Coaches Giants - Fear and Progressions

[PalmTree]

I have a gymnast who is struggling with fear when learning her giants. She can do them easily on strap bar, has perfect shapes and enough strength. I am completely confident that she can do this skill. She knows she can do it. But she's scared. She does long hang pullovers but can't seem to shift and miss her hips. She says she doesn't understand how. I've had her do back hip circles in a row and she can do them fine.

I can spot giants, but the kid has to go for it and keep their shoulders open. I'm not incredibly big and strong so they have to do the work, as I can't just pull them through it. We've done tons of giant drills, and she can do them perfectly. She refuses to have a second spotter.

What can I do to get her over this fear or to force her to try the giant? She says she really wants to get it!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

have her do kip cast handstand to "baby giant" to clear support immediate clear hip to handstand. i hope she has a clear/free hip to handstand? i hope she has a requisite kip cast handstand?? a lot of these problems could be mitigated if coaches would introduce the clear hip, then clear hips in succession, BEFORE they attempt to teach them giants. this includes a very strong kip cast handstand to start.

back hip circles in succession are not enough. and there is a moment in the shoulder tap where the shoulders close ever so slightly. could it be that you are giving her the wrong instruction to "keep her shoulders open"? i suspect she is doing 1 of 2 things. she is either opening early to a tkatchev timer. or what looks like a front limber before the completion of the circle. OR she going around the bar and her wrists never shift to the top of the bar on to her wrist pads. sometimes this is called "suicide grip". i'm leaning toward the 1st scenario because you state that "i can't just PULL them thru". let me know. be glad to help clarify if needed.

 

[coachmolly]

The baby giant-wrist shift-miss hips is actually a big challenge for some kids, so I would continue drilling that until she "gets it." As a gymnast I trained a club that would not teach giants until a kid could do that correctly and consistently because it is such a huge part of the actual giant. Going through that motion many times every practice could potentially help her confidence as well.
And all of dunno's suggestions of course. I have girls who can do back hip circles in a row but can't for the life of them do a clear hip (or any other skills utilizing the quick wrist shift movement). Take your time and try to be patient (I know it's hard, I have a girl struggling with fear on a squat on and it's about to drive me nuts), good luck!

 

[PalmTree]

have her do kip cast handstand to "baby giant" to clear support immediate clear hip to handstand. i hope she has a clear/free hip to handstand? i hope she has a requisite kip cast handstand?? a lot of these problems could be mitigated if coaches would introduce the clear hip, then clear hips in succession, BEFORE they attempt to teach them giants. this includes a very strong kip cast handstand to start.

back hip circles in succession are not enough. and there is a moment in the shoulder tap where the shoulders close ever so slightly. could it be that you are giving her the wrong instruction to "keep her shoulders open"? i suspect she is doing 1 of 2 things. she is either opening early to a tkatchev timer. or what looks like a front limber before the completion of the circle. OR she going around the bar and her wrists never shift to the top of the bar on to her wrist pads. sometimes this is called "suicide grip". i'm leaning toward the 1st scenario because you state that "i can't just PULL them thru". let me know. be glad to help clarify if needed.

It sounds like maybe I am trying to rush things. She can cast handstand but has not yet shown me kip cast handstand or clear hip handstand. Again, I know she has the ability to do them but fear and lack of past training holds her back. She struggles with the wrist shift in clear hips as well.

Her problem with shoulder closing is that she actually closes them completely and slams her hips down onto the bar, causing a not so good feeling. She just doesn't "get" wrist shifting and I don't really know how else to explain it to her! I guess I will have to go back to clear hips, getting them higher, baby giants missing the hips, etc.

Any other tips on how to explain wrist shifting??

 

[PalmTree]

The baby giant-wrist shift-miss hips is actually a big challenge for some kids, so I would continue drilling that until she "gets it." As a gymnast I trained a club that would not teach giants until a kid could do that correctly and consistently because it is such a huge part of the actual giant. Going through that motion many times every practice could potentially help her confidence as well.
And all of dunno's suggestions of course. I have girls who can do back hip circles in a row but can't for the life of them do a clear hip (or any other skills utilizing the quick wrist shift movement). Take your time and try to be patient (I know it's hard, I have a girl struggling with fear on a squat on and it's about to drive me nuts), good luck!

I'm going to have to go back to baby giants missing her hips...but she can't seem to get them! She just does long hang pullover, slams her hips hard on every single one, no matter what I tell her. Now she's at a mental block where she's convinced she doesn't understand how to shift her wrists. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

It sounds like maybe I am trying to rush things. She can cast handstand but has not yet shown me kip cast handstand or clear hip handstand. Again, I know she has the ability to do them but fear and lack of past training holds her back. She struggles with the wrist shift in clear hips as well.

Her problem with shoulder closing is that she actually closes them completely and slams her hips down onto the bar, causing a not so good feeling. She just doesn't "get" wrist shifting and I don't really know how else to explain it to her! I guess I will have to go back to clear hips, getting them higher, baby giants missing the hips, etc.

Any other tips on how to explain wrist shifting??

just have her do what i said for about a month. she'll figure it out.

 

[Caleb]

Put her in grips, then strap her to the bar like you would on a metal bar, just one hand (closest to you as spotter) is better.

 

[AmandaLynn]

Put her in grips, then strap her to the bar like you would on a metal bar, just one hand (closest to you as spotter) is better.

Please do not do this. You should not use straps on a women's bar.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

don't say "please" AmandaLynn. say "what are you, a moron?" "the gymnast will break both her arms if she straps in on a women's bar"!