Back handspring step out

[gymmom14]

My dd does not get much leg seperation on her back handspring step out. any tips on how to get more of a split in her legs?

 

[Linsul]

How is her standing leap? Good leg separation there?

 

[gymmom14]

I think so, her running leap is 180 degrees.

I just think she is starting to split them too late. I am not sure when you should start. I don't think she starts until she pasts perpendicular to the floor or a handstand position. (if that makes any sense)

How do you teach this skill?

 

[Linsul]

I think so, her running leap is 180 degrees.

I just think she is starting to split them too late. I am not sure when you should start. I don't think she starts until she pasts perpendicular to the floor or a handstand position. (if that makes any sense)

How do you teach this skill?

Sure that makes sense! I teach them to split at perpendicular, as they hit a handstand position through the back handspring. If she's starting past that, there's really no time time to show off a good separation of the legs.

What tends to happen with gymnasts in this situation is they get too cerebral! In their minds they build it up into a sequence of things they need to do to pull off the skill. Sometimes that sequence in their head can be incorrect, and it manifests in the skill. Instead of 'set, back handspring, perpendicular & split the legs, rebound' she may be thinking 'set, back handspring, perpendicular, separate legs, rebound'

It's easy to get confused since that perpendicular handstand position occurs pretty much right as their hands hit the floor. Ask her to describe the skill verbally to get an idea of where her mind is at. That's the biggest clue as to why their skills turn out the way they do I find.

 

[LemonLime]

It's not always "wrong" to split late and some gyms specifically teach it that way. Late-split bhs sometimes have more power, more flight and are more stretched out. A gymnast can have too early of a split as well (think fast bwo) as too late of one, but neither is necessarily wrong. A late-splitter sometimes has a very easy transition to a two-foot bhs that can be used isolated, as part of a series or as a dismount.

 

[gymdog]

Doesn't the L6 floor text call for a late step down?

Anyway I agree early split isn't ideal and with a flexible back can end up getting in the habit of a "fast walkover" that might not even get credit or will at least receive deductions for insufficient dynamics, but I have also seen the really late step down/bounce off hands which is awkward and never achieves full split, tends to not pass through HS enough. I've definitely seen BHSs that need to split sooner and push through the HS. Actually I guess it's really the closed shoulder angle which seems to kind of go hand in hand with an awkward late step down that is my problem.

But as always I think before doing anything on an essential skill like this the coach should be consulted for their plan and to see what they really think the problem is.