WAG Aerial skills - strength or technique

[gymnndance]

What do they rely on? More technique or leg strength/explosiveness?

I always thought you need a crazy amount of quad power for those aerial skills. But on team we have incredibly strong little girls, they do standing back pikes with ease, but have such a hard time getting their aerials. I made them do a lot of ploy stuff, but I am wondering if this is the wrong thing?

And then I see girls at dance with basically no strength or prior gym training at all learning those aerial skills from scratch by simply trying them over and over and over again.
One of my friends is 30+ years old, has 3 kids, does not do any exercise at all besides teaching and 2-3 yoga classes a week.
She is still able to do side/front aerial plus hand lay step out.

Any tips/opinions/experiences?

 

[Aussie_coach]

I would say technique is a little more important than strength when it comes to successfully performing a aerial. We do a lot of aerial work and the kids learn this skill quite early on. Most can perform it long before they have leg power for salt on skills.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I agree, technique is probably the biggest factor. However, having power behind it makes for more height on it and that helps too. My dd is really just learning to combine the two. She was doing her aerial without enough height for a long time, and it was pretty but she had trouble with the landing. Now she is getting some power behind it and it looks a lot better!

 

[Gymmommy71]

Per DD, aeriels are mostly all timing and flexibility. Once you figure the timing out, they are physically easy if you do them right - especially when you have good flexibility. However, in early stages of learning them, strength/power can compensate for timing that's slightly off, so strong people could get them sooner (kind of like how it works w/ a kip).

Like a newly learned aerial may pound loudly on the ground and involve a big lead up/hurdle, but a "mature" Aeriel will be as quiet as a cartwheel and can be done from standing still.