WAG Twisting direction

[gymgurl]

I know there have been threads on this before but i didn't want to drag up old threads so i'm starting a new one.

Okay so right now i am in the process of learning to twist and I have two coaches telling me different things one that i need to change my twisting direction to the same as my round off i.e. i round off left i should twist left. The other coach tells me to twist the same way i full turn which is right. I am getting confused i don't know who to listen to!

 

[wallinbl]

Stand, jump straight up and twist. Do it a few times in each direction. Is one direction clearly better (form, rotates farther, etc) for you than the other?

 

[BlairBob]

Round off on your left side, twist to left backwards.

Twisting really is just about the drills and repetitions.

It's a much easier thing to change than circle direction and dominant leg into round-off though I have seen gymnasts who can circle to some degree in their non usual direction.

 

[gymgurl]

Sorry what is circle direction? and I agree changing my round off would be impossible!

 

[BlairBob]

Circles as in pommel circles.

I've played with doing round-offs on my offside but quite honestly, there is enough to be refined even on the dominant side in most gymnast's round-offs.

 

[fliptwisttwirl]

Just do a straight jump half twist and see which way you go. That's all it is. Don't think about coaches or directions or anything else. Just do it and the one that comes naturally is the one you'll want to do.

 

[gymgurl]

That is what i did initially but every 'twisting test' i do differently some i go right some i go left. I literally have two coaches telling me different directions. One coach is the tumble coach and is the most qualified coach in the gym so i tend to think he might be better to believe. Trouble is he's not directly my coach and my coach tells me to twist the direction i full turn and jump full turn.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Neither is wrong, they are just different ways of teaching twisting. Technically a right round off is a left twist, so some think you round off right and you twist left others think that you roundoff right you twist right. I would say listen to whoever is the one teaching you the twist. When you do a jump full turn is one way more comfortable than the other?

 

[JBS]

I prefer lefty-left or righty-right (ie...left foot in front and left twisting). I love kasamatsus...it also makes twisting into a round off on a floor pass easier. I do not teach this though...I normally don't have them young enough to change their dominant twist...so I just stick with what they have as long as they are front and back twisting the same direction.

 

[iwannacoach]

I've played with doing round-offs on my offside but quite honestly, there is enough to be refined even on the dominant side in most gymnast's round-offs.

Amen to that!!!

 

[iwannacoach]

That is what i did initially but every 'twisting test' i do differently some i go right some i go left. I literally have two coaches telling me different directions.

Try this test for fun.......Take a tennis ball and time how long it takes to pass it around your body 30 times going as fast as you can. Catch your breath, or better still, go do something else for a while and then try the same test going around your body the opposite way to see which direction results in a better time.

I did this once with an entire group of kids who had just been put on team, but didn't bother to use the results, never even looked at them until about 18 mos later. When I did look at those results......well you just try the test and see if it agrees with what you feel comfortable with. Do you feel more, or less comfortable with the idea of twisting in the direction the tennis ball went the fastest around your body, or do you like the opposite of the fastest tennis ball direction???? I'll tell you what happened with my group's twisting direction when you answer that.......

 

[gymdog]

Why would you change your roundoff? That's the worst thing you could do. I twist left and roundoff right and there is NO WAY I could do anything functional out of a left roundoff. It just feels bizarre.

 

[gymgurl]

Why would you change your roundoff? That's the worst thing you could do. I twist left and roundoff right and there is NO WAY I could do anything functional out of a left roundoff. It just feels bizarre.

i'm not changing a round off - would be a disaster but i do apparently have to change twisting direction according to one coach so i'm just wondering if it really matters what way i twist

 

[Kiwi]

Technically a right round off is a left twist

I've read this here before and I still don't get it. Can someone please explain clearly why a left round-off is a right twist? It seems like a left twist to me...

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

I've read this here before and I still don't get it. Can someone please explain clearly why a left round-off is a right twist? It seems like a left twist to me...

I get it, but not quite sure how to explain I will give it a go, maybe someone else can step in.
Stand by a wall so your left shoulder is closest to the wall (not facing wall or away from wall, beside). Mow turn so your belly button is by facing the wall, which can did you turn? (left). Now go back to original position and put your right leg out as your about to cartwheel, start to pretend to do your cartwheel, which way does your stomach face. It should face the wall, meaning that because your stomach is facing the wall you twisted left like you determined before.
I'm sorry that I suck at explaining, it is kind of confusing and hard to understand and seems backwards but once you figure it out it starts to make sense. Maybe dunno or iwannacoach can step in and give a better explanation.

 

[gymgurl]

I am confused as well how a left round off is a right twist as if you stand up and spin to your left okay good. Now step forward with your left foot and pretend to start a round off. Are you not twisting the same direction?

 

[Kiwi]

I am confused as well how a left round off is a right twist as if you stand up and spin to your left okay good. Now step forward with your left foot and pretend to start a round off. Are you not twisting the same direction?

That's what I reckon, too. I understood your explanation, Hawaii_gymnast, but when I step out with my left foot into a cartwheel I turn left, and my belly button only ends up facing right because I then turn upside down!

 

[gymgurl]

I had read an article on this a few days ago that said its a common misconception as people get disoriented when they are upside down and left is right etc.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

I didn't quite understand it until this year, but I can assure you that a left roundoff is a right twist and vice versa. Think of it as to which way your belly would face, not which way you think that you turn, most people think and get get confused at this.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

starting position for a left cartwheel...put your left foot forward. right foot back. arms overhead. now begin to bend over to place your 1st hand, which will be your left hand, down to the floor. which way does your chest and shoulders turn when you begin to place your left hand down? are they facing the wall to the left? or to the right?? there will be your answer.