Here we have included some examples of a 360 degree pirouette, followed by piking down and bringing the legs through to a V position. It is important to remember to minimize the number of hands steps needed to complete the full pirouette.
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.
The handstand is the most fundamental and crucial element in all of gymnastics. It's body position can be seen in elements done on every single apparatus in the sport. The development of a gymnast's handstand is generally started at the very earliest stages of recreational levels, but gymnasts should continually train and refine their position throughout their entire career.
