Why the "wolf turn" is such a big deal
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2021
- A deceptively difficult gymnastics turn.
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Every Summer Olympics, gymnasts amaze viewers by performing incredibly complex and dangerous skills. As these routines get more and more complicated, they become harder to top -- and the latest way to add value and distinguish a routine is the wolf turn.
The wolf turn has actually been around for decades. But recently it’s become a favorite in balance beam and floor routines. A gymnast will get into a squat position with one leg stretched out. She’ll then stretch out her arms and wind them up. Once she finds her balance, she’ll start spinning. Finally, she’ll stop and return to her original stance.
Seems pretty simple, but the movement relies on a delicate balance of mass and inertia. One wobble and things fall apart. Of course, there’s a reason gymnasts perform this delicate balance: points. The turn is used strategically because its relatively high difficulty level means judges value it more than a regular turn.
To read more about how judges score gymnasts, check out this article from USA gymnastics: usagym.org/pages/events/pages... and this one from The Balance Beam Situation: balancebeamsituation.com/elit...
And make sure to check out Nicole Langevin’s podcast, What Makes You Think: www.audible.com/pd/Podcast/B0...
To read more Simone Biles’s role in the 2020 Olympic Games, check out this explainer from Vox: www.vox.com/22596910/simone-b...
And read all of Vox’s Tokyo Olympics coverage here: www.vox.com/22580164/tokyo-ja...
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I love the name “wolf turn,” but through all my research I couldn’t figure out what it means! No one seems to know where it comes from. Let us know if you have any ideas! -Antonella
I don’t know but it is a rad name
It’s because the squat where one leg is bent and the other is straight is called the “wolf position “ see “wolf jump”
I came to the comments to ask what the wolf in wolf turn was 🤔
It has to do with the manner wolves (and doggies and other 4 legged creatures) turn, appearing to turn as one but the reality is a limb or two is left slightly behind until the turn is complete. (Wolf because....yah. wolves are cool. Haha)
"Wolf turn" is literal translation of a toy spinning wheel. In russian language it's called "волчок"
I was guilty of saying, "why are so many gymnasts doing this simple turn now?" UNTIL I heard a commentator during the trials say, "Think this is easy? Get down on your living room floor and try it". I did, and I couldn't even lift my extended leg off the floor. 🤦🏿♀️ Lol Much respect to these athletes. They make this stuff look so effortless.
Same! I tried it and uhhh no lol. They make it look so easy.
You made me try it. Wow am I embarrassed...
WOW WHATTTTT 😅
@@hemedtov2764same, I couldn't even lift my extended leg without bending it all the way in, ain't no way I'm turning like that😂
It's still boring to watch the same routines over and over
Do more of Olympic scoring. It’s always hard to tell which gymnast performed a “harder” trick better
Ooooo i like this, great idea!
This and diving always confuse me on scoring
@@igauan8010 I always assume that small splashes are good🤣
@@MarkWTK Make sure to come back on Thursday for one more Olympics video!
@@igauan8010 try judging the sport of 'Martial Arts Tricking', it's hard and amazing as well.
Gymnastics has become so difficult over the years because these amazing people want to do more better than those before them. Knowing that a backwalkover was once included at the Olympics and is now a low level move blows my mind sometimes.
Woah backwalkover used to be included? I feel like every 7 year old gymnast can do that these days.
Right, you look at gymnastics back in the 60’s and 70’s it was way less technical. But it was very artistic though.
Also multiple backhandsprings are "just" to gain momentum for the "big" skill at the end.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance 🏅
Just look at American football... There's a lot of money and fame involved so that means pro athletes have access to a lot of resources. Those resources result in better physique, techniques, and research into their sport of choice. When the pros are all competing for the edge of the best possible, eventually what is cutting edge becomes the norm and then non pro athletes get access to the information and it trickles down all the way to rookies.
Before you know it, what was cutting edge and trendy 40 years ago becomes common knowledge today. Take into consideration the internet to further spread the access to information and it just accelerates the race to the cutting edge.
