This is not how I teach forward layout, full twist. But it’s very similar to what is taught by Russian Head Coach Andrei Rodionenko.
Something tells me I should listen to Sean Golden. I already know I need to listen to Andrei!
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This is part of the Technique Tuesday series of tutorials. (Workout Wednesday is tomorrow. I can hardly wait.)
5 comments ↓
Rick – how do you teach twisting front layouts? I've never coached anyone at that level so I'm curious about the difference in techniques.
When I watched Andrei emphasizing the "hollow" take off at training camps with many girls from many clubs … I found it did not work for most.
In a perfect world, with great kids, this is a super technicque.
In the real world, with real kids, the problem long term with that skill is that kids twist TOO EARLY. All my drills emphasize getting into the arched position as quickly as possible. Twisting as late as possible.
I find that if I do my drills, the skill will eventually end up as discussed in the drill. It's easy to get kids to twist earlier. It's easy to get them to take off in a more hollow position, … if you train a lot of arched layouts first.
There are many roads to arrive at the same place.
The method I've settled on for teaching front twisting is to teach it as a pike rather than a layout. Kids still learn a front layout first, but when it comes time to twist, I have them go back to a pike, simply because it's very difficult to twist in a pike. They learn a pike-open-half, which forces a late twist.
Then I teach them pike full, pike 3/2, etc, without ever actually telling them to open it up to the layout. The result is that the pike gradually evolves into a hollow, and the open to twist comes earlier and earlier, but they always retain that split second delay before twisting.
So the idea is similar, I just teach it as a pike rather than a hollow.
Yup. Me too, Geoffrey.
Absolutely in the learning stages of forward twisting.
… putting it on Floor I only do pike open twist drills with kids that are twisting too early, though.
I do the same as Geoffrey as well.
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