WAG Bars question -- handstands

[Texasmomof3]

My dd cannot do a cast to handstand on bars. But she can do a clear hip to handstand to multiple giants.

According to her gym, you must have the cast to handstand to move to level 7. (She just finished level 6 this weekend.) She has been working to get the cast handstand for months now -- actually since summer, minus 10 weeks for a broken hand/dislocated thumb. She is actually no closer to getting it than she was in December. But her clear hip handstand and giants are getting really solid.

Is it normal that some girls just don't get a cast handstand for a really long time? She is super strong with ridiculous muscles -- can do a crazy number of chin ups, v-ups, inverted sit ups, toe touches, etc. So I don't think it is an issue of lack of arm or core strength. She's also had multiple privates on bars to work on this, but still no visible improvement. How long does she keep working the same drills before she can expect some noticeable improvement? She is really starting to worry that she will be stuck in level 6 forever without a cast handstand.

(She did recently have a three inch growth spurt over the course of two months -- while in the cast with the broken hand -- if that might play any role.)

 

[lindsaygymnast7]

Her gym is correct; a cast to handstand is a .5 requirement in Level 7. For me, the cast was mostly getting the correct timing. (I straddle cast to handstand)

 

[Sasha]

Is she doing straddle cast to handstand or legs together? I'm no expert, but I'm sure others with advice might want to know.

Is the problem that she just isn't getting high enough but otherwise has good form? Or some other problem, like she tries to straddle and falls over the bar or something (poor technique)?

I can only add that only a small percent of our optionals have ever done a legs-together cast to handstand. Most find straddle much much easier.

If I were you, I would ask for coaches on here to look at her attempts and either post video here or PM them a video.

Good luck!

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

Kipper is not a strong bar worker, and learned straddle cast to handstand in about 6 months. Our gym competes L6 instead of L5, so everyone learns to cast to handstand before working giants or clear hip handstand. She would KILL to have a clear hip to HS! So, I bet your dd gets it figured out quickly. We only had a couple who didn't pick it up in the summer after L4. Kipper was one of the last in her group.

 

[needcoffee]

This is my DD. Has been working cast to handstand for a year now and still can't get it. Is the only one in her group not to have it. She has the nicest press to handstand out of everyone, is strong, so I'm thinking its a form/timing issue.
Then again, she can't even get her casts above horizontal. She's going to be killed on angle deductions this year.

 

[Gymmommy71]

You only need it to 45 degrees to not get the .5 SV hit in L7. A good kip cast to an actual handstand can take years for some kids to master. I personally think L8 is more of the level where you NEED a full handstand cast cause there's no way you're pirouetting w/o one (but LOTS of kids can giant or do a high free hip out of a less than handstand cast).

My DD's opinion is that if a kid can do a press handstand but can't do a straddle cast to handstand the issue is timing/technique, and not strength. She's not a coach though .

 

[RAMS]

My DD struggles with the same issue. She's been getting 8.6 to 8.85 on level 7 bars without getting to cast handstand. Funny thing she can do it on low bar but not high bar. She's the only one her group who can't cast to handstand and the youngest in her group by a year.

 

[ZJsMom]

It doesn't sound like a strength issue at all. She just needs to figure out the technique. Tell her to throw her shoulders open like she does in clearhip handstand. (oops I guess I'm parent coaching here. )

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Some kids lean way to far over the bar, which means to get to handstand they have to lift their shoulders back up a long way, this requires a huge amount of strength, little kids can often get away with this but then struggle as they grow or if they loose the strength to do it.

 

[Texasmomof3]

These are straddle cast. She can straight cast almost to 45 degrees. But with straddle, she is lucky if it goes past vertical at all. Her coach did mention her shoulders and neck being too far out. But no matter what they tell her, it doesn't get prettier.

She is 13, 4'10" and 100 pounds of solid muscle.

 

[GlobalNomad]

My DD cannot straddle cast. I know that it is supposed to be easier, and I guess that for most people it must be. But for her, the timing is just confusing. She has a friend with the same issue. If she can already straight cast to 45, maybe she would catch on to the straight body faster?

 

[Texasmomof3]

So yesterday I get a text from dd's coach in the middle of practice. It is a video of dd doing a perfect straddle cast handstand without spot. Just like that it clicked. She did over 20 of them.

Now to get that back handspring on beam and she will have everything she needs for level 7 next season.

 

[Ali'sMom]

So yesterday I get a text from dd's coach in the middle of practice. It is a video of dd doing a perfect straddle cast handstand without spot. Just like that it clicked. She did over 20 of them.

Now to get that back handspring on beam and she will have everything she needs for level 7 next season.

I LOVE those kinds of texts!!! Yay for your daughter!

That's called the ChalkBucket magic - ask on here, and BOOM, she gets it!

 

[Texasmomof3]

That's called the ChalkBucket magic - ask on here, and BOOM, she gets it!

I wish I knew that before she went through all of level 6 bars without the handstand.

 

[duyetanh]

I LOVE those kinds of texts!!! Yay for your daughter!

That's called the ChalkBucket magic - ask on here, and BOOM, she gets it!

Oh MAN....if that is true, I've got a list....

 

[SSR]

I'm competing level 7 and know people who have competed higher levels without a cast handstand. I've always struggled with my cast, but like your daughter I'm able to do clear hip to giant. While my goal is still to get my cast handstand there isn't really a reason to hold her back. So long as she can fulfill all of the routine requirements she should be able to compete. However, many gyms and coaches won't let a gymnast move on to a different level without having base skills. It just depends on the coach and the gym.