Full Twist Question

[ivyagogo]

I'm an "adult" gymnast. Actually, an ancient gymnast at 43. Two years ago I finally got my full twist thanks to Dunno, only to tear my ACL the very same day. I haven't done one since. I am close though but I have a question.

When I finally did get my twist off the tumbltrak, I used an X-Mat to spot and crank the full around. The sensation I had from looking over my shoulder was very disorienting. Now, I've been doing my layout and waiting until the last moment to twist because I am simply terrified of hurting myself again. With this method, I've gotten almost all the way around, but I'm still not giving it my all.

The question I have is why the two methods feel so different. Is the second way totally wrong? It doesn't seem wrong if I'm so close to making it around, but I don't "feel" like I'm twisting.

I don't have a recent video, but here is the first one from two years ago.

[video=youtube;uN5bWkDm5nU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN5bWkDm5nU&list=UUw07fRUKrFnhkpb1UIklHiw& index=9&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[iwannacoach]

You've recently been working it from the "late" end of the salto. You'll get it that way as long as the "last moment" isn't too late during the lay-out. Your sense of timing and "anticipation" will get earlier and start to in more to what you're doing. Better make sure your quads and hammies are in good shape, you don't have that many of you 9 lives left.

 

[Quadqueen]

I don't have any advice, but I want to say WOW, and great job that you're still at it in your 40s!!!! That's wonderful

 

[ivyagogo]

Iwannacoach - I'm more afraid of my husband killing me than the pain of tearing my ACL again! I'm two years post op now and my quads and hamstrings are strong.

Kate - Thanks!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'm smiling... at you...and the part about your husband.

 

[iwannacoach]

Iwannacoach - I'm more afraid of my husband killing me than the pain of tearing my ACL again! I'm two years post op now and my quads and hamstrings are strong.

Kate - Thanks!

A stroke of genius.....Have your husband spot you. Then you can blame it all on him. Make sure to have a loved one watching, so he/she can give him the 3rd degree about your progress. ie, When will Suzie kip!!!

 

[ivyagogo]

Oh no, that doesn't work. I've seriously been read the riot act that if I get hurt again, my days in the gym are over. He really does not understand that this is something I need to do. He likens it to jumping out of planes or mountain climbing (which I see no problem with if it's something a person has a passion for and is careful). He just doesn't get it. His passion is playing guitar which is relatively risk free. Calloused finger tips and torn ACL's are quite different!

 

[pattymello]

i grew up on my trampoline. I didn't do gymnastics so i ended up having to figure out most of my 'tricks' myself. One of the most interesting tricks was learning to do twisting. I firmly believe that one of the best things for learning twisting is pure experimentation. I leant to twist in a very round about way. I think if you keep trying to twist and practice different timings, body positions, and ways of initiating the twists, you will eventually hit on one which will work for you. This may take longer but i think it leads to better developed air sense and body control, as well as the ability to manipulate your technique more redily.

 

[ivyagogo]

Patty - an interesting perspective. As our head coach says, there are a million ways to twist.

Thanks.

 

[Valentin]

Patty - an interesting perspective. As our head coach says, there are a million ways to twist.

Thanks.

There are only as many ways at there are possible asymmetrical arm movements if we only consider good technical twisting for aerial acrobatics. I think the only places you see hip twisting is maybe in trampoline, or some trapeze skills I think.

Overall any asymmetrical arm movement towards the mid line of the body will do the trick to some degree (assuming you are tight!, and not counter rotating by looking the opposite way of the desired twist direction. (That is that twist where you are like, Oh wow i twisted, but you didn't really haha ). If you should look over the shoulder for sure in multiple twists, but for a full you will really be looking down from the upside down position of the layout (that is the moment to initiate the twist for a full). The effectiveness of the twisting is largely determined by your ability to aggressively drop one arm to the side, or pull it in towards your chest (like a pulling down a seat belt).. and if you time the other arm, all goes great and you twist nicely, but if the arms are off, they counter rotate eachother and nothing happens.. It actually feels (to me it does), that once that happens i can't orientate myself fast enough to adjust my arms again (its a weird feeling.. i think described it poorly). The ideal timing feels, like a count of "one" pause, pause, (about now you have done 1/2 a twist already) "two" (initiates the remaining twist torque and bam!! you go fast, hopefully.

Long and short of it. Flip, spot the ground, initiate twist by aggressively, dropping or pulling in one arm at a time.

 

[ivyagogo]

I tried the seat belt thing last night and I started twisting so fast that it scared the daylights out of me and pulled out of it and wound up with a very scary 1/2 twist. Perhaps I'll never get my twist back. Not only am I scared to do it, but my knee hurts all the time when I try. I am truly terrified of hurting myself again. It's quite a battle I have going on with myself.

 

[KyraGymnast]

Thew ay you're doing it isnt wrong (twisting on the back end of your flip), but you actually risk a higher chance of injury by doing this. By twisting at the end you have a much higher chance of 'twisting into the ground'. This means that beacuse you are twisting later, you may still be twisting, or just completing your twist just as you land. This technique actually risks your ACL more than twisting earlier. Just try to feel it out! Good Luck and Be Careful!

 

[Kiwi]

Ivy, I think you're awesome! I'm another ancient adult gymnast (45) but not nearly as advanced as you - no twisting for me. I've hardly trained this year as I'm still waiting for a wrist injury to heal and it is taking forever (probably because I'm so old). I took up gymnastics again at 43, only 30 years after doing a few years of recreational gymnastics. I can't seem to get it out of my system, there is really nothing else like it and nothing compares. I can't offer anything to this thread about twisting, just wanted to express my admiration and wish you all the best.