Back layout with a full twist or more

[2gymmies]

My dd is relearning her back full (to ultimately do more than a full, hopefully this coming season). Our new gym uses a different technique for twisting compared to our old gym. This seems like a big pain in the neck but must be a big deal since they are willing to start over. Old gym had dd pull her fists to her chest with elbows out. New gym has her pull her arms down and to the side, I believe.

She can do the new was on the tramp but has yet to try it anywhere else.

What do you think of these two techniques? Pros/cons? what do you (or your dd use to twist)?

Do you think it will be easier to relearn it than it was originally to learn it?

Any insight is appreciated...

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The important part of twist technique is not where you hold the arms while twisting, but what you do with them while generating that twist. Once the rotation is initiated, it doesn't really matter where the arms go as long as they're close to the body.

I did column on the mechanics of twisting for my blog awhile back, if you want to get into all the details of how the rotation is generated.

Arm position after the twist is initiated is not particularly important, but if I had to choose one technique over another I would tend towards initially teaching the skill with the arms by the sides, because that will more effectively emphasize the correct arm action in generating the twist. Once the gymnast correctly initiates the twist by reflex, she can then switch to bringing the arms to the chest without really causing any issues (and with more than a 1/1 twist this tends to be a bit easier).

 

[iwannacoach]

My feeling is the 2nd club is working on a better long term technique that can provide gymnasts with the opportunity to twist comfortably beyond a 2/1 twist, where the first technique will pretty much top out at a 2/1. The 2nd clubs arm position is a much better foundation for combining mutiple axis rotation such as "full in" on floor, but the first club's arm position is popular for Yurchenko fulls. Jeez, what a quandry........


Since your child is at the 2nd gym, get in the "car" with their twisting methods. It has far more potential to produce a smoother, more powerfull twist on floor. The yurchenko full is in the distant future, so I wouldn't worry about that technique until after your daughter has completely learned and ingrained the preferred twisting positions on floor, and maybe by then the gymnastics community will unite behind one twisting technique.

 

[flipflopcrystal]

should be a natural progression from a layout as arms should drop to the side after the set, except one arm up and the other down (and i teach across reaching for the other hip)...and look under the armpit....

bent arms, to me, create crazy fulls, because there is no basic thought to it (i don't have a better way to describe it)

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

I went through the switch, from bent arms to straight like your DD. And I was struggling with the full consistent with bent arms, within a few days of relearning the twist with straight arms I had a consistent full and have 1 1/2 (most of the time). I started with it on tumbletrack then moved to floor and had know issues. I much prefer the straight arm technique.

 

[2gymmies]

Thanks so much everyone! She likes the new way and is actually excited to work back twisting - she was never overly fond of it before.