Coaching Archives - The Gymnastics Guide

The Ideal Composition for a Level 10 Bar Routine

November 24, 2020 | admin | 1 Comment

This article has been updated to reflect the 2022-2026 DP Code of Points. Level 10 bars… this is some of the greatest stuff out there. There’s nothing else I’d rather be judging (or even just watching!). It’s funny because I never loved bars as a gymnast. I was tall, it was hard, and I much […]

How to Perfect Your Level 2 Bar Routine

October 5, 2020 | admin | 3 Comments

The Level 2 bar routine is short and sweet. This can make it tough to tell why the score is lower than expected! Surprisingly, there can be a lot of little deductions hiding in that short routine. What should gymnasts focus on to get that big score? Read on and we’ll take a closer look […]

5 Tips for a Great Level 2 Vault

September 22, 2020 | admin

The Level 2 vault – what in the world is it? When the flat back vault was first introduced, it had already been used by coaches in training for a long time. But no one knew how it would be scored in a meet. Judges complained that it was difficult to judge. Coaches complained that […]

Tips and Resources to Boost Your Level 6/7 Vault Score

August 29, 2020 | admin

This post was originally published February 10, 2020, and was updated August 29, 2020, August 29, 2021, August 19, 2022, and July 7, 2023. If you’ve been at a Level 6 or 7 gymnastics meet recently, no doubt you’ve seen the new vault setup. Gymnasts now vault from the table onto a mat stack, performing […]

How to Do the Best Level 3 Beam Routine 2022

August 11, 2020 | admin

What makes a great compulsory beam routine? It turns out, there are several components to it. I’ve been judging Level 3 beam routines for over 20 years (gosh, can that even be true?). Although the routines have changed a few times, many things have stayed the same. Today, we’ll take a deep dive into the […]

Xcel Floor: How to Score Big

August 6, 2020 | admin

This article has been updated to reflect the changes in the 2022-26 Xcel Code of Points. This is the final article in the Xcel series. I’m excited to talk about floor, one of my favorite events, and to share the most recent updates. If you’ve read the vault, bars, and beam articles, you know that […]

The Essential Guide to a Great Vault Run

July 22, 2020 | admin

Everyone wants a big, powerful, vault. At first glance, vault seems like the easiest event to master. It’s only one skill – how hard could it be? But it’s not as easy as it sounds. Many gymnasts are missing the key ingredient to a great vault: a powerful vault run. Why is the run important? […]

Xcel Bars: Platinum and Diamond

July 16, 2020 | admin

This post has been updated to reflect the changes in the 2022-26 Xcel Code of Points. What’s the best way to get my Xcel Platinum bars score up? How about Xcel Diamond? There are many more considerations in these divisions, compared with Bronze, Silver, and Gold. And of course, there are intricacies specific to each […]

6 General Deductions You’re Probably Getting

July 10, 2020 | admin

What are the “intangibles” that can elevate your routine to the top? Every optional gymnastics routine is evaluated, at the end, on several general categories. These categories can result in general deductions for the routine, if there are deficits in these areas. Most routines receive a deduction in at least one of these areas. But […]

Xcel Bars: Bronze, Silver, and Gold

July 6, 2020 | admin

This article has been updated to reflect the changes in the 2022-26 Xcel Code of Points, and updated again July 20. 2023. Xcel gymnastics. These levels used to strike fear into the hearts of judges, when they were first being developed. The rules were so different from J.O. that some judges said they wouldn’t even […]