Floor trouble help !!

[ddgls654]

I am in level 4 and in the beginning of my floor routine I have
To do a handstand forwards roll with straight arms. And every
Time I do it I bend my arms.

Any advice ??

 

[tumble-ready]

What helps me is to be fully extended through the shoulders in the handstand and to keep pushing taller as you roll. Maybe you are bending because the handstand isn't staying vertical as you shift your weight away. Your feet may be leading the way and that could give you the feeling of being out of control and you are bending your arms automatically to protect yourself.
Hard to give advice without seeing it.
Good luck!

 

[CoachTodd]

Get a mat and do handstand - flatbacks until you are comfortable with just falling with straight arms. Slowly start to hollow your shoulders during the fall so you do a handstand that falls to a candle stick. Once you have this down you will go handstand - hold, fall to candlestick, sit up.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

position your hands so that your fingertips face each other! That forces your arms to "lock" into position.

 

[iluvgym]

position your hands so that your fingertips face each other! That forces your arms to "lock" into position.

I don't think that's a good idea for going forward, have you seen someone do this? (on purpose?)

 

[laineyb]

The answer may be something as simple as working on your arm strength.If your arms are bent even when just doing a regular handstand, then work on doing push ups. If this is not the issue, then my guess is that you are bending you arms in anticipation of the forward roll. In other words, you're so excited to get to the roll part that you forget the handstand part. Work on holding the handstand for a few seconds before going into your roll.

 

[Kiwi]

I think it can just be a bit scary to go over with straight arms. It might help to practice it on a soft mat. Think about going over the top of your arms (rather than down towards the floor), and landing in a candlestick position with arms above your head. I guess this is pretty much the same as what CoachTodd said.

 

[CoachTodd]

I don't think that's a good idea for going forward, have you seen someone do this? (on purpose?)

Hands in is exactly how you should do them. It's actually easier to bend your arms if you should need to as well.

 

[iluvgym]

Coaching 25 years and that's the first I've heard that. That's why I like these forums. Just out of curiosity do you coach boys or girls? Thanks for your input.

 

[Kiwi]

I read that here before about hands in, but when I tried it, it was impossible for me. I can't turn my hands in properly, they just don't go there and it puts stress on my elbows.

 

[CoachTodd]

I coach both boys and girls. hands turned in actually allows you to relieve stress on the elbows. If you have your hands turned out in a handstand, your elbows are more likely to hyper-extend. It's easier to bend your arms should you need to with the fingers pointing at each other. I got this way of teaching it from several college coaches so I've always stuck with it. I've seen the hands being turned out cause elbow injuries that don't ever seem to heal. Some folks don't have the shoulder flexibility to open their shoulders in a handstand with the fingers turned all the way in. I usually just have them turn the slightly in at about a 15 degree angle. I have the same issue with my flexibility. I can't turn my fingers in in a handstand. Many guys turn their hands out and from what I've seen, they don't seem to be as prone to the elbow injuries but I still work on getting them in.

 

[gymnastjess]

I coach both boys and girls. hands turned in actually allows you to relieve stress on the elbows. If you have your hands turned out in a handstand, your elbows are more likely to hyper-extend. It's easier to bend your arms should you need to with the fingers pointing at each other. I got this way of teaching it from several college coaches so I've always stuck with it. I've seen the hands being turned out cause elbow injuries that don't ever seem to heal. Some folks don't have the shoulder flexibility to open their shoulders in a handstand with the fingers turned all the way in. I usually just have them turn the slightly in at about a 15 degree angle. I have the same issue with my flexibility. I can't turn my fingers in in a handstand. Many guys turn their hands out and from what I've seen, they don't seem to be as prone to the elbow injuries but I still work on getting them in.

Do you turn them in when kicking in to the handstand or once in handstand? Is this a drill or do people compete with hands turned in? Thanks

 

[CoachTodd]

Most of the folks I've seen turn them in on the way down. Some with really good shoulder flexibility, turn them in at the start. Most guys turn their hands out the entire time. These are just observations of mine.

 

[gymnastjess]

Interesting, thanks, would you get marks deducted for having them turned in?

 

[CoachTodd]

Interesting, thanks, would you get marks deducted for having them turned in?

Nope. I've heard coaches threaten that they would take off points if they weren't turned in but last I checked, there wasn't a deduction for the hand position.

 

[Kiwi]

Thanks, Coach Todd. I don't turn my hands out, so I don't think that is a problem for me, but I can understand how that would cause hyper-extension and make it very hard to bend the arms. I could probably manage to turn my hands in slightly. I can't turn them in 90 degrees for backward rolls or round-offs either, but I can manage about 45 degrees. I definitely feel the stress in my elbows if I try to turn them in any further, but I do have very narrow shoulders and poor shoulder flexibility, and my wrist flexibility isn't good either. I guess it is just the way I'm made!