Parents Which side for level 4 routine? Left or right?

[blueberrygym]

Hi all. I have a question about the level 4 floor routine. My daughter is new to compulsories and just started learning the floor routine during a private lesson this weekend. She has mixed dominance, but now I'm not sure if she is learning the correct side. Can someone tell me which side of the routine you think she should be learning to minimize deductions? She competed xcel in the past and mixes her dance and acro skills between left and right.

For dance skills she does the following naturally: leap/sissone (right), split (right), full turn (left). She cannot do a split on her left at all (it's about 5 inches off the floor). And she cannot leap with her left very well.

For acro skills she does the following naturally: ROBHBH (left hand down first), back walkover (right leg kicks up first), back extension roll (right leg lunges forward and left leg is in the back), front handspring (hurdles right).

In real life, she is a lefty. The coach is teaching her the lefty routine. Does this sound right? I trust the coach, but I want to make sure I'm not spending $$ on these privates and she's just going to have to learn the routine the other way later on. Thanks!

 

[jamieintexas]

Changing sides for major elements is allowed in the code. It tells you how to get back to the correct position. I would teach her the side that had the least changes. She does need to get more consistent, connections at higher levels are going to be almost impossible for her.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I don't know about the routine or deductions, but if she does cartwheel and round off on her left leg and FHS on her right, that is a problem. I would try to change the FHS leg (and maybe the BWO too, and if she's doing BHS step outs for beam I would at least make sure that her BWO and BHS step out have the same leg split in the air). And make sure that she learns to twist to the left. That would make her life easier in the upper levels.

 

[blueberrygym]

She does need to get more consistent, connections at higher levels are going to be almost impossible for her.

Thanks! Hopefully she can start to get consistent on her left side. It's likely gonna take a lot of work.

I would try to change the FHS leg (and maybe the BWO too, and if she's doing BHS step outs for beam I would at least make sure that her BWO and BHS step out have the same leg split in the air). And make sure that she learns to twist to the left. That would make her life easier in the upper levels.

You're right. The coach has said already she needs to change the front handspring to the left. She can't do it well right now, but I guess she will get it with repetition. I have no idea if she's going to try to have her do her splits and leaps on the left too or just do them on the right side and add in an extra step or something. Thanks for your persepctive!

 

[tpMom]

This happened with my daughter when she started team. Her leaps and levers started on one leg, her cartwheels and roundoffs on the other. She ended up switching her cartwheels leg. It took a few weeks, which she found extremely frustrating, but it didn't put her behind it slow her down too much. The sooner your daughter can fix it, the easier it'll be.

 

[justanothergymmom]

Hi all. I have a question about the level 4 floor routine. My daughter is new to compulsories and just started learning the floor routine during a private lesson this weekend. She has mixed dominance, but now I'm not sure if she is learning the correct side. Can someone tell me which side of the routine you think she should be learning to minimize deductions? She competed xcel in the past and mixes her dance and acro skills between left and right.

For dance skills she does the following naturally: leap/sissone (right), split (right), full turn (left). She cannot do a split on her left at all (it's about 5 inches off the floor). And she cannot leap with her left very well.

For acro skills she does the following naturally: ROBHBH (left hand down first), back walkover (right leg kicks up first), back extension roll (right leg lunges forward and left leg is in the back), front handspring (hurdles right).

In real life, she is a lefty. The coach is teaching her the lefty routine. Does this sound right? I trust the coach, but I want to make sure I'm not spending $$ on these privates and she's just going to have to learn the routine the other way later on. Thanks!

She sounds like a righty (in gymnastics) to me!--one of my daughters was this way. Easier to teach her to just switch her cartwheel to righty for beam and her turn on floor, since all of her leaps, splits and tumbling are good on her right side...she won't need to switch her roundoff...that can stay lefty for compulsories, and going forward.

 

[tucktwisttumble]

I am right-dominant. I leap, turn, cartwheel, roundoff, FHS, BHS stepout, Front tuck step out, twist, split everything right. I twisted my vault right, and I would drop my right shoulder when switching my swing direction on bars (switch-kip)... I never made it to pirouettes.
The ONLY difficulty I ever had was cartwheel-back walkover. I could not get a left-leg bwo for that connection. Coaches also had me try and learn left twisting, when I started twisting my tumbling. But that was a lost cause and a half. Right everything came naturally to me.

I guess the question is, why does it matter what way she does these skills? Does it really pose a challenge in upper levels? Can someone provide an example?

 

[blueberrygym]

I am right-dominant. I leap, turn, cartwheel, roundoff, FHS, BHS stepout, Front tuck step out, twist, split everything right. I twisted my vault right, and I would drop my right shoulder when switching my swing direction on bars (switch-kip)... I never made it to pirouettes.
The ONLY difficulty I ever had was cartwheel-back walkover. I could not get a left-leg bwo for that connection. Coaches also had me try and learn left twisting, when I started twisting my tumbling. But that was a lost cause and a half. Right everything came naturally to me.

