April 19, 2011
This tumble track drill is another possible introductory approach to some of the reverse hecht technical actions. The gymnast's goal is to fly back toward the resi-mat at the same time that her body stands up and aims to create forward rotation. As the athletes improve their drill understanding they can focus on details such as establishing visual contact and placing their hands on the edge of the tumble track. Since a great reverse hecht must show a whole hips and body turn over beyond the pancake position, it is wise to combine this drill and the incline mat drill with some other drills that emphasize other reverse hecht actions.
April 14, 2011
Gymnasts at all levels benefit from practicing connected tuck jumps even if they have already mastered them. The jumps can be performed moving forward across the beam like in these examples or connecting several jumps in place without traveling forward, taking off and landing in the same place.
April 14, 2011
The little switch drill is another basic activity to develop jumping confidence on the beam. The feet should be facing forward and not turned in during take off and especially during landings. The gymnast should also concentrate on proper posture and form presentation while standing up on the beam or during the flying phases of the jumps.
April 14, 2011
Gymnasts that already know how to perform straight jumps up in place may begin practicing 1/4 turn jumps as an introductory drill for more complex 1/2, 3/4 and full turn jumps.
February 1, 2011
In both the regular split leap and the switch leap the front leg swings forward as the back leg leaves the floor in a sweeping motion to kick toward the horizontal line. Both the front and back leg cooperate to show a 180 degree split or more at peak height. Many younger gymnasts often demonstrate a back leg position that is a little low and not completely parallel to the beam, or they tend to flex the back leg. This simple swing and kick back exercise helps the athlete understand the quick kick action required from her back leg. It is important to train the drill without bending the leg during the kicks.
January 20, 2011
Before the gymnasts attempt arabian sommersaults they should learn to perform round off half turns to a handstand onto stacked mats. It is an excellent drill to master how to show a full body extension before rushing into the tuck position. After the drill to a handstand is understood fairly well the gymnasts can begin to add a roll to mimic the tuck position. It is not advisable to skip the drill to handstand and start first with the rolling one because often it causes the gymnast to pike or tuck too early before showing an extended body turn over to the handstand. During the drills to roll it is important to place the palms of the hands on the mat then roll. This is an incorrect example where the gymnast rolls without using the hands.
January 14, 2011
A low single rail is a very useful piece of equipment to master different technical aspects of several horizontal bar or uneven bar skills. The back bail is the beginning part of back giants. The drill is performed falling very stretched from the handstand and landing flat down on soft mats approximately at the same height as the low rail. The pointed feet must contact the mat before the hips or abdominal are with the body showing a subtle hollow position. The arms should be by the ears bailing down straight and pushing away with the shoulders area very stretched.
January 14, 2011
In the front bail drill to prepare the first part of the front giants the gymnasts bail down with the shoulders very stretched and the body straight aiming to land on the mat as flat as possible without any hips pike or shoulder angle. By the time the body hits the mat the wrists must be in line with the arms by the ears with elbows locked and head neutral. The coach must check to be sure that the gymnasts are not arching or piking down during the drill execution.
January 14, 2011
This low single rail drill helps gymnasts to understand how to cast to a handstand with straddled legs. Beginning from a hollow prone support the gymnast moves down to a tight arch, and from there quickly snaps the hips up, aiming to bring the body weight on top of the arm support without letting the legs come down too much. The straddle cast handstand action somehow mimics the regular straddle press handstand on the floor, but the feet and legs should not come dramatically down when the hips move up or the whole action becomes neutral and does not go up to a handstand. The goal is to bring the piking hips on top of the support with the straddle legs also moving up.
January 14, 2011
Technically correct front pirouettes on the horizontal bar or the uneven bars must be completed by the vertical or even slightly before. Kicking up with an undergrip short of reaching a complete vertical handstand performing a front pirouette and falling over flat in overgrip lend the athlete valuable understanding and experience about how to begin an early pirouette ahead of the body reaching the vertical line. The drill also helps the athletes to train their body weight transfer actions so their front pirouettes finish totally square, not tilted or swinging down crooked. When the gymnast kicks up at the same time that the arms support moves on the pirouette direction, the rest of the body from the feet down must move together with the arms and shoulder support.
