When and How to Turn

[bb12334]

OK so I have been vaulting for one season. Recently I have made some strides in driving and swinging and getting inverted. I still have the problem where I swing my legs but then do not swing my hips with it. However the main problem is I do not know how to turn. I used to have a problem with "helicoptering" and everytime I try to turn thats what happens. On good days I can get my knees up to a 13ft bungee. However all my jumps are essentially bigger pop-ups because I have no way to turn and I just end up falling back to the mat in an inverted position, or just un-invert so I land on my feet. What motions or muscles should I use to turn properly. Also at what point in the jump do you turn? is it as the pole unbends, when the pole is finished unbending, or later on in the jump.

[powerplant42]

I still have the problem where I swing my legs but then do not swing my hips with it.

This is the main problem.

It doesn't make sense to worry about how to turn if your swing looks like a flying sit-up. Turning would come at the second half or so of the extension off of the pole, and it should almost happen naturally: your arms just sort of force you to go that way without thinking about it. You really just TURN your body. But if you aren't getting in a good position to extend off of the pole, then that's what you should be more worried about. Every phase builds off of the phase before it. Pay most attention to your run and carry, then to your plant, then take-off, swing, etc. Turning should be on the bottom of the priority list.

In other words, work on your swing.