She swings “big”, like a guy. … Hmm, she’s coached by Ed Burch, who coached 1992 Olympic gold horizontal bar medalist Trent Dimas.

see more – gymnastics grips supplies

Sergei Kharkov at 1991 Moscow World Stars. Thanks Hertzen.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m looking for more examples of the world’s best Tkachevs.

Nemov’s layout reverse hecht is as high as any I’ve seen.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It’s from GymDrills.com.

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.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The girls soon learn that it’s easy to hang on in under grip.

See more on his site – Gymnastics-Skills.com – Front Giant

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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.)

Click PLAY or watch Charles on YouTube.

In this particular routine he hits the Jaeger perfectly. But his Tkachev I’ve seen much higher. (Unfortunately I cannot find a better one online.)

Leave a comment if you’ve a “best Tkachev” to name.

I hadn’t realized that Stanford’s Alexander Buscaglia caught Liukin Day 1 of Winter Cup. (Leyva missed it Day 1.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Wasef Burbar (age 16-18) is competing it too. You can see video of Wasef doing it in training on YouTube.

Thanks Jeremiah for sending us the links.

==== melanie ponders whether we’ll ever see a female gymnast do this trick. I think we will, but not for many years yet. We need layout Tkachev first.

… 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.

Grips page

The company, out of Eugene, Oregon, touts many celebrity endorsements, including WOGA coaches.

If you’ve seen or used these grips, and have an opinion, post a comment. They also sell “wristbands” and “bracelets“.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

UPDATE: Jeremiah tells that Wasef Burbar (16-18) from Buffalo Grove Gymnastics caught Liukin at the Windy City Invite.

Uchimura watch out. Japanese robot enthusiast Hinamitetu has a mechanical competitor improving rapidly.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I saved this video to use as an example of the biomechanics of swing and release.

Long term goal of this project? A Cylon gymnast?

… The intermediate step would be a robot assisted gymnast?

(via Gymnastics Examiner)