Coaches drills for front tuck half

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iamagymbabe

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Some of the recreational girls I coach want to begin learning front tuck halves, however, I have no idea how to go about teaching them the twist. Any drills or advice would be appreciated.
 
This is the way I have seen it being taught successfully and for rec gymnasts also:

Stack some soft crash mats to make a soft platform that is about 80-100 cm high. Place it on floor in front of a spring board or if you have a tumble track you can place it right after the end. At first make sure everyone can do a nice front tuck up to the stacked mats. Then start doing it to the back (the gymnast lands on her back, nice hollow position with arms by ears). When they can do that nicely make them twist after the landing so they end up on stomach. Make sure they twist to the same direction each time. When they can do this (nice quick twist right after the landing with decent form) ask them to try to twist right before landing. If they twist too early they don't end up on stomach. If that happens go back to the twist after landing. When they get very good on this you can make them try the real skill to the pit.

Another drill: hanging on high bar, quickly lift knees up, release the bar and twist before landing.


Good luck!
 
If it was me coaching them, my first step is to work out what their twisting direction is. I know some people like kids to just go with instinct, though for me, once they've established the easiest way to do a roundoff or cartwheel that is it. If they cartwheel with their left leg, I teach them to twist left. Right leg, right twist.

I'm assuming if you're considering coaching the front salto 1/2, that they can do a decent front salto?
For adding the twist, I find it easiest to work with a pike instead of a tuck.

So drill 1 - Laying in dish (or hollow if using American terminology), twist to prone hold.
Drill 2 - Laying on their back in a pike, holding onto ankles, snap open and twist into prone hold on floor.

Drill 3 - On trampoline, back drop and 1/2 to feet
Drill 4 - On trampoline, crash dive, 1/2 to feet.
Drill 5 - On trampoline, front pike, jump 1/2.

Drill 6 - Onto a stack of mats, or a soft 90cm box, do a forwards roll into an inverted pike, then snap open with 1/2 twist to land feet on floor. This can also be done with a salto onto their back instead of rolling into position.

From there its just a matter of attempting the front pike 1/2 from a mini-tramp into a pt I'd suggest. I'd aim to make sure they are in an inverted pike like in drill 2 before attempting to initiate the twist.

Advantage of learning to twist using the pike is you teach a late twist, so you don't get them staring at the floor while twisting and getting lost or twisting the wrong way.

Hope that helps?
 

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