7 of the Hardest Beam Skills: Mounts, Flips and Dismounts
The highest-rated balance beam skill in the current women’s Code of Points is the Biles dismount: two backward somersaults with two full twists, worth H, or 0.8. Several exceptional mounts, flips on the beam and other dismounts sit just below it at G, or 0.7.
Contents
Those letters describe the credit a recognized skill earns. They do not tell us which movement every gymnast finds hardest, or which choice will produce the highest final score.
This guide compares seven high-value variations under the 2025–2028 FIG women’s rules, checked against the October 2026 Code. It is a spectator’s recognition guide, not a training order.
Seven Difficult Beam Skills at a Glance
| Skill | Where it happens | Value | Code entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erceg: Arabian tuck mount | Onto the beam | G — 0.7 | 1.716 |
| Full-twisting layout mount | Onto the beam | G — 0.7 | 1.718 |
| Shishova: full-twisting layout | On the beam | G — 0.7 | 5.712 |
| Patterson: Arabian double tuck | Off the beam | G — 0.7 | 6.703 |
| Full-twisting double tuck | Off the beam | G — 0.7 | 6.705 |
| Full-twisting double pike | Off the beam | G — 0.7 | 6.705 |
| Biles: double-twisting double tuck | Off the beam | H — 0.8 | 6.805 |
A mount brings the gymnast onto the apparatus. An acrobatic element within the routine leaves the beam and returns to it; a dismount finishes on the mat. Start with that distinction before trying to count rotations.
The table contains seven variations across six numbered Code entries. The two full-twisting double-salto dismounts share a box, but their different body shapes remain worth recognizing.
Mounts and Acrobatics That Land on the Beam
1. Erceg Mount — G
The Erceg starts with a roundoff at the end of the beam. The gymnast then takes off backward, turns halfway around and performs a forward somersault in a tuck to stand on the beam.
That early half turn is the clue to an Arabian: the backward takeoff changes into forward somersaulting. It is not simply a front tuck with a half twist added at the end. Follow the direction change, then the arrival over the narrow landing surface.
2. Full-Twisting Layout Mount — G
This mount also follows a roundoff approach, but its flight is a backward somersault with a complete twist in a stretched body position. “Layout” is the familiar word for that stretched shape.
Compare it with the tucked full-twisting mount, named Garrison, which is F in entry 1.618. Both contain a backward somersault and a full twist; the body shape distinguishes their descriptions and values. The beam mounts guide places these exceptional entries alongside more common ways to begin a routine.
3. Full-Twisting Layout on the Beam — G
The Shishova in entry 5.712 combines one backward somersault with one full twist in a stretched position, taking off from and landing on the beam. Unlike the mount above, it happens after the gymnast is already on the apparatus.
The Code also lists a tucked Shishova as F, under 5.612. Saying “Shishova layout” or “stretched full twist” avoids confusion. Watch for the shape during flight as well as the twist: straightening the legs just before landing does not, by itself, show that the whole skill was a layout.
Dismounts That Finish on the Mat
4. Patterson Dismount — G
The Patterson is an Arabian double front tuck. After a backward takeoff and half turn, the gymnast completes two forward somersaults in a tucked position before landing on the mat.
It belongs to the same Arabian family as the Erceg mount, but the Patterson contains two somersaults and leaves the apparatus. The entry direction can make it look like a double backward salto at first glance; the early half turn explains the difference.
5. Full-Twisting Double Tuck Dismount — G
Here the gymnast performs two backward somersaults with one full twist, bending both hips and knees into a tuck. Keep the two kinds of rotation separate: “double” counts the somersaults, while “full-twisting” counts the turn around the length of the body.
Commentators may say “full-in” or “full-out” to describe a twist in the first or second somersault. Those labels add information about timing; the total remains two flips and one twist.
6. Full-Twisting Double Pike Dismount — G
The piked version has the same overall rotation count, but the gymnast folds at the hips with straight knees rather than drawing bent knees into a tuck. Both versions appear in entry 6.705 at G.
A pike can look longer and more open than a tuck. That appearance does not automatically earn an extra tenth: the written value for this pair is the same.
7. Biles Dismount — H
The Biles adds another full twist to the double backward tuck: two somersaults and two twists. This is the beam “double-double,” entry 6.805, rated H.
It has the highest individual value in the current beam table. The word “Biles” still needs an apparatus for context because her named vault and floor skills are different movements.
Watch the Biles Dismount in Competition
NBC’s description identifies the double-double dismount at the end of this routine. Use the final flight to separate the two somersaults from the two twists, then notice the transition from rotating to landing. The extra twist is the difference from the G-rated full-twisting double tuck described above. The slow-motion replay begins around 2:30; watch the tucked flight and the landing separately.
This is a historical movement example. Its displayed routine score comes from the rules used at that competition, not a calculation under today’s Code.
Why Body Shapes and Shared Code Entries Matter
A tuck, pike or layout tells you how the gymnast holds the body during the movement. Add the direction, number of somersaults, number of twists and landing location, and a complicated name becomes much easier to read.
Different body shapes sometimes change the value, as with the tucked and stretched Shishova. Sometimes they share a value and a numbered box, as with the full-twisting double tuck and pike dismounts.
Sharing a box does not make two shapes identical for every judging purpose. The Code’s recognition rules allow acrobatic saltos with different body positions to count as different elements even when they share a number. The box is a useful reference, not a complete explanation of every rule.
Does the Hardest Skill Always Produce the Best Score?
No. A gymnast receives difficulty credit for the content judges recognize, while execution evaluates how well it was performed. An intended layout or twist does not guarantee the intended value; the skill recognition guide explains that distinction.
Consider an otherwise unchanged routine that replaces a credited G dismount with a credited H dismount. The individual skill value rises by 0.1. If execution deductions increase by 0.3, the final score falls by 0.2, assuming every other contribution stays the same.
Connections, required content and the rest of the performance also matter. The beam scoring guide explains the complete calculation; our balance beam skills overview shows how these rare elements fit alongside dance, turns and more familiar acrobatics.
Final Takeaway
The Biles double-double dismount leads the current beam difficulty table at H. The G-rated examples show several other ways to create exceptional difficulty: a demanding arrival onto the beam, a twisting salto that returns to it, or a double-salto dismount.
To recognize them, follow where the gymnast starts and finishes, then identify the body shape and count somersaults separately from twists. A difficulty letter becomes much more informative once you can see the movement it describes.
Main Sources
- World Gymnastics: Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points 2025–2028, publication dated 14 October 2026; sections 7–8 and beam element tables, pages 117–118, 141 and 144–145.
- World Gymnastics: WAG Help Desk, August 2026, recognition and judging clarifications.
- NBC Olympics: Simone Biles’ Day 1 beam routine at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, competition-video description.