Instead of using elite demonstrators, the performances are realistic to the level of the girls appropriate to each drill. (The clips are not so intimidating when you bring your laptop into the gym and show a drill to your kids.)
Bottom line: GymDrills.com is an excellent new resource for WAG coaches. A good investment for club owners:
• Free per 7 Days (Trial)
• 3.99 USD per 1 Month (Monthly Membership)
• 35.00 USD per 1 Year (Year Membership)
Boys are always surprised when the girls in their gym tell them that forward giants are more difficult than backward. After all, most boys learn forward giants first.
Front giants should be less scary for the beginner. And technique is easier than backward giant.
On straps I always teach forward giant first, boys and girls. But on the rail I’ve only managed to get two or three girls to do forward giant first. A proud accomplishment, those times.
Coach Bart won’t have any problems. He introduces the long hang foward swing in under grip to very young kids. It’s like a game to them at this stage.
You can do a terrible giant, let go, scrape your butt across the bar … and still hang on. The judge will give you credit and possibly not much deduction.
Or you can launch a monster release like Anna Li or Jordan Moore. And likely not get much more credit.
There are two kinds of Tkachevs I admire:
1) Super HIGH … perhaps with not much counter rotation
2) Super counter rotated … with potential to swing a giant or another release in sequence
The best I’ve ever seen at the second kind was Rustam Sharipov. In demos he connected many, many in series.
The highest Jaeger and Tkachev I’ve ever seen were from 1988 Olympian Charles Lakes, coached by Dan Connelly. (Yes, I know release moves are easier on the Men’s bar.)
Danell Leyva, the young American World Championships Horizontal Bar finalist, recently added Liukin (Layout Tkachev 1/1 twist) into his long, difficult routine.
I hadn’t realized that Stanford’s Alexander Buscaglia caught Liukin Day 1 of Winter Cup. (Leyva missed it Day 1.)
Just checking out a new system of women’s gymnastics handguards from a company called Panfilof and Daughters.
… a new fastening system—ratchet buckles. This system is more convenient to use than the grips with Velcro or the grips with regular buckles. The ratchet buckle grips are fast and easy to tighten exactly as needed. Ratchet buckles prohibit spontaneous opening of the bracelet. …
Narrow grips have neoprene fasteners on the tongues of the finger holds which makes it possible to regulate the size of the finger holes by moving it inside or outside.
Kyle’s was famous for his form and consistency on Floor and Vault.
But not many people remember his Horizontal Bar.
Not surprisingly, Kyle had superb form, line and technique. Some of the only “clean” stoop Stalders and Endos you’ve ever seen in MAG or WAG.
In 2004 I watched him do many “perfect” routines in sequence in training, often the only issue being whether or not his knees bent on the regrasp of Def.
This is how gymnastics is meant to be performed. (Horizontal Bar depresses me in 2010.)
I’ve not used this kind of product. Leave a comment if you’ve an opinion on whether or not it works.
Roll the RipGuardian in a circular motion, then flatten. Place RipGuardian directly on your rip. Spread it out on all ends so that it evenly covers your rip/blister. Using athletic tape, cover the entire section of RipGuardian. Place your wrist bands and girps over the tape …
I’d forgotten what stiff swing she had on this apparatus. Great bar transfer, though.
I got thinking about this skill after reading that Petrina Yokay (Auburn) is competing it in the NCAA.
Update: One Romanian commenter recalls that Ana Balanca competed this skill earlier than Ezhova, but not successfully in a major international competition.