"Wolf turn" is literal translation of a toy wheel that should keep balance to spin around. In russian language it's called "волчок" 🐺🌪️
I'm learning Russian!!
@@hawkboy000 so am I :)
Volchok
Хахахахах волчок::)))
thanks for sharing. origins of words/language/ etc etc is very interesting.
Pleeeeease do more physics of the sports.
AGREEE!
@Rehan Ebrahim ok mate
You can check out Nina Derwael masterclasses, they are in Flemish but she explains a lot. There's one about why don't men compete on the beam.
Yes please!! I think people don’t understand just how difficult these moves are
Yes, do one on a newly-introduced sport to the olympics, like kumite or kata in karate.
There are so many people politicizing her dropping out. I’m glad Vox made this video
like who?
@@TheRealPingu Charlie Kirk
@@TheRealPingu Ben Shapiro fun fact his wife is a doctor I bet you didn't know that
@@default6207 and....? what's the point?
Which I don't understand really.
Health should always come first. If she's not feeling well then she's not feeling well.
She knows best if she's ready or not at the end of the day so I don't understand why there are all these dudes saying she's the result of a weak generation and a disgrace and because of her leaving the russians are gonna win.
And most of them have like political channels, why are they even covering this?
This is fascinating. Unfortunately in my country (Brazil) there hasn't been much investment in sports, even so the Olympics have left us more united and inspired. This video comes at a good time. Thanks Vox!
Hopefully a Receba historic wins will help shine a light in Brazil for gymnastics and gain more investment in the sport.
Ludo meu amor você por aqui?
funny you should mention this when one of your gymnasts is taking a gold medal home lol
@@Camila-ku8rk At least half of our athletes are performing miracles if u compare with the structure top athletes from other countries have. The latter half some are well sponsored and others didn't performed miracles.
@@sarahhavillamelooliveira5825 Look at Jamaica :)
One additional point not mentioned in the video: a reason Wolf Turns are so popular is because they carry a maximum 0.3 deduction in execution, even if you grasp the beam (vs. a 0.5 deduction if you grasp the beam doing any other style turn). Really limits the downside risk to execution! Fun fact: in the next Olympic cycle, gymnasts will only be able to do 1 wolf turn in a routine (rather than multiple), probably as a direct result of its popularity.
That's boring that they're changing it
THAT’S why it is so common! I wondered why so many gymnasts choose it over other dance skills. Kind of ridiculous that you can grab the beam for a lower deduction when it’s a bigger penalty for any other turning skill.
Figure skating has a similar move, the sit spin. As former ballet dancer, I can only imagine the amount of strength these athletes have to pull off these moves while making it look so effortless
Higher scoring sit spins require thighs to be parallel to the ice in a low sitting position, a straight back, arms straight out, legs together tight for fast rotation, and a well-centered spin on the ball of the foot that does not travel across the ice.
This is so interesting. I love learning the technicality of things that seemingly looks easy because they are performed so well🙌🏽
This video helped me a lot with learning how to do it. I am a figure skater so it was relatively easy for me to understand how to do it since spinning is almost the same
bruh if that looks easy
That applies/goes for all movement acrobatic sports.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance 🏅
The abusive and inhumane methods the US regime has used to ensure Simone Biles and American Olympians win has led to their psychological destruction
Shameful.
I’d love another of these about the physics of u even bars, it leaves me absolutely mesmerized how the gymnasts can launch themselves off of the bars, do a precise acrobatic element, and then reconnect all in a matter of seconds.
I just love Simone. Time written an article about the "twisties" that was very detailed in explaining what it is. Very good article. I am just so excited for her return into the olympics for the beam.
She gave a press conference recently about pulling out from the Olympics.
that just seems like a very complicated way of saying she choked.
@@TheRealPingu Not sure why people are saying this. Clearly Simone knows her limits and pulled out so that she doesn’t hurt herself permanently…is that so much of a problem? Do we punish singers for cancelling tours when their vocal coach tells them they might damage their vocal chords forever if they don’t stop?
