feeling lost while twisting

[BarCoach]

Yesterday at our meet one of the girls mom's said that her daughter always feels lost when she twists. She doesn't know where she is in the air. Her fulls and 1 1/2s are really nice-you can't tell at all, but I think it still needs to be fixed. What are some things I can have her do to start to know where she is?

 

[gymdog]

So do I. It's probably a vestibular issue. i have "memorized" what I need to do (I don't feel lost in a full anymore...if I twist anywhere past a back full or a front 1 1/2, I feel "lost" even though it happens) and that seems to be about the best I can hope for. My body just kind of does it. It helps a little to reference the full. Back double twist is kind of like front 1 1/2. Tramp twisting drills will probably help.

 

[coachmolly]

I think some people just need to work a little (or a lot) harder for the "air sense" that seems to come so naturally to some. As a gymnast I was a terrible twister, when I landed it looked like I was stumbling out of a bar after a few too many drinks, if I even found my feet at all . It just did not come naturally to me and even lots of repetitions only got me so far.
I would suggest going back to lots of twisting drills when you can. If they look fine, maybe don't really mess with it until meet season is over. But work on lots of twisting basics and body awareness. Not sure what else to suggest, but I look forward to reading more responses.

 

[newt1997]

twisting

hey
if a gymnast is having trouble with their spacial awareness then i wouldnt worry to much about it! From a gymnasts point of view i think that twisting is just a thing that you have to get used too.
maybe try some trampoline preps to help as you get more time in the air!
Good Luck =]

 

[CoachTodd]

Have them spot their landing during the full. It helps to know where the ground is for most folks. If the timing is right, they should be able to see the ground throughout the entire twist.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

So do I. It's probably a vestibular issue. i have "memorized" what I need to do (I don't feel lost in a full anymore...if I twist anywhere past a back full or a front 1 1/2, I feel "lost" even though it happens) and that seems to be about the best I can hope for. My body just kind of does it. It helps a little to reference the full. Back double twist is kind of like front 1 1/2. Tramp twisting drills will probably help.

excellent!

 

[gymch34]

Not to sound anti-parent.... but if the kid is old enough to be doing 1/1 and 1 1/2's she is old enough to have this conversation with you. If the kid has not brough it up, I wouldnt worry about it.

 

[gymdog]

The kid may not know it's an issue (although I think it is, to some extent, or at least relevant information). I didn't really realize for a long time that some people knew what they were doing twisting past a full. My brain catches up to my body at some point. When i take off I have no idea what's going on, but there's some point in the air where I can find the landing, or more like my body just does it. Again, unless it's a serious issue, I don't think you're going to be doing vestibular rehabilitation. You're just going to have to manage it, but there comes a point where it may need some consideration. For example, for me doing a front out of anything past a 1/2 took some extra work. Again not knowing where I was until about when I landed a 1 1/2...became an issue. Just lots of tumble track and bounders/flysprings out...and keeping up with the 1/2 punch fronts to reference that. If the kid tends to have issues I think this is really important. Do not go on if they can't show you a 1/2, 1/1, etc. They need to figure out how to "memorize" this in my experience. I have heard of very few cases where the vestibular issue presented later on and the kid had trouble doing say, a back tuck, because in the slower rotation she felt like she was twisting (basically the issue was different levels of pressure on either side of the vestibular system...in this case a very significant difference). She could do double full and double back. She did some vestibular rehabilitation (BY AN EXPERT) but they ultimately managed it by adjusting how she trained, warmed up, etc. The coach is actually a research scientist in biomechanics (lucky, right, if you're going to have that problem) and he explained that he spotted her on some skills because then she could use proprioception to figure out where she was. This was a very extreme example though, but it made for an interesting talk, especially given the capability of the coach.

Unfortunately most of us do not have this specialized background. The best we can do is to be aware of this issues so that if they present themselves we can perhaps contact someone who is, in order to manage the issue.

 

[BarCoach]

She recently fractured a bone in her knee due to overrotating a 1 1/2. I didn't know if not knowing where she is in the air could have caused it, and if so, I'd like to do what I can to correct it. Normally I'd agree that it is better to listen to the gymnast, not the parent.

 

[gymdog]

She recently fractured a bone in her knee due to overrotating a 1 1/2. I didn't know if not knowing where she is in the air could have caused it, and if so, I'd like to do what I can to correct it. Normally I'd agree that it is better to listen to the gymnast, not the parent.

As previously mentioned, I would focus on a lot of 1/2 twists, 1/2 to bounder, 1/2 to front. Do this to a resi she can bounce on, take away the fear and make it safer. I generally don't land twisting on a tumble track. I'll punch off a resi. I can take off of a tumble track fine on non twisting skills, or even some front twisting, but not 1 1/2. 1/2 I could probably do fine. But if you have the resi back there and there's enough room, do the whole series on the resi to start if you ask me. Easier for her mentally. No need for a "setting"

I have also seen a drill of basically back handspring to handstand "pop" into a full twist to the stomach. In general I wouldn't favor this drill, because it's not quite the "shape" we're looking for. But as an awareness technique, it could have some value. I'd do it onto a resi. Esp if she has trouble doing "just" 1/2 twist, 1/2 fall to back wpuld be a good way of showing how "easy" one must go to do just a half.