split leap leg change to ring

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LasswadeCoach

One of my gymnasts is performing a split change leap to ring, the problem being that she cannot bend her back leg! She has hyper flexibility in her hip flexors, and her back, and has very square & flat splits, even when raised at up to 60cm. However her hamstrings are quite tight, she has done alot of work on them but they are still tight, could this be affecting her bending her back leg?

Also, is there a penalty for not bending the leg, she is past splits in the leap, and her back is almost bent completely onto her back leg, but she just can't seem to bend it!!

Any advice?
 
One of my gymnasts is performing a split change leap to ring, the problem being that she cannot bend her back leg! She has hyper flexibility in her hip flexors, and her back, and has very square & flat splits, even when raised at up to 60cm. However her hamstrings are quite tight, she has done alot of work on them but they are still tight, could this be affecting her bending her back leg?

Also, is there a penalty for not bending the leg, she is past splits in the leap, and her back is almost bent completely onto her back leg, but she just can't seem to bend it!!

Any advice?

It's all here in black and white:

http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/women/2008/JOTechnique2008.pdf

This was recently posted for judges. I don't have a code in front of me, but I believe a "switch Bo" or switch leap past 180 with head release is an element on floor. The back leg is not bent.

I would guess that the inability to bend the back leg would have to do with her quads being extremely tight and her hamstrings being weak. It's sort of the opposite scenario from the one you described.
 
Yes, with her foot pointing directly to the ceiling, she can also bend the leg to her butt in splits

I am beggining to think its a lack of understanding which is preventing the bending of the leg! Im not sure she knows where she is!

However we already have a Yang Bo in her beam routine, so the split change to Yang Bo is a great option, thanks for the suggestion!!
 
Yes, with her foot pointing directly to the ceiling, she can also bend the leg to her butt in splits

I am beginning to think its a lack of understanding which is preventing the bending of the leg! Im not sure she knows where she is!

However we already have a Yang Bo in her beam routine, so the split change to Yang Bo is a great option, thanks for the suggestion!!

Um...wait...you are talking on BEAM??? It didn't even occur to me you were talking about beam.

I have a strong suspicion that the reason her ring isn't very good has nothing to do with understanding the position...there is a reason a switch ring is an E on beam...as is a switch Bo: it's very scary and difficult. Few elites can even pull them off. Most who do them cheat in the same way you described.

If she's not a Level 10 with a great swich-ring on floor, you may re-think the skills she is attempting, or at least give her some time to become comfortable.
 
No, her switch to ring is not on beam, it is on floor.

She already competes a Yang Bo on beam, which has a straight back leg with the head bent back, so I think she is getting muddled up and doesn't understand the bent back leg in the switch ring.

She is an elite, but I'm not from the US, so I don't know what the equivelant of a level 10 is!
 
No, her switch to ring is not on beam, it is on floor.

She already competes a Yang Bo on beam, which has a straight back leg with the head bent back, so I think she is getting muddled up and doesn't understand the bent back leg in the switch ring.

She is an elite, but I'm not from the US, so I don't know what the equivelant of a level 10 is!

Okay...sorry. For a second, I thought you were super ambitious and had a kid trying a switch ring on beam way before she was ready!

Yeah...it sounds like weak hamstrings. Bungee curls on her stomach and roll-in roll-out with her feet on the ball will get her stronger.
 
Im still having some trouble getting this gymnast to bend her back leg enough, i have attatched a picture of her doing the skill, does any one else think it is just a bit too straight to be credited? I have also put some photo's of her doing flexibility exercises to demonstrate that she does have sufficient range, does any one know what else it could be?

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If I were judging, I'd give credit that leap credit as a yang bo. Depending on what rules you're competing under, it might even be worth more!

Can she do ring jumps? I think it's easier to get the concept of bending the back leg when jumping so you could try some of those as a drill.
 
I have looked for the Yang bo switch leap and cannot find it in the code of points :S however I will look again!

As for the ring jumps, she seems to be able to do those correctly, its really stra nge!!

Thanks for the help :)
 
Are you sure she's not scared of kicking herself in the head? I have a teammate who frequently does that :)

Some ideas that might help: practice a switch ring, without the head release - just getting the back knee bent. Also be practicing a switch Yang Bo; then it's simply a matter of combining.
I can definitely relate to the getting lost/having no idea how far off the ground you are feeling!

Also, check that she can do a ring split on the leg she'll be using in the switch - amazingly, I have to switch split on my other leg (to my normal switch), because I've got better flexibility in my right leg (and an insane lack of control in my left).

Ballet, ballet and ballet will also help.
 
Gosh, I'm running out of ideas, too! I can see why you're stumped about this one. Have you showed her a video of a correct ring leap and her ring leap? Maybe she's more or a visual person. She also seems to have a lot of flexibility so maybe giving her the correction of trying to kick her head or at least be able to spot her foot would help. Can she do a non-switch ring leap?

As for a yang bo being in the code, you might want to talk to a local judge about it. A yang bo isn't in the code I judge under (USA high school), but I would still give it the same difficulty credit as a switch ring. I've got a "not all skills of difficulty can be illustrated in this book so use your judgement in giving credit for skills not in the code" line that I can work with. You may or may not have a similar provision in your code. Definitely ask a judge though, interpretation of rules varies widely!
 
Has she practiced them on a trampoline or tumble trak? Maybe that would help. Or if she is sitting in a split on the floor with her head back, can she bend her leg (without grabbing it) and touch her head?
 
Thanks Anna I will try to put your advice to use :)

She can lift her back leg up to her head in splits raised at 60cm, its not a flexibility problem, I just think she is spacially unaware and unsure, it is getting better, and I think it will just improve with a little time

I think she me be confused, as she has a Yang Bo in her beam routine, so I think she just doesn't quite understand

Thanks so much for the replies, they really did help!
 

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