Ninety-five thousand pounds of effective thrust

screams its menacing reply to Newton's third law,

and you're off into the friendly skies of United...

 

he term "impact" generally refers to the interaction between one object colliding with another, and to the effects of such a collision. Objects often possess some degree of elasticity, a property which causes them to return to their original shapes (restitution) once they have been deformed (deflection) by a collision. All other factors being equal, the quickness with which their original shapes are restored (expressed mathematically as the coefficient of restitution) largely determines the net effect of their interaction.

 

Although the human body is considered quasi-rigid rather than elastic in nature, many concepts dealing with elastic properties can still be usefully applied. Just as elastic objects (such as vault boards, spring floors, and uneven bar rails), develop a potential energy for immediate use upon being compressed, so does the human body, with its internal muscular and connective network, possess a similar capacity to develop and expend an instantaneous working energy. This is particularly apparent in the impact phases associated with virtually every airborne gymnastics skill.

 

In fact, impacts such as those observed in take-offs, arm-repulsions, and even landings serve to control, guide, and regulate the ultimate quality of virtually all aerial gymnastics skills. With this in mind, let us take a closer look not only at the mechanics involved in each of these critical impact phases but also at how these impact phases can maximize the quality of skill execution.

 

LEG IMPACT AND TAKE-OFF

 

The effectiveness of the take-off sets the uppermost limits of what the gymnast can hope to obtain during the airborne phase of any skill. During this moment, the path (trajectory) followed by the performer's center of gravity, as well as the quantity of rotary motion (angular momentum) available for skill execution, are irrevocably established. Because both of these variables are, without question, of utmost importance to success, we need to consider carefully the nature and function of each, and to examine their inherent interrelationships to the take-off itself.

 

Once the gun has been fired, there is no turning back...

for the trajectory and momentum of its bullet

 are irrevocably established!

 

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