Parents Hardest Skill To Acquire

[JPC13]

My Xcel silver finally got her RHBS on tumble track but taking it to floor “feels different” so it will take a bit of time. So right now the connection. She would like it by the end of season but no biggie if not. Just one of her small goals.

Something that helped my daughter a lot was drilling her ROBHS at one of the trampoline parks. Their tramps are way bouncier so everything can happen a lot more slowly and carefully, which helped her make all her corrections. Once she got good at doing it there, she moved to the tumble track which requires much faster motion. Then, finally the floor.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

For me, double layout on floor. I had at least four other back tumbling skills that were allegedly-harder, but I could never get a double layout no matter how much I worked at it.

As a coach, I think the most common sticking point I've seen is giants. I know kips have a reputation as the major sticking point, but to me a giant is a much more important threshhold and a much more significant barrier.
Flyaway on bars gets an honorable mention. As far as technique, they're trivially easy, but psychologically I think they're the scariest skill in the entire sport to learn.

 

[Lucia]

The mill circle!

 

[Dahlia]

My Dd really struggled with bridge kickover in the old level 2 routine. Her shoulder flexibility was an issue. She finally figured out how to do a back walkover and then she was able to use the feel if those shapes to adjust her bridge and kickover. It took over a year!

As an older gymnast, most of her struggles are with backwards skills on bars (flyaway) and beam. Totally mental blocks she's working through. And no issue with back tumbling on floor!

 

[gymisforeveryone]

For my own gymnasts, I would say beam series! Especially BHS LOSO!

 

[superNova08]

For me, I can not for the life of me do a BHS. No ROBHS either. I compete Xcel Gold so thankfully that is worked around of floor. Anything on beam is entirely impossible, it used to fine until I had a bad fall and beam is now very psychological for me to the point where it is almost impossible. On bars a kip was actually one of my easiest skills, my problem right now is a flyaway, for the same reason, I'm terrified of it.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

This is so Interesting to read! For my DD I say it depends on definition of hard. Anything vault would be her answer, she has competed yurchenko pike for 2 years and will start with it again this year. Just can’t get a good block to save her soul! The hardest mentally has been the handspring layout step out on beam. She got it quickly but then has had at least 2 significant rounds of mental blocks on it over the last 2 years. Lastly controlling bars as a fully put together routine seems to be a challenge. Each skill individually is great but putting it all together and controlling the speed and timing From skill to skill seems to be a challenge.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

This is so Interesting to read! For my DD I say it depends on definition of hard. Anything vault would be her answer, she has competed yurchenko pike for 2 years and will start with it again this year. Just can’t get a good block to save her soul! The hardest mentally has been the handspring layout step out on beam. She got it quickly but then has had at least 2 significant rounds of mental blocks on it over the last 2 years. Lastly controlling bars as a fully put together routine seems to be a challenge. Each skill individually is great but putting it all together and controlling the speed and timing From skill to skill seems to be a challenge.

Vault has been a struggle for mine too. Although for her it's not related to her size. She competed a pike level 9. At the beginning of summer training her coach said no way would he allow a pike for level 10. Well, after an ankle injury and just general struggles, she competed a yurchenko pike again for her first year level 10. lol. Supposedly, she now has a layout for her this coming season. Most of her teammates have fulls and are working on 1 1/2s. But I'll be thrilled if she can safely do a layout. She still has a couple more years to try and get a twisting vault, but she's already said that she knows she'll never compete vault in college and doesn't seem to really care too much. She's a bars/beam gymnast.

Oh and I hear you about putting it all together on bars. It's one thing to have the skills individually, but the timing and stamina to do it all together is a whole other thing. Definitely not easy!

 

[LCsMom]

My daughter got her cartwheel on beam and front tuck so easily! But that robhs really got her lol

My kid had their back tuck on beam while they were still Level 4. Had to wait until Level 8 to compete it. The back tuck still looks gorgeous but those double BHS connections have been hounding her all summer! Did finally connect them (kind of...if you're generous) in time for the first meet.

 

[Lucia]

My kid had their back tuck on beam while they were still Level 4. Had to wait until Level 8 to compete it. The back tuck still looks gorgeous but those double BHS connections have been hounding her all summer! Did finally connect them (kind of...if you're generous) in time for the first meet.

It’s funny you said this…my daughter is less fearful of a back tuck on beam than a back walkover, which she has a block over. She was level 4 this last season/will compete level 6 this season.

 

[LCsMom]

It’s funny you said this…my daughter is less fearful of a back tuck on beam than a back walkover, which she has a block over. She was level 4 this last season/will compete level 6 this season.

My kid explained that she was afraid she wouldn't put her hands on the beam and then land on her head. Brains are funny things!

 

[CuriousCate]

It’s funny you said this…my daughter is less fearful of a back tuck on beam than a back walkover, which she has a block over. She was level 4 this last season/will compete level 6 this season.

My older one quit over the BHS-BHS series...which only came after a ridiculous mental struggle with a BWO-BHS series the season before! Meanwhile she could do a BHS on high beam since level 4, a BT on a high beam since level 5 and a side aerial on high beam since level 6...but connecting two skills....good Lord. Every level 7 meet and the one and only level 8 meet she did felt like torture for every single human within a 10 mile radius of this kid!!!

 

[Lucia]

My kid explained that she was afraid she wouldn't put her hands on the beam and then land on her head. Brains are funny things!

Yes! I think it’s the same with my daughter. She does better with a back handspring than a back walkover…I think because it’s faster. I’m just thankful her coaches have given her the option.

 

[Lucia]

My older one quit over the BHS-BHS series...which only came after a ridiculous mental struggle with a BWO-BHS series the season before! