Backward roll to handstand help?!?

[ben_347]

Hey everyone,

I have a couple of kids that are having trouble with the backward roll to handstand. I have tried many different drills and just wondering if you guys know any other drills that could help with this skill??


Thanks!!

 

[marie83]

Are they learning it with straight or bent arms?

I teach it with straight arms - I start off making sure they can do a good backward roll to pike, with straight arms, then get them to try backward roll to front support with straight arms. When they have that, I start to work on going to handstand. Firstly you have to make sure that they know when to push their feet upwards. A handy tip I heard a long time ago and use every time I coach this skill is 'as soon as your toes are above your nose, push them up' If they wait too long, they end up missing handstand, if they don't wait long enough, they arch their back.

It is also important that they understand how to open their shoulder angle, so any drills/conditioning exercises with this action will be useful.

Practice doing the backward roll to handstand down a slope and do hundreds with support.

Explain also that it is very important to have good body tension throughout the skill.

Hope that helps,
Marie

 

[KAQuinlan]

We also have them do it up to a block (or a mat against a wall). You have to have them measure out the back roll by starting with their toes at the block and do it away from the block. Wherever their hands land, put a mark and they start with their feet on the line. Do the back roll and get the handstand up to the block. This is only effective for gymnasts who are close to getting the skill, otherwise they slam their feet into the block. I usually spot the first two or three when introducing this drill.

 

[KyraGymnast]

I know i'm not a coah (sorry!) But when we were learning back extention rolls, my coaches had us do them down a wedge mat. This really helped us with the popping motion.

 

[BlairBob]

Don't let the chest/diaphraghm arch as it shoots upwards.

Get the shoulder up in the ear to start off with. I don't let kids go from a closed shoulder position to where it should be. Too often their shoulder never gets to where it supposed to be and they roll on their head. This also can stop them from arching their upper body as they throw their arms back. Not always, but can.

Create a strong shoulder girdle. Theraband/resistance bands lateral raises from hips to overhead besides a good handstand. You'll notice that often the weaker kids have a hard time with back extension roll to HS.

 

[ben_347]

Thank you to everyone that has put their ideas forward! I will try these out in the gym Friday!!
Thanks

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I start by teaching a backward roll to prone. If they can comfortably do this, developing it into a back extension roll isn't too difficult; they just need to extend earlier and open the shoulders a bit more. I don't generally use a lot of drills on this; I just hand spot them to help them get the timing down.

The roll should be quick, the open with the shoulders should be explosive, and the body should not arch (probably the most common problem). The body should transition from hollow to straight on the way up (and again, hand-spotting is, in my experience, the most effective way to help them develop the proper timing and direction -- I have yet to find any non-spotted drills that are as effective as simply spotting them on the skill on floor).

 

[GymVamp]

Grab there legs

 

[Mia_Haert]

Grab there legs

That's exactly what our coach did to us when we were learning the backward roll extensions.