handstand forward roll

[ivyagogo]

I never thought I'd be posting on here about something seemingly so simple. I am working with a girl who needs this for a cheerleading competition in about two weeks. We've been working on it for well over a month and she still can't get it.

1. She's not holding the handstand
2. She's tucking too soon and crashing down
3. She's having a hard time getting up

I've tried all kinds of drills, but it's still not working. Any ideas?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

another activity?

 

[ivyagogo]

Not helpful there Dunno! Seriously, I don't understand why she can't do this.

 

[AmandaLynn]

another activity?

:rotfl:


Seriously. It sounds like this kid just isn't ready for this skill. Can she do a proper forward roll? A proper handstand(she'd need to be able to do both of these things before being able to put them together)? Is she having trouble standing up because she can't even stand from a forward roll? Or because of the crashing down/folding on top of herself out of the handstand and thus having no momentum in the roll?

Personally, I don't teach a bent arm handstand roll at all. I teach all kids a straight arm HS roll. I begin with having them handstand with their hands in front of the tall end of a wedge mat and then roll down the mat, without allowing their elbows to bend. It's handstand, lean forward to candlestick (legs should still be straight at the point when the shoulders hit the mat), then proceed with the forward roll.

Once they can do it down the wedge, I have them do the same thing onto a panel mat or an 8" "crash mat". They handstand with their hands on the floor and then lean with straight arms and legs to candlestick and roll on the mat.

How often is this kid in the gym? I'm not sure that two weeks is an attainable goal for this skill if she just doesn't have the body awareness and/or strength. Especially if she's only coming like once a week.

 

[Kiwi]

1. If she can do a reasonable handstand, you can gently hold her feet and then loosen your grip so she has to hold it herself. Use your hands to gently correct her balance if she tips too far either way.

2. As previous poster said, she shouldn't be tucking down. Using a mat, hold her feet in handstand, then get her to tuck her head in and make a candlestick shape, keeping straight arms, while you control the speed she comes down. This should help her to feel how it should feel.

3. If she gets 1 and 2 right, she should be able to get up, assuming she can get up from a normal forward roll.

 

[ivyagogo]

I'll try that wedge drill. Last week, we were doing handstand flatback drills and rolling back into a candlestick and then rolling up onto her feet from there. I had her in my rec class earlier in the year and she really should be able to do this. She almost has her backwalkover. She's strong, she's flexible, etc. She tends to kick up too hard in her handstand and arch over. We are working on all these things. There are times when she does hit the handstand forward roll. I hope she can nail it for her cheerleading competition.

 

[AmandaLynn]

I'll try that wedge drill. Last week, we were doing handstand flatback drills and rolling back into a candlestick and then rolling up onto her feet from there. I had her in my rec class earlier in the year and she really should be able to do this. She almost has her backwalkover. She's strong, she's flexible, etc. She tends to kick up too hard in her handstand and arch over. We are working on all these things. There are times when she does hit the handstand forward roll. I hope she can nail it for her cheerleading competition.

I'd honestly say that a back walkover is actually easier for many kids than a proper handstand forward roll. There are plenty of kids that can do a back walkover that have fairly crummy body shapes in their handstands. If the shape in the handstand isn't correct, the handstand roll is going to be a hot mess.

If her core is not tight, she will never be able to roll properly out of it. Since you said that she tends to arch over, I'd be willing to bet that she is not engaging her abdominal muscles in the handstand.