BHS video...here it is

[mado4]

Okay, here is the bhs with the bend legs and the split jump with the bend leg ...

All over wasn't her best day but what advice do you have ???

She is looking for the floor really early I just saw on the vid. Can that cause the leg bending though ???

00020 - YouTube


I will delete this video tomorrow...

 

[AmandaLynn]

It really looks like she doesn't tighten her knees on a lot of her skills. If you look closely, the bas leg is bent while kicking into her full turn, as well as through the majority of the dance sequence following the full turn. I really can't find a place inthe video that her knees look as though they are completely locked/straight.

Without knowing the child, I'd guess that she's either got very tight hamstrings or she just doesn't know how to lock the knees. I know that the latter sounds silly, but it is probably the more likely culprit. If I recall correctly, there were a few exercises mentioned in the previous thread to help her realize the difference in the feeling of a completely straight/locked leg and a leg that was simply "not bent/tucked". If not, let me know and I can offer some suggestions.

 

[iwannacoach]

It looks like both a technical problem caused by her round-off snap down being incomplete, and a lack of knee awareness. Get her to finish her round-off with her feet about six inches in front of her, and teach her what straight legs feel like.

You could look up old threads titled snap down, or round-off for some ideas on drills to use.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

overall SWR is weak. she's an ectomorph. when she jumps from the floor her hip flexors don't activate. if the hips don't open the knees won't/can't straighten. if they could, she would do a pike over to her head. it's the bodies way of protecting itself.

 

[mado4]

It really looks like she doesn't tighten her knees on a lot of her skills. If you look closely, the bas leg is bent while kicking into her full turn, as well as through the majority of the dance sequence following the full turn. I really can't find a place inthe video that her knees look as though they are completely locked/straight.

Without knowing the child, I'd guess that she's either got very tight hamstrings or she just doesn't know how to lock the knees. I know that the latter sounds silly, but it is probably the more likely culprit. If I recall correctly, there were a few exercises mentioned in the previous thread to help her realize the difference in the feeling of a completely straight/locked leg and a leg that was simply "not bent/tucked". If not, let me know and I can offer some suggestions.

Yes, she actually has tight hamstrings but not as tight that she couldn't straighten her leg...and I do handstands with her telling her straight legs, loose legs ...but she has that problem on all apparatuses...

 

[mado4]

overall SWR is weak. she's an ectomorph. when she jumps from the floor her hip flexors don't activate. if the hips don't open the knees won't/can't straighten. if they could, she would do a pike over to her head. it's the bodies way of protecting itself.

Yes she is definitely an ectomorph. But what means SWR ???? Like I said above...her knee problem is on all apparatuses..any ideas ?? Even on beam just walking the has bend legs ...she is really trying but she does NOT feel it or recognize it. Sad because she is technically one of the best girl in the team especially on beam and bars but her bend legs cause her tremendous deductions...any advice ??

 

[marie83]

Leg extension exercise from MLT
Leg Extension - YouTube

We have our gymnasts sit on the floor in pike and straighten their legs by pressing the backs of their knees into the floor and trying to lift their heels off without leaning backwards.

 

[Kiwi]

From the video it looks like she lacks tension in the legs. They are even bent in her handstand. She needs to learn to activate her quadriceps muscles. I like Marie83's ideas. Some ballet exercises might be helpful, such as battement tendu and developpe. I also found the video about leg tightening on youtube: Leg Tightening Drills - Mary Lee Tracy - YouTube

 

[mado4]

yes you are right, even in the handstand her legs are not straight ...when I remind her, she straightens them..I started the leg extension program -Tracy- and after 2 days she was really sore in her legs...but thanks for all of for advice..I will try all of them..

 

[Deleted member D3987]

swr=strength weight ratio. and all the exercises in the world will not straighten joints that are hypo-mobile. only surgery can do that. she appears hypo in the video. doing some/all of those exercises could potentially damage her knee joints.

 

[mado4]

I think there is a misunderstanding...she has no hypo mobile joints. She looks wobbly because she is just not remembering to tighten her muscles..the only part of her body that has a little mobile joints are her elbows but I can't relate her elbows to her not tight legs... never had a girl like her...I have another skinny girl but when I remind her before her routine to stay tight she can...with her it is just different ...

swr=strength weight ratio. and all the exercises in the world will not straighten joints that are hypo-mobile. only surgery can do that. she appears hypo in the video. doing some/all of those exercises could potentially damage her knee joints.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

what i'm saying/asking is that if her joints will not go to straight or 90 degrees. if they can't get to straight, there is nothing you can do to straighten short of surgery. unless you want to place unreasonable loads on those joints to get them to go further causing injury.

 

[mado4]

I know what you mean BUT she CAN straighten her legs when she stands or sits..BUT as soon as it is in a choreography she just can't or forgets ..it's nothing spectacular I try to upload the video from her beam routine..it's even clearer there...

 

[iwannacoach]

She may be thinking one thing, as kids often do, whilr you're telling her another. Like straight legs just make the skills harder to do, which we coaches know is not true. Kids!!! You can't coach the sport with them, and you can't coach with-out them.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I know what you mean BUT she CAN straighten her legs when she stands or sits..BUT as soon as it is in a choreography she just can't or forgets ..it's nothing spectacular I try to upload the video from her beam routine..it's even clearer there...

okay. i'll wait to see the video.

 

[Faith]

I think there is a misunderstanding...she has no hypo mobile joints. She looks wobbly because she is just not remembering to tighten her muscles..the only part of her body that has a little mobile joints are her elbows but I can't relate her elbows to her not tight legs...

Are you getting hypo and hypermobile confused? If she's truly hypo mobile her legs will always look bent, even when she's straightening them.

My dd is exactly the same, but opposite :lol: she is a mesomorph, a total bundle of muscle with a very high swr. But her legs are always bent and her feet flapping. She's not the most flexible but does now have all splits. With her it's most obvious with split leg moves like bwo- she just can't lock her knees out. She knows she's doing it, but can't seem to fix it. Other girls on her team seem to have the beautiful straight legs/pointy toes without even thinking about it.