Women Better beam coaching techniques

[endochalkrulzthewrld]

Hi all, just wanted some advice on gym stuff and figured this was the best place to get it.
My gym has been seemingly on decline for the past few years, and has only accelerated because of COVID. We've lost a lot of our coaching staff and this is showing at our meets, especially on beam. At my lv 7 meets I see girls from other gyms go up on beam and do at least a clean bwo bhs while our team (including myself) struggles to do a singular bhs and we all need the coach "standing there". And almost all of us have struggled through mental blocks on bhs on beam. Is there anything that we can do about this? I know our gym needs to improve it's beam coaching, so are there any techniques that our coaches should know to help with beam, confidence, and bhs particularly? Is there anything I can do as a gymnast? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[JBS]

Only do on beam what is really good on floor. If you know you will not do it… do not get on the beam… do numbers on the floor.

Other than that… leg strength is a big one for beam confidence. Those that can jump higher typically do better.

Never ever learn a skill on beam… learn it on floor.

 

[ProudGymnast]

well there is a rule my gym follows for new skills on beam. And that is start training early, and don't move up until you are bored of where you are and can make 5/5.

for example, I started training my bhs loso in level 7. Had it nailed on the floor before we moved to beam with mats, and every step up from that I needed to be completely confident and bored of the step before. We actually had to ask the coaches before we moved up, bent legs? nope you have to stay where you are until you fix that, slightly crooked? fix that before you move up. I now have it consistent as a L9 for when I need it.

My coach would never stand with us on high beam because she said that if were scared enough to not do it alone, we shouldn't move up high yet.

I guess my point is, coaches that push you to move things up too fast and don't teach you proper technique create inconsistent, fearful gymnasts.

Now that's a helpful training approach for the future, but I guess for now, not as much in the middle of competition season.

specifically for the bhs on beam:

say your words. I used to say jump, hands, feet. And then I would remember to jump big, look for my hands, and then look for my feet on the beam as I said the words. You can find key words that work for you. For example, if you are scared of jumping crooked and missing your hands, your words could be straight, hands.

Also numbers. If you are so scared of the skill you hardly do it before the meet, it is never going to get easier. Make sure you are doing a good amount each beam practice, but not only doing them, doing them confidently.

And for mental blocks, think about what it looks like to go for the skill, and visualize it before every time. That helps me go for it because I know what to expect and I am not caught off guard when I get up on the beam and have to go for it.

 

[JBS]

I guess my point is, coaches that push you to move things up too fast and don't teach you proper technique create inconsistent, fearful gymnasts.