@@dorkiecookie ...no, she choked. She hasn’t hurt herself.
@@colt9758 I said so she DOESN’T hurt herself permanently. As a preventive measure. Don’t be dense on purpose.
That was very informative. They truly are world class atheletes
Just FYI the gymnastics community hates this turn and is really pulling hard for it to be devalued. It's thought to be one of the ugliest turns because most gymnasts are so sloppy when doing it, arms flailing everywhere, and when they do it on the floor rather than the beam they don't even complete a perfect 360° (or whatever amount of rotation they're going for.) Simone is about the only one who can make it look pretty.
So bcuz most can't do it it shud then b devalued, Y, just let them stop trying to do it, simple
Yeah i agree, it never looks good during performances
It looks like her foot goes below the bar when it's away from the camera, and I think she may use that to speed up. You can't do that on the floor, so maybe it's even harder.
3:48 I get where she's coming from, but wildly flailing around is (in any STEM field) literally the most dynamic thing possible.
I've been dying for somebody to talk about this wolf turn cuz I keep seeing it as wobbly... Then I watched the the rhythmic gymnasts - they do this perfectly every time! Trust me go look at the difference
I can't even stand on one foot for 10 seconds without losing balance😭
Tf it’s easy
she has a low center of gravity.
That’s worrying
I was just exaggerating dw
@@TheRealPingu and she tiny like 4,8 / 142 cm height, not that she is less impressive, just saying she is more compact
Also worth noting that Simone spins her turn faster than anyone else doing the skill. Like, WAY faster.
So?
@@ahahaha239 Shows a higher level of skill.
Physics is actually really interesting to me when it’s applied to gymnastics
Ngl I would love if y’all did more things like this durning the olympics just so we know how difficult some of these sports actually are. Cause I be watching some stuff and be confused on what they are exactly being judged on.
I've loved the Olympics content recently! I wish it would never end, so fascinating
Probably the most hated element in the history of gymnastics
Yeah, it is incredibly difficult but on almost all gymnastics videos, the hate for the wolf turn is universal :P
Me: “Psshhh, I can do that.” [Falls off beam and dies]. Funeral services will be held this Saturday. 🌹
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today... 😞💐
@@roa3432 Thank you for attending. 😔
😅yike wrong emotion, I meant 😞
Press "F" in the chat lol
Wish they showed Vladislava Urazova’s wolf turns! They’re near perfect every time! (Especially before her growth spurt)
I have to say I think hers are exceptional! Love the stable arm positioning- she doesn’t flail at all.
Yes!! I think Vlada and Grace have the best wolf turns, IMO.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance 🏅
Also congratulations to Sunisa Lee for winning individual all round gold 🏅
@@Madithemuggle SAME!
@@Madithemuggle Grace McCallum right?
Spins are a basic element in a routine and are compulsory so that’s why everyone spins. The wolf turn is just the current trend for spins. Back in 2012 they would pirouette with one leg fully pulled into their chest. It’s just a new max scoring trick !
Every quad there's that one skill that everybody does lol I'm over it 😂
@@neecee401100 this has been going on for two quads 😭
Me barely managing to not trip over my own feet at least four times a day: "Yeah, why *is* the wolf turn such a big deal?"
The effect that spreading one's arms vs. tucking them in has on angular momentum becomes even more apparent when you see figure skaters spin.
It also works pretty well if you do it on a swivel chair, but it's not as visually impressive. 😛
Also works reasonably well during free fall
*on earth
Love this! This one is definitely one of the moves that "looks" simple but I'd definitely fall over even attempting this on the floor, awesome video!
A single 4 minutes video and so many animations and graphics, great work vox!
Just me patiently waiting for vox to start a series breaking down every gymnastics skill 🙇😂
Shoutout to Sunisa Lee. So happy for her gymnastics gold this year. First Hmong to ever get Olympic Gold!
Biles will be competing in the beam finals. Her wolf turn is just so incredibly fast and accurate. Looking forward to seeing her do it one more time!
