Troy Wright has started a great discussion on Coaching Gymnastics in the new Millenium:
… The biggest thing that I would stress about FHS on floor is that I try and do about a gazillion times more front handspring step-outs than front handsprings to two feet. …
His article is supported by videos posted on Troy’s YouTube channel. Click PLAY or watch one sample on YouTube.
If you’ve got a comment, post it on the video or on New Millenium: Basics, Basics, Basics!!! Training the Front Handspring on Floor – Part I
I have a question.
Is he not worried about very flexible gymnasts doing too many “fast forward walkover” type handsprings early in the development phase? Flexible kids should be doing mostly tight flysprings, I feel.
… But I’ll post that question on the blog.
3 comments ↓
Actually, Rick, I am more concerned about inflexible kids doing too many front walkovers and front handsprings on the floor, rather than on more forgiving surfaces such as resis, etc. Gymnasts who are flexible in their shoulders are much more likely to be able to “turn over” this skill due to their flexibility, and therefore end up in front of their feet on the landing. The gymnasts that are tighter in their shoulders are less likely to rotate through and are therefore at a greater risk for landing behind their feet and compressing the vertebra in their lower backs. I do like the flyspring as a training drill as well.
Now, if you are talking about gymnasts needing to learn to tighten their cores as they do this skill, I completely agree. But, I would say that this is a necessity for all athletes doing these skills. Many gymnasts land front handsprings with a relaxed core, and this can definitely lead to problems.
I personally believe that the practice of bringing the feet together early in the front handspring is what causes a lot of the “behind the feet” landings, so I try to have the gymnasts do more step-outs to avoid this. I do think step-outs are safer, but I would love to hear others’ opinions on this.
Thanks for the plug, by the way! We really appreciate it!
Step-outs are something I introduce after the two footer. Mainly because I want them to understand they have to get off their hands fast. They don’t have to perfect the two foot style they just have to have an idea of how to do it off a mat, on a TTrak, etc, with moderate mastery.
It seems to work well to do both, especially if they do it off a springboard. Gives them the idea of how it should feel when they are on floor or going down a cheese, off a panel mat, etc.
Either way works fine, I am sure.
head spring and bounders are more important at first just look at iarov from canada this is his prefered method
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