Anon Which skill is harder?
- Thread starter Dad1234
- Start date
There are coaches who will fill in but I'm procrastinating on my work so I'll tell you what I know.
The RO BH has a more backward motion than the BT, which requires more upward than backward motion.
My daughter could do a ROBHBT but couldn't get a good tuck form going out of her RO BH because she was going back too much and hadn't been properly trained for the completely different direction coming out of the BH.
Then there was a gym change, mental blocks, drama because she'd never done a drill at her old gym....long story.
Her new coach trained her properly on the BT motion. She does it now as a RO BT. It is easier for her, for that reason, though there are coaches on this forum with valid concerns about the safety of doing it that way, and I'd wait for them to chime in before listening to me.
The RO BH has a more backward motion than the BT, which requires more upward than backward motion.
My daughter could do a ROBHBT but couldn't get a good tuck form going out of her RO BH because she was going back too much and hadn't been properly trained for the completely different direction coming out of the BH.
Then there was a gym change, mental blocks, drama because she'd never done a drill at her old gym....long story.
Her new coach trained her properly on the BT motion. She does it now as a RO BT. It is easier for her, for that reason, though there are coaches on this forum with valid concerns about the safety of doing it that way, and I'd wait for them to chime in before listening to me.
I don’t think one is harder than the other, just one might be harder for the gymnast. Plenty of gymnasts get mental blocks on the back handspring and then the RO BT becomes way easier. I think if you’re ok on the back handspring, all the momentum makes it easier to go into the back tuck.
Personally for me a round off gives me much more power than a back handspring (granted, my backhandspring isnt the best). It may be due to the fact that i used to train round off back tucks on tumbletrak and not bhs.. i found them way easier.
Someone with a good ROBHS should generally find a ROBHSBT easier because the BHS allows them to generate much more power than just a RO. IMHO a ROBT is not a good idea to even practice b/c it requires a change to the RO that could be confusing and cause bad habits for young gymnasts. Instead of scooping the feet in front of the COM as is done going into a BHS, a BT would require landing the RO with the feet behind the COM to get a proper set and height. Practicing this could mess up the RO for its primary purpose, which is going into a BHS.
- Jan 4, 2008
- 4,157
Most kids find round off back tuck easier, but I don’t allow my gymnasts to do round off back tucks, except in exceptional circumstances.
The technique of a round off back handspring, is to go backwards out of the round off. To go into the back tuck you go up.
The Purpose of the back handspring is to build speed and power, for most gymnasts they will be able to generate a lot more power from the BHS, which will make it easier to move that back tuck onto a layout, a twist, a double etc.
If allowed to work round off back tucks, before the BHS is very solid, then the habit will be to go up out of the round off, and not backwards. Then the BHS will end up going too high, killing its power.
The exception is those who won’t be able to generate the usual power from a BHS due to amd issue like lack of flexibility in the shoulders.
The technique of a round off back handspring, is to go backwards out of the round off. To go into the back tuck you go up.
The Purpose of the back handspring is to build speed and power, for most gymnasts they will be able to generate a lot more power from the BHS, which will make it easier to move that back tuck onto a layout, a twist, a double etc.
If allowed to work round off back tucks, before the BHS is very solid, then the habit will be to go up out of the round off, and not backwards. Then the BHS will end up going too high, killing its power.
The exception is those who won’t be able to generate the usual power from a BHS due to amd issue like lack of flexibility in the shoulders.
Roundoff tuck is easier, but it reinforces terrible technique.
If, for some reason, I wanted to deliberately sabotage a kid's tumbling progress, the first thing I'd do is teach them roundoff tuck.
If, for some reason, I wanted to deliberately sabotage a kid's tumbling progress, the first thing I'd do is teach them roundoff tuck.
I would agree with this.
We teach 2 things in tumbling... they are...
1. Tumbling
2. Taking Off
We teach them in that order. For the most part we are not going to teach take offs until the athlete has a powerful series of three tumbling in that direction. The series of three doesn't necessarily need to be on the floor... for example... forward series of three (flysprings) are mostly done on the tumble track or rod floor.
This is true. (And the phrasing made me LOL ) With that said...there is only one excuse for teaching the roundoff back tuck: if a student has a wrist injury/disability. Back handsprings are hard on the wrist. I have known gymnasts to substitute a ROBHS for ROBT in these circumstances.
