Coaches Cast to handstand

[marie83]

Hi all,

I'm just starting my group out with cast to handstand on the low bar and am really just after as many drills as possible please!!!

They can all consistently cast to horizontal, no problem.

We have done planches on the floor bar (I hold their feet at horizontal whilst they hold onto the floor bar and I push them slowly forwards and then pull them back again) We have also done this with a gym ball instead of me!

We have done kicking to handstand on floor bar and rebounding to handstand on the floor bar and they can all do these.

I'm doing lots with support and they seem to get it quite easily with minimum support, but as soon as they try on their own they don't seem to want to go much higher than horizontal.

I've explained that they need to pull their shoulders back in line and keep driving their feet up, but they just aren't really getting it! (In the past I've had the opposite with gymnasts not wanting to lean forwards now this bunch don't want to stop leaning forwards! lol)

I guess I know it takes a lot of practice and patience but just wondered if any of you have any miracle drills!!!


Just for your info:
They are not allowed to do straddle casts.
We don't have a handstand trainer, but I am going to try to make one!!
We don't have a pit, but I've built up a platform just the other side of the low bar so that if they do go over they just land flat on their back on mats (No one is even close to going over yet though!)

Any help is much appreciated!
Marie

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

For building the handstand trainer, have you seen this:
YouTube - Handstand trainer (on a budget)

 

[gymnut1]

offer a prize - works every time with my kids. lol

 

[BlairBob]

Lots of reverse leg lifts aka reverse hypers. Lying horizontally on a vault table, block or pommel horse with your legs hanging down vertically, lift legs to horizontal or beyond. Control the down (eccentric) phase.

Another good drill is swing to handstand on parallel bars. You can also spot the down phase and teach them to planche down. Set the bars low, stand on a block and spot from the side.

Planche work on bars is a good drill to get the feel of how much to planche and lean but unfortunately they are not difficult enough to really build TRUE planche strength.

From a HS, tuck or straddle planche down, eventually straight body.

True dips and handstand pushups. Pushups where you start in a planche lean on floor or with a floor bar. Your goal in the planche lean/pushup is to have your hands eventually by your belly button or hips from the start position.

Cast to Handstand is also scary for many gymnasts. If you have a mini tramp, you practice lots of bounce to handstand on a single rail and pirouette off at the top so they know what to do at the top. Oh yeah, I guess they should know how to do HS 1/2 pirouette ( a critical skill for later bar work ).

 

[marie83]

For building the handstand trainer, have you seen this:
YouTube - Handstand trainer (on a budget)

Yes, that is what gave me the idea actually!
I was going to try it with a truck tyre inner tube rather than all that bungee, but not sure it will work yet! We'll see!

Thanks for your drills blairbob, my gymnasts don't seem too scared when they have support but as soon as I set up the station for them to try on their own they freak out a bit! (Which is fair enough!) I have 1 who I think will get it soon enough - she is very aggressive on bars and seems to really understand how they work!

Our P bars are broken at the moment, but I will definately get them to do some swings when they are fixed!

 

[CoachTodd]

A lot of spotting with one hand on their legs, the other on their shoulder. Just keep pushing them into the correct angles if they keep leaning forward too much

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Yes, that is what gave me the idea actually!
I was going to try it with a truck tyre inner tube rather than all that bungee, but not sure it will work yet! We'll see!

I forgot about the tire tube, downside is the space it uses and the bit that sticks out. An easier option might be to jam a Swiss ball into a box/between the parallettes.

 

[marie83]

Hey all,

I didn't realise how long ago I began this thread! Well I must admit that we took a break from cast to handstands in favour of competition work which it wasn't needed for, however last Sunday we started to work on them again.

Tonight one of my gymnasts did her first cast to handstand (straddled)! Of course this has spurred the others on, so they were all up having a go, but they're all a bit far off yet.
I opted for straddled this time but would have preferred it straight. Does anyone have experience of switching to straight after a gymnast has it straddled?
My only concern with straddled is that at the level my gymnasts are at, there is a 0.3 deduction if they straddle and don't hit handstand.

(In my original post I stated that they weren't allowed to do it straddled - that was just for last time - they are now considered out of age and are allowed, just the aforementioned 0.3 deduction!)

 

[MissBear]

If the problem with shoulders moving back in line was not resolved last time I think this will come up again, as the shoulder action is not the same in the straddle cast. Obviously it depends on the gymnast, but I have found it is easier to get a consistant straddle cast to handstand than a straight body cast that is likely to get 0.3 is angle or form deductions.

If you do decide to go back to straight then I would recomend the floor bar drill with shoulders over (planched) and then pushing back into line in handstand.
Hope that's helpful!

 

[BlairBob]

Another drill we have been doing a lot is similar to what is called a block maltese.

Using the LB of the UB, we set two parallel blocks. The girls lay their shoulders on these with their hips hanging on the bar. They hold the bars in their hand, so they get used to the idea of leaning way over the bar.

Drive heels to vertical.

Personally, I think it's very easy but we still have a lot of girls who can't do these.

 

[ivyagogo]

I've been trying to learn this skill myself. For me, I'm always afraid I am going to bend my arms and come home missing teeth. The other day, I made it over the bar for the first time, however it was more of a forward roll over the bar but it's a start! Thanks for the drills. I'm going to start doing those this week.