Parents 6 y.o - Losing Toe Point Mid-Skill

[SuperGymBro7]

Hey everyone! I have a 6-year-old in pre-competitive MAG and I’ve noticed something that’s starting to frustrate both him and his coaches. He’s constantly being reminded to point his toes—and he does! But as soon as he starts performing a skill, boom: flexed feet.

For example:

• Bars: His toes are pointed when he’s hanging, swinging, in a chin-up, or in front support. But as soon as he does a pullover or back hip circle, his feet flex mid-skill—even though he points them again right after.
• Floor: Same story. His toes are fine leading up to the skill, but during a handstand or cartwheel, they go neutral or flex. The only real exception is bridge kickovers, where he seems to hold the point throughout.

It’s like he loses toe awareness in motion, even though he has control before and after the skill. I’m wondering:

• Is this a developmental thing that just improves with time, strength, and muscle memory?
• Or is this something unusual that might need more targeted intervention?

I’ve seen some younger kids in his group who do seem to maintain toe point through entire skills, so I’m not sure what to make of it.

 

[Coach Kate]

It's definitely something that has to be learned. Body awareness is a tricky thing. It can actually be helpful to hold different body positions like hollow and point and flex in order to feel the difference, or even a wall handstand. You can also put a piece of athletic tape on an ankle as another cue.

 

[Dahlialover]

Totally normal for the age. Some kids pick up this skill faster than others. It’s no big deal. When my son was little, whenever he was given a correction he would focus completely on the correction and forget other parts of the skill, especially little stuff like pointed toes. That’s normal. I recommend keeping your feedback completely positive and just giving it time.