Unread postby KirkB » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:46 pm
There are other threads - some several years old - that have dealt with dropping the lead knee. On this thread, the difference is that we're discussing the topic in a new light, given the fact that all 3 Olympic medalists drop their lead knee in some fashion. I hope we can continue the thread in this light.
I find it interesting that Hooker and Lukyanenko both drop their knee, yet their technique is so drastically different that we should really not even be talking about the two of them in the same breath.
On the one hand, Hooker is very close to the Petrov model, other than dropping the knee. I've yet to figure out the full history of how his technique has evolved, but it's starting to unfold, thanks to the contributors on this thread. I suspect that he's not done yet. Even as good a coach as Parnov might be, he can't be expected to change Hooker's technique overnight. Look how long it's taken Petrov with Isi. I would classify Hooker as having a single-legged swing, with a slight difference in style (according to BTB2's definition of "style"). I'm still all ears as to whether the slight dropping of his lead knee is an advantage or a disadvantage. It does load the pole more, but it also slows down his swing. However, his swing isn't so slow that he gets behind the pole. He's still able to keep up with the pole, and invert fairly early, without any noticable pike or tuck during inversion - at least to my naked eye. How is he able to do this? That's what I'd like to know! I must admit that I still haven't analyzed any of his vaults in slo-mo yet. Perhaps then, I'd see what he's doing a bit better.
On the other hand, Lukyanenko has a two-legged swing. There's no other way you can describe it. By necessity, he drives the lead knee forwards, as he jumps off the ground. I think that's a natural consquences of Newton's 3rd Law of Motion - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. But he barely jumps off the ground before he gets into the double-leg swing. What he loses by his lesser jump and slower swing, he seems to gain in a HUGE amount of energy loaded into the pole by the two-legged swing - whilst his CoG is extremely low. I think he even does a two-legged "tap" or "whip". That's totally different than Hooker. The "magic" happens after the whip. He's behind the pole, and must play catchup. Most mere mortals would fall apart at this point, but he somehow recovers enough to catch up to the pole again, and get a very good handstand. (Yeh, he's curving his back bigtime to slither to inversion. I've seen vid of Bubka doing that on some of his bad vaults, but Lukyanenko does it on EVERY jump!) The only explanation I can offer (just a guess) is that he's a very good [high bar] gymnast, and practices [two-legged giants], then applies that technique to his vault.
Another guess I have in comparing Hooker to Lukyanenko is that Hooker's on a much lighter pole than Lukyanenko. Hooker has less leakage (a much better "continuous chain"), wheras the "magic" motion that Lukyanenko has from end-of-swing to inversion is fraught with leakage. But he makes up for it by his heavier pole.
"From end-of-swing to inversion" is quite an abrupt, noticable transition with Lukyanenko, but hardly noticable at all with Hooker and his "continuous chain".
Since I'm just guessing, I'm hoping somebody else with more knowledge here can put me straight.
And what about Yurchenko? Sorry, I just don't know much about him, other than seeing a few of his Olympic jumps.
Kirk
Run. Plant. Jump. Stretch. Whip. Extend. Fly. Clear. There is no tuck! THERE IS NO DELAY!