Biles *
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance. Also Sunisa Lee for winning all round.
It is isn't it? She makes look easy when it's anything but that.
i cant even stand on a beam.
This was a wonderful video! I have hypermobility so I wasn't allowed to do gymnastics. I always adored watching these incredibly strong and powerful women doing things the normal human body couldn't comprehend, with such poise and grace. I've always wondered how the physics work for it and why its so hard to do. Thank you! I'd love to see more scientific breakdowns of sports, especially gymnastics!
This is like a fouette turn, in a squat position...but without the bounce, or momentum of your leg's movement, to help you gain speed or lead you. I can't imagine how difficult it is to start rotation, esp. on the beam. Just🤯.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance. Also Sunisa Lee for winning all round.
It's a mutant version of pirouette...multiple times harder. Can't use the other leg to propel for momentum + you can't bring the lifted leg in for more centrifugal force.
How do they get the momentum for those turns???
Arms and twisting torso, also slightly pushing away from the beam with the stretched out leg. Its really hard, especially to perform 3 turns, most gymnasts do 2.
@@m00nrac00n I feel like the upper body leaning forward helps with the balance. Maybe because my body is too used to using the lower body for momentum, I can't even conceive how the torso is twisted for momentum while maintaining balance with it.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance. Also Sunisa Lee for winning all round.
I really hate the way this turn looks and I hope we can move on to some other incredibly difficult turn. Simone's triple on the beam ALMOST changed my mind -- even those at the top so rarely are able to make it look graceful.
The body of a gymnast is a testament to determination and dedication. There's something inspiring about those who truly show us what the human body and mind are capable of. Amazing.
As a former gymnast/dancer, I LOVE these videos! Please keep them coming!
That's basically ballet
I could never 😭😭😭😭😭😭
It resembles more to figure skating, this is how you learn a low sitting pirouette. Sorry I don't the English name for it.
@Peridot Reign Yes, in ballet a real pirouette is a backwards move not forwards.
@@lindamaes6454 I think the term you’re looking for is a “sit spin”
@@silversunset Thank you, in Flemish we call it a zit pirouette.
some gymnastics is like ballet, but this is probably more like figure skating as people have said
suni makes it look so elegant despite how difficult it is
Elegant? Have you missed the arms moving up and down and wobbling? Urazova has an elegant wolf turn, not Suni, search on RUclips to see her performing them and see the difference
I also love Grace’s wolf turns.
@@leykimayri Seriously, there are very few gymnasts who can do truly graceful wolf turns. Jordan especially makes me want to cry lol
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance 🏅
@@leykimayri no Suni’s look really good when she hits them, but yeah Urazova’s are next level, I agree
loving the science of sports videos especially during the olympic season
thank you for making this video and explaining. i’ve always wondered why they all did this move in every routine.
Try rolling on the two heal wheels of a rollerskate and then go into a rapid spin (about 8-15) and then come out of the spin still on the back of your heels! I use to do that on my rollerskates on both the front and back wheels. Needless to say, it took me some time to master it. And you have to have super strong ankles. especially on the front spin.
I get that this is a tricky move, but it just looks awful to me. Looks like they are losing their balance and about to fall off every time, no matter how well executed.
Gymnasts hate wolf turns too but it’s relatively easy points for the difficulty. Code of points needs to limit wolf turns to one per routine.
Yuuuuup. IMO, only Grace McCallum (and Nina Derwael, to some extent) has ever done a beautiful wolf turn.
they need to downgrade the wolf turn and upgrade a beautiful skill instead. make gymnastics beautiful again
@@FrancesBaconandEggs yeah but they cant even do it more than one turn which is lame
@@lpoco0006 the beauty is the skill of doing a difficult activity such as that
This is a really good breakdown of the skill! I would love to see more stuff like this in the future
"If she leans backward, she'll fall over"
Glad we got a physics professor to clarify that
Suni Lee’s wolf turn has to be one of the prettiest 😩
POV: you see this video show up in your recommended list and instantly hear Nastia say how much she doesn't like the look of wolf turns
Love this break down b/c i realized this olympic season how often a wolf turn is used. Biles appears to be the only or one or the few i see consistently do 3 turns
Just revisited this to say looking at Simones turn execution here to now is astonishing. It’s only become more stable and fixed in shape. I’m learning the single and it’s SO HARD!
