What level do gymnasts learn a Yurchenko Tuck?

Gymnasts usually learn a Yurchenko Tuck between Levels 7 and 8. That is a typical range, and every gymnast and gym moves at a different pace.

How long does it take to learn a Yurchenko Tuck?

About 8 weeks once a Front Handspring Vault is solid, as a rough estimate. Starting from a Front Handspring Vault, the whole progression adds up to about 14 weeks. These are estimates; real timelines vary a lot from gymnast to gymnast.

What should my gymnast learn before a Yurchenko Tuck?

Front Handspring Vault comes directly before it. The full progression is Front Handspring Vault, then Yurchenko Tuck. Helpful but not required: Roundoff and Back Tuck.

What are the most common deductions on a Yurchenko Tuck?

The ones to watch for are Pre-flight Angle (usually about 0.1), Insufficient Post-flight (usually about 0.1), Step on Landing (usually about 0.1) and Body Alignment (usually about 0.1). Judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is.

Is a Yurchenko Tuck scary to learn?

It can be. Stickd rates its fear factor 4 out of 5 because it involves going backward without being able to see where you're headed, height off the ground and a new kind of contact with the board or vault table. Techniques like Box Breathing and Fear Ladder help gymnasts build confidence.

How to do a Yurchenko Tuck

A Yurchenko Tuck is a vault that gymnasts usually learn between Levels 7 and 8, once a Front Handspring Vault is solid.

Also called: yurchenko, round-off entry vault tuck.

Quick facts

Apparatus	Vault
Typical level (estimate)	Levels 7-8
Difficulty (Stickd rating)	7/10
Time to learn after the prerequisite (estimate)	About 8 weeks
Whole progression (estimate)	About 14 weeks from a Front Handspring Vault
Fear factor (Stickd rating)	4/5

Levels, ratings and timelines are Stickd estimates for planning, not USAG requirements.

What to learn before a Yurchenko Tuck

Work through these skills in order. Each one is a required step toward a Yurchenko Tuck.

Front Handspring Vault (Levels 5-6)

Helpful but not required

Step-by-step progression

The path to a Yurchenko Tuck has 2 steps. Week counts are typical estimates for regular training.

1
Front Handspring Vault
Learn a Front Handspring Vault until it is solid, usually between Levels 5 and 6. About 6 weeks (estimate).
2
Yurchenko Tuck
Learn a Yurchenko Tuck. Allow about 8 weeks once the step before it is solid (estimate).

Drills that build a Yurchenko Tuck

Technique focus areas: Board contact, Tuck position, Landing.

What good form looks like

Round-off entry onto the board, back handspring onto the table, then a tucked salto backward off.

knees: tucked
hips: flexed
shoulders: open

Common deductions on a Yurchenko Tuck

Deduction	What it means	Typically
Pre-flight Angle	Insufficient angle or height in pre-flight phase	0.1
Insufficient Post-flight	Not enough height or distance in post-flight phase	0.1
Step on Landing	Taking a step after landing a skill	0.1
Body Alignment	Body not in proper line (arch, pike, or lean)	0.1

Typical values; judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is, and the judges' score is the official one.

Fear and confidence

Stickd rates a Yurchenko Tuck 4 out of 5 for fear. It involves going backward without being able to see where you're headed, height off the ground, a new kind of contact with the board or vault table. Feeling nervous about it is normal, and confidence usually builds step by step through the progression above.

Mental techniques that help

Box Breathing
A 4-count breathing pattern to calm your nervous system before attempting a scary skill.
Fear Ladder
Break the scary skill into a ladder of progressively challenging steps.
Positive Self-Talk Reframe
Replace negative fear thoughts with accurate, empowering statements.

Skills a Yurchenko Tuck unlocks

Yurchenko Layout (Vault, Levels 8-9)

Watch an example

Watch a Yurchenko Tuck tutorial on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

Frequently asked questions

What level do gymnasts learn a Yurchenko Tuck?: Gymnasts usually learn a Yurchenko Tuck between Levels 7 and 8. That is a typical range, and every gymnast and gym moves at a different pace.
How long does it take to learn a Yurchenko Tuck?: About 8 weeks once a Front Handspring Vault is solid, as a rough estimate. Starting from a Front Handspring Vault, the whole progression adds up to about 14 weeks. These are estimates; real timelines vary a lot from gymnast to gymnast.
What should my gymnast learn before a Yurchenko Tuck?: Front Handspring Vault comes directly before it. The full progression is Front Handspring Vault, then Yurchenko Tuck. Helpful but not required: Roundoff and Back Tuck.
What are the most common deductions on a Yurchenko Tuck?: The ones to watch for are Pre-flight Angle (usually about 0.1), Insufficient Post-flight (usually about 0.1), Step on Landing (usually about 0.1) and Body Alignment (usually about 0.1). Judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is.
Is a Yurchenko Tuck scary to learn?: It can be. Stickd rates its fear factor 4 out of 5 because it involves going backward without being able to see where you're headed, height off the ground and a new kind of contact with the board or vault table. Techniques like Box Breathing and Fear Ladder help gymnasts build confidence.