In this basic variation to train balance, body posture, and presentation, the gymnast must walk in a tall releve to increase the balancing challenge. They must also focus on keeping a vertical body line with the buttocks, hips, and stomach tucked in to continue re-firming their posture and control.
During beam training the gymnasts should practice different kinds of walks jumps and other basic skills that help to develop an increase in balance, clean body lines, and elegant execution. The basic front kicks must swing up horizontal or higher, but always keeping the support leg straight, and the body in a vertical line without piking forward or arching back. As in any other dance skill, the stomach and buttocks are tucked in. The head stays neutral or with the chin slightly up. Performing in a tall releve increases the challenge to keep a steady balance.
Coaches may add different challenges and variations to basic training. Here we offer a couple of extra walks and kick combinations. In this example when the gymnast steps forward she raises the back leg to a tight arch while she performs a demiplie. Then she swings the same leg forward to a high front kick as the support leg extends to releve. In this second variation the gymnast performs front kicks, where the support leg raises to a tall releve and the foot of the free bent leg moves from a couppe to a passe position, ending with a high kick straightening the knee.
The needle kicks are another good addition to beam warm up lines. During each kick the goal is to bring the kicking leg to point vertical or beyond with a full split and open hip angle. The drill can be performed alternating each leg kick and stepping along the beam, or staying in place and kicking several times with one leg and then the other.
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.
The swing kick half turn is a good balance drill. The goal is to perform a high front kick and swing the same leg back while raising the support leg in a tall releve. The gymnast performs a half turn ending with that same free leg raising up as high as possible above the horizontal line. The whole drill must be performed without bending the support leg or the free swinging leg. The body is kept straight without leaning forward or arching back.
The inside endo starts with the gymnast beginning to pike as the body is already bailing over, and keeping the shoulder angle as open as possible while the pike compression increases. Aiming to get the feet between the arms and the rail cleared before the hips, the center of mass moves down lower than a horizontal line with the bar. Soon after achieving a full compression that is kept through the bottom, and as long as possible, while when swinging up beyond the horizontal, the hips start to roll out and the arms perform a strong pull and wrist's shift toward the vertical line to clear the legs off from in between the arms while the body is brought back to support finishing with a with a hips opening to return to a handstand support. Yellow shirt Check again the great deep pike compression this gymnast demonstrates when his inside endo is swinging through the bottom. Look now at some still frames of the previous example.
The gymnast demonstrating this combination bails over with a little arch to begin the inside endo, but then shows a good compression, and on the swing up and comes out of the skill with the correct hip roll-out action. On the pirouette to mixed grip he again has a slight arch that could be refined to a straighter position and keeps his head slightly out to maintain visual contact with the rail during his pirouette which helps him to regrasp the bar more consistently.
In general, one of the most common learning mistakes of either straddle or inside endo to full pirouette is to swing down crooked after the pirouette. The reason for this mistake is an excess of support transfer to the post arm. The gymnasts shift their weight like they were going to perform the regular front pirouette that they have learned before, and that really requires a support transfer beyond the vertical of the post arm to finish square in a different bar position. The full pirouette ends with the hand re-grasping the bar in the same area that the skill begins so the weight support transfer to let go of the hand must be minimum and momentary, and must not go beyond the vertical like this correct example shows. Still 2 - Notice how the hand re-grasps the bar in the same area that it let go of the rail. In this far view example the gymnast could pull stronger to support to flow without pause and pirouette straighter. In this other example the endo to pirouette should flow without a pause in between. Last clip - The combination flows much better here.
As mentioned before for the endo to mixed grip full pirouette combination, some of the gymnasts' main goals are to clear the rail, to flow from the endo to the pirouette without a large pause, and to swing down square. Notice how the gymnast keeps his eyes on the bar during the full pirouette.
