Eagle gymnastics move on bars?

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Joined
Jan 1, 2010
Messages
552
Reaction score
35
Emma is reading some old gymnastics book-fiction-that I bought her off of ebay. The series is called The Gymnasts-published in1988. She is enjoying the books. She came across some term she did not know what it meant. The girl in the book is learning to do an "eagle" on the bars and moves from the low bar to the high bar doing it. She wants to know what an"eagle" move is. Can anyone help? Thank you.
 
I have not heard of it but i am sure some of the coaches around here will know.

When I googled it here is what I got:

Eagle Grip/L Grip: In an eagle grip a gymnasts hands are turned 180 degrees outward from an over grip. Thumbs are turned out, but in the opposite direction of an undergrip. This position requires flexible shoulders to swing comfortably.

Not sure if that helps or not
 
I used to read those books :p
I'm no expert, but I think it may be a skill you can only do when the bars are set very close together as they use to be.

I do know that "eagle" grip is when your hands are very far apart, and the hands are turned outwards... Somebody else could probably be more helpful than me.:rolleyes:
 
My DD is reading the exact same book right now. They used to be mine:)
 
In my day, it was general done from a wrap of the low bar and then you catch the high bar in eagle grip, which is with the hands turned around.

Here at 16 sec.
[youtube]yOOmFgBAdIA[/youtube]
 
Last edited:
I remember the days of "beating" the bars! And yes your hips were bruised a lot! I can't imagine the time "wasted" each practive due to bar changes--each girls had her own setting since it had to match your height. We had a pad we wrapped around the bar at times to prevent bruising but we still all had plenty of them. If I remember right, you tried to have the bars set so you hit or beat the bar below the hip bone aong the crease of the hip.
 
Oh how funny. I have been looking all over for The Gymnasts series for Abby. I find them on Amazon, but I want a whole bunch from one seller to save on shipping. I am sure I will find them one day! Glad to hear they are good. Won't feel so bad spending money on them if I have to eventually. Our library doesn't have the series either.

And OUCH on that skill. Whenever I watch bars back when it was done close together, my hips hurt. Some cool skills, but ouch on some of them. :)
 
In my day, it was general done from a wrap of the low bar and then you catch the high bar in eagle grip, which is with the hands turned around.

Here at 16 sec.
[youtube]yOOmFgBAdIA[/youtube]


yes. this youtube post is correct. although olga is doing this in an 'optional' routine, it was a compulsory element back in the 70's. the whole sequence is called a "cast wrap to eagle". the cast being the cast from the high bar, the wrap being the back circle around the low bar, and then the eagle which connotes the grip. to catch the bar in this fashion the gymnast must turn their hands outwards so that the thumbs are turned away from the head and the little fingers are closest to the head.

i am this old, that when i began coaching i was teaching this skill. and my recollection is that 1976 was the last year of this skill being compulsory. after 1976 it was still used in optional routines. and yes, the bars were very close together. so close that you would not believe it had you had the opportunity to see it live.:)
 
If you go on the Docksiders Gymnastics website and click on the "college bound" icon on the left and then click on Stephanie Ouellette's highlight video, she does an Eagle near the beginning of her routine.

Also another interesting release move video is on Youtube..."Uneven Bars Release Moves Guide" posted by MostepanovaFan....has most , if not all of the releases you would see and their value in the routine.
 
If you hold out your hands in front of you like you were holding onto the bar (knuckles pointing away from you) and turn your hands 180 degrees counter clockwise, that's an eagle grip.
 

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

College Gym News

Back