Backhandspring help!

[Goldmedalgirl]

Every time I do my backhandspring I either jump back bend my arms and hit my head, or my arms stay locked and I land on my knees!
Does anyone have any suggestions for conditioning or other ways to fix this problem?

 

[bogwoppit]

What does your coach say?

 

[Goldmedalgirl]

My coach always tells me too block of my arms more and shows me what it feels like to do so, I understand how it should feel how to do it and what it looks like but when I go into my standing BH it just doesent happen

 

[MiriamGymnast02]

My coach always tells me too block of my arms more and shows me what it feels like to do so, I understand how it should feel how to do it and what it looks like but when I go into my standing BH it just doesent happen

It could be shoulder flexibility...just guessing, so does anybody else have any ideas?

 

[bogwoppit]

Not pushing back with the legs, more jumping up. Needs to go back to drills.

 

[iwannacoach]

Not pushing back with the legs, more jumping up. Needs to go back to drills.

Seems like bog has it figured out. If you're like most early back handspringers you probably think you need to jump up to give yourself enough time to turn upside down.....and that just doesn't work for the following reasons:

Jumping high means you come down to your locked arm position with more force from gravity. Think of it this way.....would it be easier to be upside down and drop 1-2 inches onto locked arms, or would you want to drop 6-8 inches.

Jumping high requires a nearly straight into the air take off and a turn into upside down of nearly 180 degrees. If you jump back, or away from something in front of you and really commit to letting it happen, you'll jump in a slanted/diagonal position.....which is nearly 1/3 of the way to upside down.

Talk to your coach and see if this makes sense to both of you.

 

[Aussie_coach]

The arms and the landing are usually an indication of take off problems. If you posted a video we could give you more accurate feedback.

 

[Goldmedalgirl]

I have also been able to do handstand with three pops and my shoulders stay strong, so I dont understand why, but I will hopefully get a video up soon.

 

[stxrdusty]

In a handstand and shoulder pops your arms are next to your head, so you're strong in that position. If you're not able to push through your shoulders in your handspring it's because A) you have too much force coming onto your shoulders for your current strength level to hold or B) you're not in a handstand shape.

Something that happens with a lot of new handspringers is that they let their feet come over the top of the handspring too quickly so when their hands hit the ground their feet have already come past vertical. When this happens it is impossible to get in a handstand shape and you'll have to create a shoulder angle. Angles other than fully extended are (usually, and by usually I mean almost always) weaker.

What you want is to be in a tight arch/extended position when your hands hit the floor in your back handspring.

To work on this do a handspring with your hands 2-3 feet from a wall (depending on your height). Face away from the wall and squeeze your back and bottom when your feet are on the wall. Feel the extended shoulder position that you want in your handspring. Keep your shoulders next to your ears and look down the length of your arms to your hands.

Then, using your abdominal strength pull your feet off the wall (AT THE SAME TIME) to get to a free handstand. If at home or without a mat just feel free to then step down, but if you have a 4in or 8in mat, keep your shoulders pushing extended and everything squeezed, and fall to your stomach in a tight hollow.

Doing back handspring up to an 8in to handstand and then falling to your stomach also help but work better with experienced handspringers unless a coach can assist.

 

[Goldmedalgirl]

what's funny is about a year ago I got my backhandspring and I could do it very well but, not anymore!

 

[Gymnasticsismypassion]

Try landing in a plank