Rick McCharles
This skill frustrates almost every female gymnast. Even at the highest levels of competition many competitors are deducted.
What’s a coach to do?
My philosophy is to compete only straddle-up cast handstand. Some world and Olympic champions have avoided straight body casts. This is the best strategy for the vast majority of competitors.
Every gym has athletes who tell me, “I can’t do straddle cast.” That is nonsense, of course, regardless of flexibility. They simply haven’t done enough of these drills.
Straight body cast is normally only appropriate for short, light girls who have terrific “planche” strength. Even those kids will normally show this position on the upswing. (A photo still from the fantastic Gymnastics Revolution database of skills.)
Young gymnasts sometimes pick up the skill easily only to later have trouble, after they grow taller.
If you insist on training straight body cast with girls, my advice is to train a series of kip to straight body casts on a safety straps bar. And work the planche position seriously.
More advice from Skills and Drills, Karen Goeller, and Tulsa World of Gymnastics.
Men’s coaches, no worries. We hardly consider this a skill. It is far easier on the men’s bar.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 