WAG Double back position

[vagymmomma]

I finally got to see DDs double back on bars last week and I think (in my own naive mind) that it looks pretty good. She had a small hop on the landing but otherwise stuck it. However, her coach told her that they need to be higher. The first flip was definitely higher than the bar and the second was about even or just slightly below the bar. Do the hips need to be above the bar on both tucks in order to have no deduction? Also, all of her tucks are slightly open (kind of cowboy stylish) - will they deduct for that? Her coach hasn't mentioned anything about it - I personally prefer the tighter tuck visually and was just curious. Thanks!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

As a general rule, higher is better.

As for the leg separation, it is a deduction, but a minor one. It's also difficult to see from the side (where the judge will be) unless it's a pretty dramatic cowboy. It's the sort of thing that the coach will probably want her to fix eventually, but there are probably higher priorities at this point. Tap positions, release timing, timing of closing and opening the tuck, spotting and sticking the landing; all of these things are in most cases more important than getting the legs completely together in the tuck.

Side note: usually when coaches talk about a tuck being "open" or "tight," we're not talking about leg separation, but rather turning radius. You can think of an "open" tuck as being "larger;" the knees aren't pulled so close to the chest, there is less of an angle at the hips and knees, so the knees and feet are not pulled as close to the axis of rotation. A "tight" tuck is one in which the knees are pulled as close to the chest as possible and the heels are pulled to the buttocks, creating a much more compact shape which rotates more efficiently. As for which is better between an open and closed tuck, it really depends on context.

 

[iwannacoach]

It sounds pretty good considering where we are in the season to season training cycle. Sure the coach will always want more, but your dear daughter should be pleased with where she's at for the moment.