Simone is a legendary athlete.
no
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance. Also Sunisa Lee for winning all round.
@@silveriver9 why are you under all the Simone comments and why do you comment the exact same thing repeatedly?
That abrupt ending lol
That save from Jordan Chiles will always be epic!
Thank you! I keep wondering why everyone tries this on floor and beam when few can execute it beautifully. I had no idea how hard this was and the point value
I get that it's hard and all but I'm with Jessica Alba's husband on that one. "Why do they always have to do that?" by now it's such an overused turn, would love to see some more variety every once in a while but with that scoring system (having the athletes aim for higher difficulties rather than artistry on beam or floor) the beam and floor routines are getting more and more predictable and similar.
Wouldn't artistry be a more subjective thing to score whereas having gymnasts aim for skills with higher difficulty is more objective?
Good video, but I feel like an important point was missed. The reason these turns are becoming more popular is mainly because gymnasts are realizing that performing multiple turns in a row in wolf position is actually easier than doing the same number of turns in the standing position, despite being valued the same. Wolf turns lower your center of gravity, which is conducive to stability, so in general a triple wolf will be more consistent on beam than a triple standing turn, even though they are both E value skills.
I noticed lots of gymnasts doing this move on the floor this olympics. This was interesting. Thanks
Um, a moment of appreciation for Jordan bailing on the wolf turn, but managing an impressive set of spins!
Best thumbnail in Vox history.
What's so good about the thumbnail
What's special about it?
Truly, one of the best. No captions, no nothing. Just a majestic posture and squiggly lines.
chill?
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance 🏅
For elite gymnasts, the wolf turn is actually one of the easiest ways to get three rotations in because your center of gravity is so low, making it easier to balance. It’s also very easy to cover up falling on a wolf turn when they’re done on floor because you’re so low to the ground that you can just roll out of it and pretend that’s what you meant to do. These are the main reasons why they’re so popular
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance. Also Sunisa Lee for winning all round.
Simone is a truly gifted person, one of many, but one of a kind.
****AWESOME VIDEO VOX ❤️****
Perfect video to show what these athletes go through....mind, BODY, heart.....don't forget dedication, competition, expectations (if yourself and other put in you.
Can we please give the great Lauren Mitchell of Australia her flowers and call the triple wolf turn the Mitchell as it is in the code of points. She was spinning like a fidget spinner back in 2009 before everyone was doing them.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance 🏅
Some commentators (not U.S.) do call it the Mitchell 😬
Yessss agreed!!
Of course she gets no credit 🙄
@@H.E.L.E.N.A. cool. It should be the norm here too. She is missed in gymnastics and this is a way to always remember her.
100
While this video is very informative and interesting, anyone who is more than just a casual fan of gymnastics will know that this skill is one of the most hated in WAG. A scientific video explaining why this skill is impressive won’t change their mind😂
I just want to know why the Okino is so incredibly rare if the wolf turn is sooooo hard 😂
Really enjoyed this - they make it look so easy!! Please can you consider more videos on how contestants are scored. I am really intrigued. And are all judges ex professionals at the sport they are scoring?
I tried this and now i'm writing this from the hospital. Don't try this at home kids
Wolf turns are the bane of gym fans everywhere 😅
Anything done on the beam with one foot is amazing. Even on the floor, the wolf turn needs absolute control. COOL!
I'm fairly sure I can't even balance enough to do the starting position. So much respect to how much hard work, dedication, and sheer pain this takes to perfect.
I used to do this when I was young on my bed but now it is like a dream maybe
Me, a physics student: wow, something actually useful from classes so far
The axis of rotation and moment of inertia stuff always used to trip me up in that unit
Thank you for explaining this. Now I have a bigger appreciation for gymnastics!
