Coaches Drills for backsault

[coachinkal]

I need to teach a back sault to the boys I coach.

Anyone got any good drills.

I was also wondering whether it is easier to learn/teach a roundoff, backflip, backsault as apposed to a roundoff backsault.

Is there a different technique for these two?

One of my boys can back flip well, one can backflip so-so and the other cannot backflip at all.

Seems the backsault would be easier to teach/learn than a front sault? They can do either in their routine.

 

[marie83]

I've just started these with my girls. They are doing roundoff back flip tuck back.
The first thing I do is make sure they understand how to rotate.

Lie them on the floor flat on their backs with their arms by their ears, then shout TUCK. The gymnasts should tuck in such a way that their bottom is lifted off the floor and the knees come over their head. As their knees come over their head, they should grab their knees (they shouldn't have to move their arms down to their knees)

Next I do the same drill, but from standing. We go to the trampette and pile mats up behind it. They do 3 bounces then a stretch jump up high and backwards. When the coach shouts TUCK, they land on their shoulders on the mats with their knees over their head.

Next I take away the mats and we have a go at a standing tuck back off the trampette. I don't really expect them to get this on their own, it is really just an orientation exercise.
I want them to understand that the somersault is going up and backwards, not just backwards. A big mistake during this phase is throwing the head backwards rather than using the arms aggressively.

Next I'd put a platform infront of the trampette for the gymnast to jump to handstand on, then 'courbette' off the platform to land on the trampette and perform the tuck back.
I won't move on from this until they can do it on their own. (If we had the DMT out I'd use that instead of this set up and have the gymnast roundoff tuck back or backflip tuck back)

We then move to floor. The gymnasts spend a long time just doing roundoff backflip stretch jumps into my arms. If they get it right I turn them over slowly, if they don't, I refuse to turn them over. They must get this bit right in my opinion as it is the set up for the somersault. If they get it wrong it will take a very long time to get the somersault right.

So far I am at the final stage with all but one of my gymnasts - the other now has the tuck back on her own and after following these steps it took her 2 sessions to get it on her own. The others are having more trouble with it though - one throws her head back, one doesn't keep her arms by her ears, another has trouble getting any rebound out of her backflip so she has a long way to go.

I'm sure there are more progressions, but those are the ones I use!


Good luck!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Yes, it can be easier to teach a round off back tuck, but what ever you do avoid teaching it unless its absolutely necessary. To do a back tuck out of a round off means the round off have to be done very differently to doing a back flip (flic or back handspring) out of a round off. The back handspring will add power and speed to the tumbling pass. But if you teach the back tuck straight out of the round off it will take 10 times longer to teach them the back handspring. It can be tempting to go the other way and teach the tuck first but dont do it. Always teach a good solid back handspring before you even attempt to teach the back tuck.

There will be some boys who can never do the back handspring due to their inflexibility of their shoulders and their back. Only in these rare cases should you go for the tuck first.

 

[coachinkal]

Yes I thought the RO BHS Back tuck looked more powerful.

I am curious how the roundoff is different if it is a straight RO back tuck? I would think the RO rebound would be different. There would need to be more bending of the knees prior to sault, rather than a rebound with the ankles/toes?

Boys have been doing standing back tucks off the spotting block onto crashy for a while now. All are jumping up and turning above height of block and landing on their feet.

 

[Wally]

RO into BHS would have feet snapped under further (ie in front of shoulders) to facilitate lengthy flight backwards where RO to back salto would have feet under shoulders for vertical takeoff. Same body shape however and I don't know about great knee bend either. Agree????
Wal

 

[Aussie_coach]

To do a back tuck out of the round off the rebound has to go straight up. To do a back handspring you must undercut the round off slightly so that it travels backwards.

 

[coachinkal]

I am thinking I may need to teach a rebound after the bhs because at the moment they just kind of stop. The Stretch jumps that Marie suggested might work quite well for this. This should give them the idea of going up rather than backwards like the bhs.

Will work on take off positon for tuck with shoulders not as far back compared to bhs.

 

[Wally]

I am thinking I may need to teach a rebound after the bhs because at the moment they just kind of stop. The Stretch jumps that Marie suggested might work quite well for this. This should give them the idea of going up rather than backwards like the bhs.

Will work on take off positon for tuck with shoulders not as far back compared to bhs.

I would have the shoulders above the feet rather than behind at all to ensure initial takeoff is vertical and massive drive of the legs into rotation will move the saulto slightly backwards. You really don't want linear travel in a saulto.

 

[MissBear]

I agree with everyone.
Although you mentioned they have weak BHS, if you have a fast track then BHS rebound and then BHS tuck can help . It really emphasises the correct shape for the end of the BHS and the set up for the tuck. With younger and/or inconsistent gymnasts it can also help as they don't have the run up/hurdle step and round off to deal with. I've found that the different take offs needed for the BHS and BT can confuse and distract them.

Going back to your original post, are you sure the front tuck wouldn't be easier to teach? Almost all the gymnasts I've coached have found the front tuck much easier to grasp - there is less to think about for the gymnast (or so they tell me!)

 

[coachinkal]

They can do either front or back salto in routine. I assumed the bwd would be easier. Be interested to hear what people think about this.

They all have no problem doing front salto from beatboard onto crashy with reasonable height. The boy who cannot do bhs yet has fantastic height and so might be able to manage the front saulto no problem?

 

[BlairBob]

Some boys may be able to do punch front before doing a RO/BHS-back. This depends on how powerful their hurdle is. Strong run, good jump probably means punch front is possible. Otherwise, probably not an option.

Doing a back out of tumbling just takes more skill since it's connected tumbling though punch front takes quite a bit of different skill.