Giant progressions on bars

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2gymmies

Coach
Proud Parent
My older dd has progressed to doing giants on the pit bar. Before the past week or two she has been working clear baby giant drills gradually getting more and more clear, but only from 3/4 handstand to 3/4 handstand (and on the channel bar). Now she is doing it from the cast handstand and on the pit bar, but she can't open her hips and shoulders all the way up. They keep telling her toes to the ceiling, but its just not quite clicking. They say technically they are giants but just alittle overly "hollow" now.

Any suggestions for getting the right shape?!
 
She'll get it. Takes much time and patience and like dunno said, prob about 300 more. haha And even so, remember when she gets it first she may not do it again, etc. I remember we were estatic when DD first did them! Took video and all! haha Then couldn't do them for another week or two! Sometimes it's almost like the sport you love to hate! haha

Good luck to your DD! :)
 
She'll get it. Takes much time and patience and like dunno said, prob about 300 more. haha And even so, remember when she gets it first she may not do it again, etc. I remember we were estatic when DD first did them! Took video and all! haha Then couldn't do them for another week or two! Sometimes it's almost like the sport you love to hate! haha

Good luck to your DD! :)

Gymnastics IS the sport we love to hate!!!! HA HA!
 
yep...about 300 more.:)

This.

There is no silver bullet. There is no trick. Giants take practice to do well.

Much like a kip -- once a gymnast has really figured out and internalized and programmed into muscle memory the timing and the body shapes, it takes almost no actual effort. But to learn it, they have to do it hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times, and there's no way around that.
 
Thanks - she is getting more confident each practice! It is funny, but our coaches have convinced us that this "way" of learning giants will produce a better giant but just takes longer. It makes sense, but is frustrating no less. She is still hoping she will be able to compete it by December or January.

Thanks again!
 
Ask your DD to explain to you her coaches concept of a giant swing. Most kids will reply with a vague description of the skill when asked about technique. It is important that she understand the basic shapes and when they should occur. Telling her "toes to the ceiling", may not make sense. Is there a drill her coaches use to relate this concept? In our gym we use 7-10 drills when teaching the basic giant swing. When an athlete is confused, she can go and strengthen that particular position or concept. We also have the athlete repeat the correction out loud to the coach, and or ask Sr. athlete to translate.
 
I will ask her to explain it - I love that idea. The biggest drill for toes to the ceiling is on the bounce bar and then on the strap bar they are really working hard on the open shoulder shapes and not just going over. She does drills on the channel bar for the hollow shapes at the beginning and then again when she pulls over the bar. I think it is just putting them all together and the timing of it?!?! They told her that it is ok if she doesn't make it since she is in the pit, but I think she is so concerned with going over the bar without arching and sticking her chest out that she is overly hollow! We do lots and lots of drills at our gym, I think my dd is slow to incorporate them into the actual skill sometimes - it takes her more turns than some but usually when she gets it - you can almost see the lightbulb go on and then it is pretty good!
 
It is funny, but our coaches have convinced us that this "way" of learning giants will produce a better giant but just takes longer. It makes sense, but is frustrating no less.
Doing it the "right way" may seem to take longer. But it's an illusion. In the long-run, it will eliminate the need to fix common problems (like arching and leading with the chest on giants instead of scooping the toes over) that may occur from taking the "short cut" route.

She probably just needs to keep being spotted, incrementally opening her shoulders more and more while not losing her hollow shape on the way up. Eventually, the handstand will be there.

Here's a good example of how it sounds like your daughter is being taught her giants:

[video=youtube;yla1k8mh1I4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yla1k8mh1I4&feature=related[/video]
 
Doing it the "right way" may seem to take longer. But it's an illusion. In the long-run, it will eliminate the need to fix common problems (like arching and leading with the chest on giants instead of scooping the toes over) that may occur from taking the "short cut" route.

She probably just needs to keep being spotted, incrementally opening her shoulders more and more while not losing her hollow shape on the way up. Eventually, the handstand will be there.

Here's a good example of how it sounds like your daughter is being taught her giants:

[video=youtube;yla1k8mh1I4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yla1k8mh1I4&feature=related[/video]

That is an awesome video! That's the way to do it.
 
This is exactly what she does only from a cast and not just a swing. Now they are having her try to get closer to a handstand and that is throwing her off a bit, but I see the evidence that it will create a great giant! She definitely has that shape, no chest out, not arching up to the handstand.

As the saying goes, "Slow and steady wins the race, that is the pace she's on!"

Thanks!
 
I will ask her to explain it - I love that idea. The biggest drill for toes to the ceiling is on the bounce bar and then on the strap bar they are really working hard on the open shoulder shapes and not just going over. She does drills on the channel bar for the hollow shapes at the beginning and then again when she pulls over the bar. I think it is just putting them all together and the timing of it?!?! They told her that it is ok if she doesn't make it since she is in the pit, but I think she is so concerned with going over the bar without arching and sticking her chest out that she is overly hollow! We do lots and lots of drills at our gym, I think my dd is slow to incorporate them into the actual skill sometimes - it takes her more turns than some but usually when she gets it - you can almost see the lightbulb go on and then it is pretty good!

2gymmies, Were you a gymnast or a coach? Or will I eventually know this much about gymnastics and what my daughter and son are doing in the gym? I always feel so clueless!!
 
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UPDATE!!!!!

We have giants... they are still a work in progress but I hear they are getting pretty good! By the time she gets to the 300 that someone (Dunno, I believe) suggested, she should be good to go for competition. I'm so proud of her, it has been hard work, but well worth it if you ask her. She will soon do 2 in a row and add the flyaway (which I'm sure will be another hurdle).

Thanks for all of the wise words!
 

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