatly
a Yurchenko vault in competition. This recommendation is between each session and exercise depending on the
for purposes of injury prevention, consistency, and technical difficulty for the gymnast. As a guideline 4-10 repetitions for
mastery and not because the vault is extremely difficult to multiple sets (3 to 4) should be sufficient.
learn. It is important that when vaults with salto are being
performed for the first time, safety is always considered, and Special Technical Preparation
thus rushing though stages is strongly discouraged.
Introduction of the Yurchenko can begin early on in a
The development of the Yurchenko vault, like any other skill, gymnast’s career. It is nevertheless recommended that a
can be divided into 3 stages, which can be coached
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gymnast be able to perform a proficient RO-BHS on floor always. (part b) As the gymnast develops confidence and
first. Rushing the training process is strongly discouraged. consistency in performing a cartwheel s/he can begin doing
a RO rebound to a straight jump. There should be a stack of
The progression of coaching for technical preparation mats at hip height behind the gymnast to encourage them to
should be divided into 3 phases: Entry, Turnover, Block and stand up straight on the jump. In this phase many of the
rotation. errors in the entry will begin to show, e.g. not blocking of
the round-off, looking down at the panel mats on take-off,
Phase 1 – Board Entry piking the straight jump, etc..

The very first step to teaching the Yurchenko vault should be When the gymnast becomes confident and consistent with
the run-up approach and springboard entry (round-off onto his/her RO straight jump, an obstacle can be placed in-front
the springboard). Coach and gymnast should devote 75% of (Video) of the panel mat to encourage the snap up of the
their training time to this phase and the remaining 25% on torso, predominantly the shoulders and head. The size of
Special physical preparation in the beginning. As previously the object depends on the size and speed of the gymnast.
stated in this article, the upper most limits of the Yurchenko (part c) The gymnast should be encouraged to rebound to a
vault are mostly predetermined by the springboard entry candle stick onto a stack of mats at vault height (usually
and take-off. Rushing through this phase will only be shoulder height from standing on the floor) when s/he
training for errors and inadequacies for successive phases. begins to perform the straight jump with consistency and
good straight body alignment.
During the board entry phase the focus is on:
• Developing a consistent approach with a good The reason for using a panel mat instead of a springboard is
hurdle technique – controlled but aggressive entry to teach the gymnast to punch out of the round-off instead
• Create turnover out of the round-off onto the of relying on the springboard. As the gymnast develops
springboard proficiency with 1 panel mat, more layers can be added
• Springboard entry angle building up to 1 ½ - 2 panel mats height. Once the gymnast
• Springboard punch can accomplish this s/he should begin to focus on drill 2.

Before teaching the drills it is important to establish a Key technical points to focus on are:
consistent starting position and hurdle. To do this the coach • Shoulder to ears on hurdle and reaching forward.
should mark out a springboard location with chalk on the • Back leg driving with follow through till
floor, place a Yurchenko mat in front of the chalk outline, springboard impact. It is critical to emphasise the
and place a panel mat a set distance away from the speed of the first leg and a late but fast closure of
Yurchenko mat. From 1-3 steps the gymnast will hurdle the legs just prior to springboard impact.
(following the technique described earlier in this article) off • Block of second hand
the panel mat and do a round-off onto the chalk outline. The • Snap up/standing up off the floor onto the
panel mat is adjusted as required until an ideal starting springboard, impacting as upright as possible.
position is found. This setup can be from here on used • On take-off gymnast should be fully extended with
consistently for all drills. As the run-up length is increased all limbs aligned. This requires: Head position
the same process can be used if required. aligned with the arms above the head, and the hips
and knees and shoulders have to be extended
Drill 1 – Part a) - Hurdle cartwheel onto panel mat; Part b)
- Round-off straight jump; Part c) - RO-BHS jump to The entry drills can be safely introduced early in a
candle off panel mat/s gymnast’s vault training.
Drill 2 – RO-Back layout off one panel mat and
(part a) A hurdle cartwheel step in (without rebound) onto a springboard
panel mat is first used in order to introduce the athlete to
performing an RO onto a springboard. It simplifies the Once the gymnast can proficiently perform Drill 1 part b,
springboard entry and allows the gymnast to focus on the s/he can be introduced to doing an RO-back layout off the
hurdle and leg drive. Once the gymnast can perform this panel mat and springboard onto stacked mats. The use of a
proficiently without any major errors, s/he can move onto panel mat and springboard can be alternated from session
doing an RO to straight jump. This is the time to refine the to session. As the gymnast develops proficiency in punching
entry technique. through the springboard, using the panel mat should only
serve as a side station,and eventually be removed.
To encourage the leg drive when first starting, the gymnast
can have each end of a theraband tied to the gymnast’s legs. While working on Drill 2, the coach should have Drills 1 b
Using a theraband helps develop the leg drive by giving extra and c (if gym circumstance allow) as side stations. Drill 2
resistance and greater proprioceptive awareness of how fast should progress to back layout 1 ¼ to candle onto mats
s/he is driving and closing his/her legs. The elastic stacked at least at hip height
properties of the band also help accelerate the closing of the
legs. This can be used even with the RO if required, but not
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The key technical points to focus on are: to perform this drill safely. The table height should be
adjusted progressively, starting low and increasing the
• Good execution of the springboard entry as
practiced in Drill 1. height progressively as the gymnast improves and shows
• High standing position on springboard impact they are ready. The benefit of this drill is the same as
• Full extension of lower body and hips on take-off teaching front layout over table for handspring vaulting. If
without leaning back. the gymnast can over rotate a back layout over the table,
• Hips pressing up on take-off followed by a fast kick then they clearly have rotation/turnover to be able to
to candle shape (as required for a strong layout). complete the Yurchenko layout perfectly.
• Good position in the layout (straight position and
not hollow) Progression 4 aims at developing a double layout off a
springboard. It is also a very important though advanced
Phase 2 – Turnover progression in developing a strong turnover. The reason for
Turnover refers to the observable speed of rotation from this is due to all the mechanical similarities between the
hands to feet during the round-off and from feet to hands double layout and the Yurchenko layout (figure 9)
during the pre-flight to table contact. The ability of the
gymnast to generate a high degree of turnover is paramount
to his/her vault performance.