Ooh more breakdowns of Olympic sport minutiae please! This was really interesting!
And here I can't even walk without tripping twice
Informative video, but why have Suni Lee as the thumbnail and have the main focus of clips of Simone Biles...
Thanks for breaking it down! I nicknamed this move the spin top but now I know the correct term.
I was not ready for this video to end I need more
We need sports vids more often from Vox!!
No
Gosh, Simone is just, incredible.
Congratulations to Guan Chenchen for winning gold on the beam with a flawless performance. Also Sunisa Lee for winning all round.
This video felt incomplete...! I want more!
This video could have been much longer and I would have watched it. More gymnastics videos please :)
hate the wolf turn. it’s not attractive. simone rushes it on floor
Wolf turns are still the most ugliest element in wag. Don't fight me with this.
Good thing she opted in this morning! Kinda would’ve been tough for the vid if people couldn’t relate it to watching her this week
I love those drawings that the physicist did on the gymnast in air spins and flips, because I could never find out how do they count those, even on slow mo.
It’s also considered one of the most ugliest skills in WAG 💀🤣
Don't rhythmic gymnasts do these turns like it's nothing. I've never seen an artistic gymnast do it as precise as them.
However Rhythmic seems to be more graceful and delicate
I ice skate and I always think it's really cool when I see gymnasts and dancers doing what I think of as ice skating moves on the floor. We do the same spin in figure skating, it's just called a sit spin.
"Because it's hard" isn't really a good enough answer for me 🤣 Lots of things can be hard to do. A spinning headstand is hard lol. I love watching gymnastics and I appreciate their hard work, but some of it is so weird. "Yeah it's cool and all you did a triple double quadruple backflip in your floor routine, but Becky did the one foot spin without falling over so, sorry, she wins"
If it helps at all, the code of Points should be easy enough to find online. I'm rhythmic so not entirely familiar with the rules for Artistic gymnasts, but generally when putting together a routine there is some sort of rule about what range of elements must be included- you can't just tumble all the time, but have to include turns and balances for your routine to be valid. The gymnast then has to perfect many types of skill rather than relying on only being good at variations of the same thing. The code of Points lay out Points to be allocated for being able to pull off certain basic moves, with increased points for making those basics more difficult, I.e. a turn with your leg straight out gets extra points if you also bend your body over rather than holding yourself upright. This turn in particular vs a standard straight leg turn is more difficult so is awarded extra points, and that's why so many gymnasts have been using it
Ah, vox. I love you.
Let’s not forget about queen Lauren Mitchell. Really put wolf turns on the map
Thank you. This answered a question I would annoyingly ask each time I saw it.
I have to admit that I hate the wolf turn, it never looks good.
Wolf turns and not a mention of Vlada Urazova lol
Right she is incredible on this skill
Vox only knows American athletes, they’re well versed in the physics but definitely no gymnastics fans.
It's such a difficult, challenging move, and it almost always looks wonky and wobbly.
I’m watching the current olympics and wondered why I kept seeing this in the floor performances I watched and now it makes sense! It does kind of look a little silly/easy when you don’t know, it was giving me middle school dance moves😅
This channel just feels too good to be on RUclips. If all of this was on Netflix, that would be believable.
Vox has a ton of Netflix series called "Explained". Look it up.
Thanks for telling me about that, I guess.
I feel this half explained everything. Firstly, you half explained the difficulty and beauty of the task by not showing us when it goes wrong and when it goes right and why. Then you half explained the scoring. You spoke about the difficulty but didn’t explain the scores and how say they score an exercise and show how the score is obtained. So is one turn equal to one point? And how do you translate that to difficulty points. Either explain it or don’t. Don’t leave us half way with everything.
To be fair, most people find it difficult to understand why the heck the women’s technical committee makes the decisions it does 💁♀️
The fact that you honestly expected all of that to be explained in a 4 minute and 17 second video is utterly ridiculous
@@destree6348 you think? Well I think you are ridiculous