Glide kip from free hip/castaway

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I have a couple of girls who struggle to keep their feet from hitting the floor when kipping out of a free hip. Is this purely a strength issue, or is there a technical fix for it as well?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

both.

3 clear hips in a row. note: focus on shoulders/wrists/elbows aligned over bar upon completion of each one.

glide kip push away glide kip. over and over in sets of 5-10. same note as above.

 

[flipper's fan]

Is there a modification of that for free hip hs? She had no problem last year with the free hip to glide kip but coming out of the hs she has a lot of momentum.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

no modification. it will correct that also.

the problem is their coordination coupled with strength executing the 'power down' phase from the handstand (or lower than a handstand) to a glide kip. both drills provide strength training specific to that problem and improves coordination transitioning from above the bar, down below the low bar and back up again.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

So here's the next question:

When introducing a clearhip, would you train it first to full extension with the shoulders and then teach the power-down, or would you first teach the skill to clear support, and later push it to full extension?

 

[gymdog]

I think it's easier to let them do it to clear support first. Sometimes if you push for the handstand too early I've found they will start to do the shoot at the right time but not with the right technique through the shoulders and will bend/muscle up. I think even once they are just starting to get the handstand it is beneficial to review clear to horizontal, clear to 45 above, clear to handstand (you can even do this in a set of 3). I do the same with the beginning cast handstanders (straight body handstand), and make sure they are using their shoulder strength/extension through the arms.

If that makes sense. i'm not sure exactly what the terms to describe it would be.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I didn't necessarily mean training it straight to a handstand, but training it to full shoulder extension at whatever angle they hit.

 

[gymcoach34]

I make my kids do a 1 minute L hold on the low bar every time they hit their feet. That takes care of the kids that are hitting bc they need to be stronger, and alos the ones that are being kind of lazy in their technique & hitting their feet.

Once I started doing this there was a whole lot less of feet hitting the mat in a workout!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

So here's the next question:

When introducing a clearhip, would you train it first to full extension with the shoulders and then teach the power-down, or would you first teach the skill to clear support, and later push it to full extension?

1st teach to clear support. this is why 3 in a row is so important. if you are watching from the gymnast's left side...the 1st goes to 10 o'clock. 2nd to 11, 3rd to midnight=vertical. over and over and over again.

this teaches them 'rotary' and aligning the wrists, elbows and shoulders directly over the top of the bar where support phase/power down takes place. done over and over on a daily basis creates strength and teaches them how to handle the gravitational forces involved in rotary motion. in turn, this gives them the necessary coordination required to execute strong free hip to handstands.

when they become accomplished and proficient, doing 10 in a row where the first 9 are to 11 o'clock and the 10th to vertical, is where you find appreciable and measurable strength in their bar work. this is where advanced bar work can take place...and not before.