Beam: Arm Swing on BWO-BHS and BHS-BHS

[JBS]

When teaching BWO-BHS and BHS-BHS on beam do you allow the girls to swing their arms when learning? Is this something that girls eliminate as they get more confident?...or is it not productive?

In other words...the gymnast will continue and add the second skill...but only with an arm swing. Should the gymnast just be moved back down to a lower beam or floor where the skill can be performed without the swing? Or is it a good confidence builder to have them at least performing the two skills (with a deduction/arm swing/no connection) up high?

 

[gymnastbeth]

When I was starting BHS BHS, I did both. On the low beams I did it without the arm swing, and on the high beams I did it with the arm swing. That way I got the feeling of being high in the air when doing it, and also got the feeling of doing it correctly. Eventually, the arm swing on the high beam worked itself out. If my coach said to do X amount of BHS BHS, I would do half on the low beam and half on the high beam. And sometimes I would pull mats underneath the high beam and do it without the arm swing.

Something that really helped me with BHS on beam was draping bath mats/carpets over the beam where my hands were going to land. It made the beam seem softer, and gave me a bright color to look for to put my hands on. Having them there gave me a ton of confidence, more than anything else. (The bath mats are the carpet kind, with rubber non-stick on the bottom)

ETA: I would never have been allowed to compete in meets with the arm swing.



(P.S. JBS, I'm loving your new signature! )

 

[gymnastralo]

Some girls at my gym that I go to now are learning and they do swing there arms down. One is dealing with fear issues and has not connected them at all on the High beam yet (been working since summer). Me on the other hand came from a gym where you dont swing your arms at all its either connected or you dont go at all. I go for the connection every time now, since Im used to doing it that way. I think it depends whether your gymnasts are swining there arms due to fear or just due to begining to learn the skill. Good Luck!

 

[Optionals United]

i would say no to the arm swing. It may be ok for some girls whoo can just take it out later. but for most girls it will cause i problem. most likely when you tell them to take it out they will freak out and you will be back to square one. but as gymnastbeth said if you continue doing them on lower beams working them up to high beams, while doing bhs bhs with arm swing on high beam i think that woud be ok.

Just have to add... as gymnastbeth said i am competely in love with your new signature.

 

[pt coach]

We don't allow arm swing at all...we start with a lot of handstand step in bhs before moving on to bwo bhs and bhs bhs...we have found over the years that if you allow the arm swing it is hard to get rid of it!

 

[gymdog]

No...need to learn the punching technique for these skills. To me with the swing, it's not really anything more than performing a single BHS. Would rather see split handstand step in punch jump (level 5s and 6s can work this, also out of BWO).

Learning to a BHS on beam with no arm swing is also an important progression for a lot of girls. Not for all, but for a lot I feel it is important for them to have that ability for their confidence and strength in the skill. Then they can also work stretch jump, no swing BHS and handstand step in punch jump, land, no swing BHS. Also working connected BWO/BHS BHS/BT/BLO with the first skill on the beam and the second skill landing on mats at beam level. It is frequently the punching technique that is inadequate/not aligned, and not the ability to do the swing single BHS, so that is why I would recommend a connection progression that ALWAYS works the punch every turn.

In addition to basics of split handstand hold (always working the split handstand for step out and also working two foot handstand snap down - even if no two foot BHS in the future maybe BHS two foot layout, some less flexible girls will receive less deductions on this), lever in and out to straight leg lock drills, tick tocks and FWOs as basics for alignment, and all kinds of BHS (step out, two foot, no swing), BHS up to panel mat and connection up to panel mat.