February 3, 2011
In this spotting approach the coach is assisting from the opposite side of the gymnast's free hip initiation and helping to assure that the athlete has enough flying momentum toward the upper rail and that her body, legs, and heels do not hit the lower bar. To be able to help the gymnast move over, he is standing on a block of adequate height so he can effectively reach her closer arm and her lower back. He also has properly placed extra mats under the bar to minimize any fall if she misses her upper bar re-grasp. Before a gymnast progresses to this learning stage, they must know how to perform the flying phase clearing a single rail and landing on a loose foam pit. Also, during that earlier stage the coach spots heavier until he is sure she is clearing the bar with a great degree of proficiency.
January 26, 2011
Gymnasts begin learning back hip circles from a small cast. Right when their bodies start coming back down to the support, the coach standing on the opposite side of the bar, reaches with his arms under the rail and places one hand on the lower back and the other on the hamstring area. The hand that was on the lower back then reaches under the bar to stop the gymnast from "over rotating" the skill. The hand that was previously on the hamstring moves to the abdominal area to help in case the gymnast lacks the momentum to complete the circle.
January 26, 2011
It is very important to understand the dynamic nature of spotting any gymnastics skill. The spotting patterns must be adapted to what happens on each individual attempt. the coach must be ready to move his hands to different areas according to the occurrences of each situation.
January 24, 2011
It is wise to spot a novice gymnast attempting front hip circles down until she can demonstrate control to lower down at a safe speed. At the beginning, the coach holds the nearest forearm to assure that he will have a firm grip on the gymnast encase she lets go or rips off the bar. He places the other hand on the back of her legs to help the athlete slow down the skill.
January 24, 2011
One of the main differences between spotting a front hip circle down and a whole front hip circle to support is that for the complete skill the spotter places himself on the same side of the bar that the gymnast starts the skill.
January 24, 2011
In order to spot a front hip circle, the coach stands on the same side of the rail as the gymnast does when in front support. As the athlete falls forward, the coach moves his arms under the bar. He places one hand behind the knees or lower hamstring and the other on the middle of the back. The spotter keeps his hands behind the knees to keep the gymnast from moving away from the bar during the circle and uses the other hand to help the gymnast come back to a front support when she is finished. The gymnast should use her arms to keep her legs tightly against the bar during the skill.
January 14, 2011
Though male gymnasts tend to perform the higgins while already bailing down, this skill can be performed beginning in the handstand support as optimally seen on the uneven bars. Spotting the gymnasts on a low single rail allows them to experience the body weight transfer and technical motions required to move and turn from an overgrip on to an eagle-grip position.
January 12, 2011
Back handsprings can be spotted with one hand on the lower back and the other hand on the closer hamstring. If the spotter stands on the left of the gymnast the right hand goes on the back and the left hand on the nearer hamstring. During the second flying phase the hands switch the left to the abdominal area and the right to the lower back to assist with any problems during the landing.
January 12, 2011
If the gymnast is having problems showing a tight arch and the coach is confident of being able to handle the gymnast's weight he places a hand on the upper back reaching toward the further shoulder area while keeping the other hand on the hamstring. When the gymnast jumps back the coach stops the motion in mid air to allow the athlete to position her body into the correct shape. If the coach is spotting on the left side of the gymnast his right hand goes on the upperback to the far shoulder area and his left hand spots on the closer hamstring. This drill also allows the gymnast to work on her head position during the first flying phase. The head should not be stuck all the way down forward nor should it be all the way out backwards. It is more desirable to aim for a neutral head position or just slightly out in the flying direction. To master the second flying phase from hands to feet the gymnast must practice different drills because this one does not offer a good opportunity for arms repulsion. No coach should attempt this kind of spotting with gymnasts whose weight they have not tested first by lifting them from a standing position to a tight arch without any jumping back. For the large majority of gymnasts learning standing back handsprings the coach must spot standing up himself and placing his hands on the middle or far side of he gymnast's lower back and the close hamstring. A coach may decide to kneel down only to spot very light or small gymnasts so he can reach under their weight better. A coach should never attempt to spot from a sitting position because he will be unable to follow the gymnast motions and move himself quickly and effectively too.
January 12, 2011
Starting to teach back handsprings without arm swings may help the gymnasts to get used to keeping the arms closer to the head in the early learning stages plus it can save the coach a couple of face slaps. Place the gymnast on a position as if they were coming from a round off or another back handspring. Because this gymnast is light and already knows the skill the hand spotting the lower back is placed on the middle instead of farther across. Coaches must only spot back handsprings from kneeling when the gymnast is so light that her weight can be handled easy from this spotting position.
