Gymnastic Floor Music

Floor routines can be performed by men or women. Up until 1948, they could only be performed by men, but that changed. Now men’s routines must be seventy seconds long and include tumbling (as well as anything connected to tumbling), forward and backward tumbling elements, and an arm or leg balance, otherwise known as scale. Women’s routines must be seventy to ninety seconds long and have a focus on gymnastics, acrobatics, and dance.

Floor routines can be separated into several skill sets. Basic skills include techniques like the backward roll, the cartwheel, and the forward straddle roll, among many others. A skills can include techniques like the aerial cartwheel, the dive roll, and the straddle press handstand, among many others. B skills can include the flat to handstand, handspring front, and planche, among many others. C skills can include the butterfly 2/1, the double back, and the v-press handstand, among many others. D skills can include the Arabian double front, full-in and full-out, and the Russian 1080 Deg, among many others. E skills can include the Thomas stretched and the triple back, among many others.

Floor routines are done on a bouncy spring floor. This allows for good height gains and soft landings. The spring floor is approximately 40 x 40 feet. It is often made of wood or composite that is mounted on springs. There is also cell foam inside and the surface is always carpeted.

When you are choosing music for your routine, you and your coach must keep in mind your capabilities and personality. You want your routine to resemble what you are all about. That’s what makes it art. If you choose something that is a good match for you, then you are much more likely to shine. Some popular options as far as music goes are classical, dance, and techno. This is a wide range, so choose wisely. And you also have the freedom of choosing something else on your own.

Also keep in mind that the music you choose can’t have any words in it. If it does, you will be penalized. In most cases, it’s a one point deduction. Your music must also be played between thirty seconds and one minute and thirty seconds. If it’s less than thirty seconds, there will be a two point deduction. If it’s more than one minute and thirty seconds, there will be a .1 point deduction.

You will also be judged on other factors. These often include level of difficulty, artistry, if you have stuck to the required elements, and overall performance. You must use the entire floor and tumble from one corner to the other. If you show poor form and execution or you don’t hit all the required elements, points will be deducted.

Other standard rules for a floor routine are that you must dance with two leaps or hops from the code of points, you must perform an acro line with two different saltos, you must salto forward or sideward in addition to backward, and you must salto with double BA and salto with an LA turn that is a minimum of three hundred and sixty degrees. Finally, you must dismount.

Understanding how a floor routine is performed and scored can be confusing and take time to feel comfortable with. It’s different than many other gymnastic techniques in the sense that strength isn’t as important as rhythm and expression. If you’re really looking to score well with the judges, then you must connect with them.

The best way to do this is to pick music that you have an emotional connection to. If you can feel that emotional connection during your performance, it will show. The judges will be well aware of it, most likely appreciate it, and you will end up with a higher score. Even if you don’t score well, at least you will have known that you stayed true to yourself and expressed yourself in a manner that you felt strongly about.