HELP! I Need my Back Tuck!!! ASAP

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smileandflip

Hey y'all,

So I'm trying out for a cheer squad at my school. I have my RO BHS BT, and I'm close to my round off layout. Only problem is, I NEED MY STANDING BACK TUCK! I've been working on it for about a year now... and oh yeah... tryouts are in a week and a half.

It's not like I'm far from it though. My coach tells me that she's just "guiding me" with her hands--she's not doing anything, basically. But, whenever she takes her hands away, I land on my knees!!! It's part mental, part freakout. I'm not sure what it is, actually.

I can do it off of a panel mat with 1 of the 4 panels unfolded, and land it, by myself... However, I need to get it on the floor! It's like my body won't let me! I'm not sure what to do at this point.

Any and ALL help would be VERY WELCOME. Especially tips on how to get your set higher, and your rotation faster. Please help!!

Thank you.
 
Maybe you aren't finishing the flip by bring your feet aroud when you try it by yourself. Some people want to get their back tuck around and are worried they won't make it so they reach for the last of the rotation with their head/chin/ribs/face or anything else that doesn't get the job done. Make your lower abs work hard as you feel the upside down action happening, and keep them working hard until your feet are on the floor. To get the right idea you could lay on your back with your hips and your knees both bent at 90 degrees. Have a partner/friend put a little downward pressure on top of your ankles. From there you should lift your hips up and "curl" in your stomach. If you feel a strain in the muscles below your belly button and above your pelvis, you're doing it right. Send those muscles a warning before you do the back tuck by seeing yourself in that 90/90 tuck position and as you see in your mind that you are in that position, tighten those lower abs and finish the tuck mentally while you keep those abs tense. Then you go for it and focus on your abs image and feel the "strain" while you do the skill.
 
Oh dear, just say no if it doesn't come together. I realize you are not going to break your neck and be paralized for life like the girl did on the Penn and Teller cheerleading episode, but coming down on your knees on the basketball court .... People don't look back from age 40 and say, gee, my life would have been so much better if I'd made cheerleader.
 
Look at something in front of you for as long as you can before you start your rotation. If you do this you will start to rotate at the top of your jump. Throwing your head or shoulders back will stop you from getting any substantial height.

to increase your rotation pull on your legs in your tuck. Too often is see people slapping their shins in an attempt to show a tuck. another way to tuck is by grabbing your hamstrings just behind your knees and pulling your legs in tight to increase your rotation.
Remember to get someone to help spot you when you are trying to change your technique or you might be in for a rough landing.
 
boy can I relate to this .... I am also a cheerleader and know what is like to need a skill right before tryouts. My advice is to set really high or maybe don't hold your tuck as long. I spot something on the wall and make sure I feel my arms hit my ears before I actually tuck my legs. The higher your tuck the longer you will have to finish rotating.

I'm working on my triple toe tuck but a few months ago I got my standing tuck!
 
Also, if you have access to a gym, try doing them from the floor ONTO an elevated panel behind you. Yes, you WILL fall, BUT the stacked mat will force you to jump higher in order to land on the mat. That translates into more air time to get around to landing on your feet
 
agreed.

The only advice that I can give without video is that if you can do it off of a panel mat by yourself, try unfolding one panel at a time until you are on the floor.

Panel mats are great for standing tucks. I teach them exactly like AmandaLynn says. I spot a billion of them, spot a few off the panel mat, they do some at one height until they are comfortable then drop a panel until they have it.

Oh yeah, I really hate round-off layouts unless you plan on connecting something to the layout. They really mess up round-off back handsprings.
 

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