A better cast

[nicci1999]

What are some ways to be able to improve my cast? I have to admit, I am somewhat fearful of bars all together, and I am not sure if that is causing a mental block or if I just dont have enough strength. Right now I am almost going more on the momentum of when I return, to try and get higher, and that causes nice sore hips, but are there any good drills or strengthening exercises I can do? Or is a horizontal cast something that will only come with time? ( I am so impatient with getting skills ) Thanks!

 

[gymluvr33]

One drill that we do is we put our feet (doesn't matter if they are flexed or pointed, I prefer pointed because that is how they are the actual cast) on a raised surface like a mat or something about 1-2 feet off the ground, and hold a push-up position. Your feet should be at about the same height as your shoulders, so the rest of your body is straight (hope that makes sense). This really helps strengthen your arms and stomach and helps you get a feel for the position of a horizontal cast. Good luck with bars.

 

[Kendahl08]

Does your gym have a bar over a pit. If so at my gym we practice them over the pit to achive hight and tightness. I can cast to a handstand most times this way (Over the pit). How can anyone be scared to fall into a hole full of foam cubes.

 

[BlairBob]

That drill, gymluver is one of the first drills for planche.

Lean your shoulders over the bar and pike your hips to get your feet in front of the bar. My friend calls this the "taco".

Don't push your shoulders back as you cast but try to keep them over the bar, slightly. No need to try to planche in the air.

Start in a pushup position, feet next to a wall. Walk up slowly towards handstand as you walk the feet in. Reverse the process, slowly.

Lots of hug the twinkies .

Swing to HS on parallel bars.

Pseudo-planche pushups. Do a pushup with shoulders leaning forward and your hands somewhere from your ribs to your hips. May be too difficult for you.

HSPU progression and dips.

Bounce to HS on a lower bar off a mini-tramp.

 

[nicci1999]

What is a hug the twinkie? It sounds like something one would do when they need comfort food

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

One drill that we do is we put our feet (doesn't matter if they are flexed or pointed, I prefer pointed because that is how they are the actual cast) on a raised surface like a mat or something about 1-2 feet off the ground, and hold a push-up position. Your feet should be at about the same height as your shoulders, so the rest of your body is straight (hope that makes sense). This really helps strengthen your arms and stomach and helps you get a feel for the position of a horizontal cast. Good luck with bars.

I'll second this drill, and ad one more thing: lean your shoulders forward past your hands. Both on your casts and on this drill, your shoulders should not be above your hands, but as far in front of them as you can reasonably get.

In other words, rather than a shape like this:

  O----------------------feet
   |
   |
   |
 hands

You want a shape more like this:

O---------------------feet
  \
   \
    \
   hands

(don't have any pictures of the shapes handy, so text will have to do)

 

[hawks09]

Handstand trainer

this is called a handstand trainer and it works wonders. This will help your casts because when you put your hands on the floor and your thighs on the bungee your shoulders should be over your hands. With a little momentum you are able to push yourself to the handstand, with control, using the planche position you are also able to bring your self back down.