Anon Front vs side aerial: Which is easier?

[Anonymous Post]

My daughter is working on getting some salto skills for her floor routine. She is already working on front tucks and needs two so wants to work on either a side or front aerial. She has a flexible back but since she cartwheels with her bad split leg, side aerials are more challenging for her. Which one would be easier to learn in this situation?

 

[Aussie_coach]

Most kids find side aerials easier, in fact I would say about 95% of kids find side aerial easier, our kids learn their side first almost universally. But there are always exceptions and your daughter May be one.

As her coach I would have her work both, it’s always good to have a wider variety of skills to choose from.

 

[Anonymous Post]

my dd would be that exception. she found front aerials to be easier to learn on floor and transfer to beam

 

[Anonymous Post]

My daughter is working on getting some salto skills for her floor routine. She is already working on front tucks and needs two so wants to work on either a side or front aerial. She has a flexible back but since she cartwheels with her bad split leg, side aerials are more challenging for her. Which one would be easier to learn in this situation?

side Aerials are definitely easier to do but judges score really hard on them. I think I would practice a front aerial.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

My daughter never learned a side aerial, they don’t teach them at our gym. Most gymnasts seem to just do them on their own, but my dd is not the type to practice new things at home. Lol. So she is still scared of them and has no desire to try. But she has a front aerial on beam that she learned pretty quickly and doesn’t find scary at all. ‍ I’d say to try them both and see what works best.

 

[Anonymous Post]

In general, side aerials are easier. We do have a girl who has trouble with them, trouble with front tucks BUT can do a front aerial.

 

[Em09]

I have found that side aerials come easily to most people, and lots of kids are less scared of them because they mimic the cartwheel motion that they've practiced for so long, and they're easy to save; if you're falling, cartwheel out. But some people would get fronts earlier, everyone's different!