Parents Kip cast t o handstand

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momofsushi

Proud Parent
Hello, my dd ( L7) casts with her leg together, and all of her teamates with their legs apart. What’s the difference? It seems to me that her back may be more arched. she tells me she ins able with her legs apart. So I was wondering… what. exactly is the difference?
 
From my DD's: When learning KCH it is easier to do straddled (legs apart) but once they have strong KCH some change to legs together as it has less deductions. All my DD's learnt with legs apart. Oldest now does with her legs together and finds it easier. Why don't you ask her coach why he taught her legs together?
 
Cast handstand with legs together is better.

I don’t know about USAG, but in the internal code of points. A straddle cast handstand (legs apart) is an A value skill, cast handstand with legs together is a B value skill.

Ideally to teach higher level gymnastics skills, you want the gymnast to have the strength to do it with their legs together.
 
Two different techniques to accomplish the same thing. In USAG, they are (last I checked) the same value. Straddle cast requires more precise and complex technique but less strength compared to straight body cast.

Straight body cast also has some (very minor) advantages when it comes to training pirouettes and front giants.
 
Thanknyou for the answers! Didn’t eant to bother the coach. She learned it that way 3-4 years ago. Lot of coach changes and almost two years without competition ( covid). Goes easily to handstand but back is arched. Started yesterday to train it straddle.
 
There is zero need to compete a straight body cast in either USAG or international competition. One is an A and the other is a B in elite... both very low value skills.

Many times small strong athletes can do the straight body cast no problem. I would recommend learning the straddle cast too.

We do straight body casting as a strength skill just as we do leg lifts... but the actual skill is not necessary... only the strength.

Here is a bit of proof (1... 2... and 3 from the Olympics)...










Straight body cast also has some (very minor) advantages when it comes to training pirouettes and front giants.

What are they? I would say the opposite.
 
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What are they? I would say the opposite.
The biggest one is that it's easier to initiate the pirouette on the way up with a straight body cast than with a straddle cast. In a straddle cast, you can't really turn until the legs join together, but in a straight cast you can start turning early enough to finish the pirouette right as you hit the handstand.
.... which, in all honesty, is an almost negligible advantage. The technical purist in my loves a proper early pirouette, but it doesn't really make much practical difference
 
The biggest one is that it's easier to initiate the pirouette on the way up with a straight body cast than with a straddle cast. In a straddle cast, you can't really turn until the legs join together, but in a straight cast you can start turning early enough to finish the pirouette right as you hit the handstand.
.... which, in all honesty, is an almost negligible advantage. The technical purist in my loves a proper early pirouette, but it doesn't really make much practical difference

Train of randomness here but...

I typically find that a straight body early pirouette has more issues getting to handstand consistently in WAG.

In my opinion the early pirouette done MAG style is a disadvantage for high level bars for WAG athletes. Finding the "top" bounce rhythm of the bar is harder. Kip-cast-bounce-bounce... kip-cast-bounce-bounce... this is what we work. It is typically harder for a straight body caster.

It's really a body type and strength thing... but once you get to elite style routines... most WAG athletes don't have the bar endurance to run a full routine of straight body kip casting without shorting or dumping them.

The straddle cast also allows for a softer "lock out" at the top of the cast... the straight body hits hard. Ever had that floor / vault power gymnast that can easily straight body cast on bars but they are absolutely all over the place on bars? Gravity helps them find the "bottom" of the bar... but they just can't find the "top" because there is too much power and many times it gets converted to over or under instead of up.

MAG athletes also get so much more work on this through p-bars that the women just don't get.

The other thing that we have found is that the reverse or blind pirouette out of the kip cast is the least deducted. Not sure how the judging works... but we never get dinged for the movement of the second hand... so the ones that pirouette this way typically hit handstand very consistently when the first hand contacts the bar.
 
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