I guess the question is, why does it matter what way she does these skills? Does it really pose a challenge in upper levels? Can someone provide an example?

Interesting...is a cartwheel-back walkover connection an important one? Since my DD does her cartwheel and back walkover on different legs, she has the connection. But I'm wondering if it's critical for her to be able to do that back walk over on the other leg too. Problem is she already has the cartwheel and back walkover really wrong on beam with no wobbles. So the idea of having to learn the back walkover on beam the other way seems impossible to her.

 

[blueberrygym]

She sounds like a righty (in gymnastics) to me!--one of my daughters was this way. Easier to teach her to just switch her cartwheel to righty for beam and her turn on floor, since all of her leaps, splits and tumbling are good on her right side...she won't need to switch her roundoff...that can stay lefty for compulsories, and going forward.

I'm also thinking she needs to stick to the right side. I feel like a turn and cartwheel are easier to change than those other things. Agreed about the roundoff. She gets all of her power from her roundoff for her connection to BHBT and likely needs to keep it that way.

 

[blueberrygym]

Interesting...is a cartwheel-back walkover connection an important one? Since my DD does her cartwheel and back walkover on different legs, she has the connection. But I'm wondering if it's critical for her to be able to do that back walk over on the other leg too. Problem is she already has the cartwheel and back walkover really wrong on beam with no wobbles. So the idea of having to learn the back walkover on beam the other way seems impossible to her.

That was supposed to say "really strong" on the beam and not really wrong

 

[gymdog]

She needs to do the routine right and do a right full turn. She will just be reversing the RO. The BWO you stated is a right back walkover. She should do the front handspring however she does a handstand (my guess righty). It's not that uncommon to do a left roundoff and right everything else.

 

[blueberrygym]

She needs to do the routine right and do a right full turn. She will just be reversing the RO. The BWO you stated is a right back walkover. She should do the front handspring however she does a handstand (my guess righty). It's not that uncommon to do a left roundoff and right everything else.

Yes, you are correct. She does her hand stand while standing on her right leg and kicking the left leg up first. So it sounds like the only thing she should really learn to change in the floor routine is her full turn. Thanks for the perspective!!! A different coach started teaching her the beam routine on the right side.

I'm wondering if for later on though it's important for her to be able to do front handspring the other way too for connecting skills. I have no clue. For her front handspring vault, she also hurdles with the right foot (takes off on left foot and pulls up right before hitting the springboard). Sounds like she is just all mixed up!

 

[sce]

Based on what you described she should be learning the right routine, not the left.

 

[blueberrygym]

Based on what you described she should be learning the right routine, not the left.

Thanks!!! I'm glad to know that I did read the text right in the compulsory instructions. Now, I'm not sure if I should say something to the coach or just let her figure it out as she continues to teach her the routine. I don't want to sound like a know it all, but I really don't want to waste money on these privates.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[sce]

Thanks!!! I'm glad to know that I did read the text right in the compulsory instructions. Now, I'm not sure if I should say something to the coach or just let her figure it out as she continues to teach her the routine. I don't want to sound like a know it all, but I really don't want to waste money on these privates.

Thanks everyone!!

Is she learning the routine during private lessons? If so, speak up now, no sense wasting the time and money and getting her confused.. Ask the coach about the right/left issue. It is possible the coach is not fully aware of how she does her leaps and splits.

 

[blueberrygym]

Is she learning the routine during private lessons? If so, speak up now, no sense wasting the time and money and getting her confused.. Ask the coach about the right/left issue. It is possible the coach is not fully aware of how she does her leaps and splits.

Good point. I don't think she is fully aware of the right/left issues because she hasn't coached her in the past. The coach who is teaching her the beam routine however has coached her for the past year so that's probably why she started teaching her the beam routine on the right. The beam coach specifically told my DD she wanted to teach her the side with her good split and leap.

I will definitely mention this to the floor coach during the next private.

Thanks!!

 

[gymdog]

Yes, you are correct. She does her hand stand while standing on her right leg and kicking the left leg up first. So it sounds like the only thing she should really learn to change in the floor routine is her full turn. Thanks for the perspective!!! A different coach started teaching her the beam routine on the right side.

I'm wondering if for later on though it's important for her to be able to do front handspring the other way too for connecting skills. I have no clue. For her front handspring vault, she also hurdles with the right foot (takes off on left foot and pulls up right before hitting the springboard). Sounds like she is just all mixed up!

I personally find it weird as a former gymnast but it's not unheard of. As far as connections, not really in my opinion. I have successfully switched some kids at a younger age (5-6 years old) and I switch them to their cartwheel side. But switching and older gymnast may be harder. If they were struggling to do the front handspring with good form then I would probably try to switch them.