The ability of the gymnast to generate turnover during the

pre-flight is mainly pre-determined by his/her execution
and turnover of the RO during the entry phase.
Consequently, the entry phase should be constantly worked
on and refined. Minor improvements in the entry phase will
result in significant improvements in proceeding phases.
Despite the stated importance of the round-off, training for Figure 9 – (left) Double layout floor take-off. (right) Yurchenko
the round-off is not discussed in details. Coaches are advised board take-off. Notice the similarity in body positions on take-off
to work and refine their gymnast’s round-off meticulously in between the double layout on floor and the Yurchenko
the beginning of the gymnasts general and Yurchenko springboard take-off.
training.
This phase of training the Yurchenko is significantly harder
To train the turnover the following progressions are to develop and takes considerable time to develop to an
recommended by degree of difficulty and mastery: outstanding level. This is not to say that a gymnast who
Progression 1 - RO-BHS to handstand onto table height cannot perform a double layout off a springboard will not be
stack of mats. (5,7) able to perform a Yurchenko back tuck or layout. However,
Progression 2 -Round-off back layout in tight arch with without question the execution of the vault will not be
arms to ears all the way (done into pit) (8) flawless and the deficiencies in the vault will likely be also
Progression 3 - Round-layout 1 ¼ over table height the reason/s why they are not able to perform the double
obstacle (11) layout and vice versa (fear included).
Progression 4 - Round-off double layout off springboard (6)
Along with training the turnover the gymnast can be
Aside from focusing on speed of turnover when coaching the introduced to the blocking and rotation simultaneously.
turn-over, it is also a good time to develop the correct table
contact positions and a fast reach back. For this the RO-BHS Phase 3 – Blocking
to handstand drill is critical and just like the entry a great
deal of the training time should be devoted to contacting the The ability of the gymnast to block and rotate a layout
table in the correct attack angle. somersault from table contact is mainly determined by the
turnover and angle of attack on table impact and, to a lesser
Progression 2 aims to teach the gymnast the strong reach but still significant degree, the gymnast’s strength/power
back while lifting the hips and maintaining a tight arch through the shoulder girdle. For this reason the majority of
position similar to the pre-flight on the Yurchenko. The training should be devoted to turnover and angle of attack
gymnast has to considerably increase his/her efforts on instead of trying to correct table contact and post flight
entry and take-off to over rotate the tight arch layout errors with more effort on the block.
without letting the arms/shoulders drop away from the ears.
This drill also introduces the gymnast to the take—off for the For the most part the block action can be developed though
double layout. the physical preparation exercises for blocking. However,
below are a few specific drills/progressions that allow the
Progression 3 should be carefully trained and consistently gymnast to develop a more realistic feel for the block action
spotted until the coach is confident in the gymnast’s ability during the vault.

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Uzunov V. Teaching great Yurchenko layouts, Vol 5, 2011 www.thegympress.net

Progression 1 - RO BHS block at HS to land flat on Figure 11 – Diagram of the round-off back handspring to stand
high surface. – Figure 10 onto stack of mats progression. This drill teaches the gymnast to
lift the chest up off the block.
The focus of this drill is to teach the gymnast to block off the
table at or just prior to handstand. The stack of mats allows up’ action can be emphasised. It is vital that the gymnast
the gymnast to confidently try and rise up vertically. It also maintain an open hip angle following the block off the table
reinforces the ‘snap up’ action of the block instead of a snap- as well as ensuring a landing on the mats with over-rotation
down action. The simplicity of the drill also allows the
gymnast to work on the entry, turnover and attack angle. Progression 3 - RO-BHS block to ¾ layout (candle)
aka Yurchenko Timer – figure 12 (Video)

Figure 10 - Diagram of the RO-BHS block to land flat drill.

