Parents buying folding balance beam for practice at home

[Wellington_Wimpy]

I bought a folding balance beam for my 7 year old granddaughter so she could practice at home. (see item https://www.ebay.com/itm/133533154506). But IMHO, it seems too squishy. Is there any benefit to her to use it?

I am considering just using dimensional lumber and covering that with vinyl. What are your thoughts? She has a large sun room to put it in, so the 'folding' part is not necessary.

 

[JPC13]

I bought the nicest folding beam I could find and it's probably the one piece of equipment I regret buying. It decently approximates a regular beam but it slides around and the fold makes it hard to keep it perfectly in alignment.

With that said, I'm not sure that I'd make a beam -- even though I could. I'd probably just buy this: https://www.tumbltrak.com/addie-balance-beam/

 

[GymDadWA]

My DD is in optionals and will still walk around her squishy beam when she is thinking about her routine. She doesn't do any tumbling with it, just kind of walks back and forth doing turns and dancing. Maybe a hand stand or something like that if she's at that part of the routine. When she was in compulsories she would practice the full routines. We got the cheapest one on Amazon, I think it was used in fact, so like $35 delivered.

 

[BusyMomof2]

We have one of the folding ones from Amazon, and it's actually been something my daughter got a ton of use out of. It's not full size though. When she was learning cartwheels and back walkovers on the beam, she used it constantly (and I didn't worry about falls since it sits on the floor). Now, she still uses it to mark her routines and practice turns/jumps. It wasn't expensive and was definitely worthwhile. Now that's she doing more scary things on the beam I would not buy another option to practice at home on.

 

[Wellington_Wimpy]

Thank you all for your insight. I will give her the squishy one first, then the hard one sometime later.

 

[CoachPow]

Soft beam is excellent for beginners. You can also make a beam using 2x lumber with 1/2" plywood sandwiched in between. Use carpet padding on top and wrap tightly with either suede or with a thin carpet. Make sure you firmly secure it to some type of solid base on each end. I have seen those types of homemade floor beams in numerous gyms, and they work wonderfully for working skills.

 

[ProudMomOfAlani]

I would just say to do normal beginner or intermediate skills, because when in competition, she could become used to a squishy beam.

 

[JPC13]

I would just say to do normal beginner or intermediate skills, because when in competition, she could become used to a squishy beam.

I'll go a step further -- I think two lines of painters tape on a panel mat is much more helpful than a squishy, floppy, sliding around, totally different feeling balance beam.

 

[CoachPow]

I'll go a step further -- I think two lines of painters tape on a panel mat is much more helpful than a squishy, floppy, sliding around, totally different feeling balance beam.

This is how we train mounts and how we start connecting dismounts. Athletic tape on spotting blocks.

 

[JPC13]

This is how we train mounts and how we start connecting dismounts. Athletic tape on spotting blocks.

Yep. That's how my daughter works her handstand/back handspring connection on beam.