Coaches Front layout

[flpflp7]

I need some good drills for front layouts. The girl in particular I'm thinking about does a very archy & sloppy layout. When she tries to do a tight arch through her layout she lands on her bottom, like she's not driving her heels hard enough. Also, do you teach a hollow layout first or an arched/ whipped layout first?

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I'll answer your questions in reverse order.

I would DEFINITELY reccomend training an arched/whipped layout first; to me, a front layout is not the counterpart to a back layout, but rather to a whip back.

As for fixing your girl's problem, I'd have to see it to say for sure.

 

[hammy]

I completely agree with GT, except I would teach more of a straight body/slight tight arch front layout first. Try have the girls work on 3/4 layouts on a trampoline, working on mainting a tight arch throughout the entire skill. I would also work on conditioning their "superman" shape (tight arch done on the floor laying on the belly).

Although, as GT said, it would be helpful to see what she's doing.

 

[Invisible Duck]

This is a drill I learned at a coaching conference/clinic last year. I have never used it (none of my kids are up to this skill yet!) but when the kids demonstrated it, it looked pretty good.... plus it looks fun!!


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get them to stand on the top box and (with a tight body) fall onto the ball in a slight arch with arms out to the side and (with some heel drive) they will bounce over to their feet on the mat!

Let me know how it goes if you use it!!

 

[Valentin]

HI

Laura that has to be the coolest drill ever!kids would love that. My only concerns with it is that it could teach to lean to much into the layout, and the ball slipping away. However, OMG that looks fun haha

I personaly teach the tight arch/staight layout. Even though i allow them to be slightly arched, i am trying to encourage them to reduce the arm as much a possible, also the arching definitely only comes from the chest being open (yet being held in if you know what i mean.
I dont want to see exeggerated arches. Its ok at the start by progressivly we wanna move away from it and straighten it out.

I dont teach the hollow layout at all. For one it teaches them to drop into it and it cuts down on the turn over which well is key as always.

A arched layout when you ask a kid to twist will straighten out immediately, it works like that because its virtually impossible to twist a arched layout. Nowver with the hollow layoyut version they will try to twist to early.

As for drills, lots of running layout 3/4 onto back, layoyut 3/4 onto sloped down ward inclines (i guess that makes it past 3/4)
Doing it of spring boards, tumble tracks, spotted.
Teach the entry by spotting them on the chest with one hand and with the other have it behind their legs and have them focus on kicking your hand etc...
THere aren't a great deal of many drills for this skill

 

[flpflp7]

Thank you all for the drills! I'll give them a try tonight (I have to admit, I'll probably try Laura's first - that looks so fun!). I would love to post a video of it but I have yet to find the right cable to go from my video camera to the computer! If I figure it out I'll post it. Anyway, thanks a bunch all of you!

 

[ACoach78]

How is she going into the skill? Is she just running and trying to perform a punch front layout? Or, is she going into it via a FHS? Or Flyspring? FHS-Flyspring?

I've seen a variation of that skill using an octagon or large barrel mat without actually having the gymnast flip/roll over it. They just lean onto it and drive their heels upwards and their arms reach out to the side.

Another good drill is performing a punch to handstand onto a mat stack and progressing it to a tight flyspring. Be sure that they are able to punch with extended hips and that there's an aggressive hip extension as they're coming off of their hands.

I'd spend a lot of time on the trampoline and/or mini-tramp as well as working the skill into a pit so as to concentrate on good technique.

How powerful is this kid? This is not as easy of a skill as you might think. Also, if the kid has poor take-off mechanics (piking...hips moving backwards), then it's not going to happen, either.

I teach a tight arch first. Later, I try to get them straight for the purpose of twisting.

 

[Valentin]

Hi

Ohh i can't believe i forgot this, but by far one of the best drills for developing a good layout is working on a nice dive roll. In a previous post about vaulting and the dive roll, like i said i think the dive roll should be really be a high, fast turning over 1/2 layout flip to handstand forward roll, if that makes sense. I guess i did a poor job at explaining, but with the dive roll you can teach the gymnasts a fast feeling of fast heel drive of or as they are taking off, a good entry position, and tightness.

Arch rocks, with the arm swing to the sides, focusing on tightness, and strong leg drive.

 

[Invisible Duck]

HI

Laura that has to be the coolest drill ever!kids would love that. My only concerns with it is that it could teach to lean to much into the layout, and the ball slipping away. However, OMG that looks fun haha

haha it does look fun doesn't it!! I would love to try it!!

Yes I probably should have mentioned the coach would need to hold the ball and make sure it was placed correctly ~ so probably not a drill to be done alone (especially at first) unless the kids are a bit older and can help each other.

I had not though about encouraging a lean into the layout, but I guess if it was just a drill used initially and in conjunction with other drills mentioned then it might not be so bad?? Some of these other drills etc are really good.... will definitely keep them in mind!

flpflp7.... if you could video it and share with us that would be great!!

 

[hammy]

That drill looks awesome, but I, like someone else said, would worry about the ball rolling and the gymnast learning chest down--but who knows. I think it'd be awesome to try!

 

[lannamavity]

I need some good drills for front layouts. The girl in particular I'm thinking about does a very archy & sloppy layout. When she tries to do a tight arch through her layout she lands on her bottom, like she's not driving her heels hard enough. Also, do you teach a hollow layout first or an arched/ whipped layout first?

In my book, a front layout is a flyspring ( or bounder...or front flip flop...or whatever) with no hands.

We teach open front tucks to twist and flysprings to do front layouts and most kids get it.

A good front layout should ALWAYS start in a hollow shape...but only immediately following the punch off the floor. Once the feet leave the floor, rotation can only be achieved by a change in body shape...to an arch.

It sounds like your kid is arching too soon, and probably trying to "sit up" at the end of the layout like a kid who first learns a front limber. Arm and head position are very crucial for rotation.

Maybe try flysprings and then build up the surface under her hands until she can go without hands.

good luck...front tumbling is hard to coach

 

[hammy]

I agree that a flyspring (bounder) is an excellent drill for front layouts!

 

[flpflp7]

Thanks again for all the drills & advice everyone! I was going to try to get a video of the girl in particular I was working with but it's been crazy at the gym lately & we haven't got to work on them. Now she's out for about 6 weeks due to surgery. However, I have a few other girls that are ready to start working front layouts so I'm going to start putting these ideas to use. I'll let you all know how it goes.
And I agree, Lannomavity, I think front tumbling is hard to teach too. It's nice to know someone else thinks that as well!