Figure 12 - Yurchenko timer. This drill demonstrates the
Notice that that to perform this drill well the gymnast is expected
gymnast’s physical and technical readiness to perform the vault.
to be able to correctly execute the entry and angle of attack.
Errors in the entry and attack angle will aversely affect the
gymnast’s ability to block at handstand and land flat. This drill is the standard ‘timer’ for the Yurchenko vault.
This drill tests the gymnast’s ability to perform all 3 training
phases: entry, turnover, and block. The aim is to show all
Progression 2 - RO-BHS to stand on high surface –
the key Yurchenko characteristics that have been trained
Figure 11.
thus far. Proficiency in this drill demonstrates the gymnast’s
This drill is clearly builds upon progression 1, however the
physical and technical readiness to perform the Yurchenko
focus now shifts on the block and lift of the table. By having
vault.
the gymnast try to stand up onto a raised surface the ‘a snap.
When first introducing these drills, if the facilities allow, it is
advisable to perform them onto stacks of mats to prevent
wrist and shoulder overloading. As the gymnast’s
proficiency in performing these drills improves, they can
begin doing them over the table covered by an 8in mat.
This way the table is gradually introduced as well as
allowing the gymnast to perform more repetition during
training. Once the gymnast has mastered all drills and is
approaching the competition season s/he can begin to use
the actual table.

Along with training the block the gymnast can begin doing
practice simulation drills for performing the somersaulting
action.

Simulation and Performance

Simulating the flipping of the Yurchenko vault can be done
with a few simple yet effective drills. These drills help to

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Uzunov V. Teaching great Yurchenko layouts, Vol 5, 2011 www.thegympress.net

reinforce a good block as well as teach the correct snap up of the upper body first and then an arm drop.|
somersaulting action. The gymnast should experiment performing the full vault
occasionally into a loose foam pit, even prior to being able to
Drill 1- RO-BHS to land on mat table high, perform all drills perfectly. This encourages greater effort in
immediate back layout down to a lower surface – training and keeps up the level of motivation during
Figure 13 training.

Once the gymnast is able to perform the Yurchenko timer

ideally onto a raised surface with over rotation, they are able
to begin performing multiple repetitions of the Yurchenko
layout into a lose foam pit. The coach should push the
gymnast to perform the vault progressively onto higher and
higher stacks of mats, aiming to reach mats ½ the table
height prior to performing the Yurchenko layout onto a
landing surface and at competition.

CONCLUSION
Figure 13 – The above drill helps simulate the Yurchenko layout
vault. It forces the gymnast to work hard on performing the block The training of the Yurchenko layout vault can begin at an
and snap-up action in order to land upright (as in the blocking early age by introducing the gymnast to the entry onto the
drill) in order to be able to rebound and perform a good layout. springboard. The model presented in this article (figure 15)
shows only one set of drills and progressions that are used
to coach this vault. There are many more drills and
Drill 2 – Standing BHS to Somersault off progressions that a coach can use. It is nevertheless
springboard – figure 14 important to distinguish what the benefits are to each drill.
In this training methodology the focus is on developing a
good height on springboard entry with a quick turnover in
the round-off and pre-flight, and a high angle of attack on
table contact. These are the main characteristics as
identified in current scientific literature that distinguish
great vault performances.

DISCLAIMER
Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information published
within this article. The views and opinions expressed within this article,
are those of the author/s, and no responsibility can be accepted by The
Gym Press, Gym Coach or the author for the consequences of actions
based on the advice contained herein

Figure 14 – This drill helps practice the block and flip of the
hands, simulating the real vault. The gymnast is standing onto a
panel of mats placed atop 2 springboards, which helps give the
gymnast a greater block.

Drill 2 is a useful drill to help simulate the block to post-

flight of the Yurchenko vault. The coach should spot this
drill at first. At first the drill should be done in an open tuck
with the arms by the ears. The reason for this is to teach the
gymnast to fully block and snap-up. If the gymnast is
allowed to drop the hands by the sides from the beginning
they will likely develop a bad habit of not completing the
block in anticipation to speed up rotation. Once the gymnast
is confident and able to perform an open tuck with their
arms by the ears they can be allowed to do layouts with an
arm drop, with the aim of showing the a full block with a

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Yurchenko Model Summary

Figure 15 - A diagrammatical summary of the Yurchenko Layout training model

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Would like to thank the kind folks at American Gymnastics (Video on Demand) for posting great coaching video examples that were of use in this paper,
Brennigan for giving up his time to be demonstrator and Lyubomir Uzunov for editing.

Address for correspondence: Uzunov V. JETS Gymnastics, Rochester MN, USA. [email protected]
REFERENCES and RECOMMENDED READINGS

1- Penitente G. Merni F. Fantozzi S. Perretta N. (2007). Kinematics of the springboard phase in Yurchenko-style vaults. International Society of
Biomechanics in Sports, 25th International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports
2- Koh, M. & Jennings L. (2007). Strategies in preflight for an optimal Yurchenko layout vault. Journal of Biomechanics, 40: 1256-1261
3- Cuk I. Karacsony I. (2004). Vault: Methods, Ideas, Curiosities, History. STD Sangvincki: Ljubjana, Slovenia
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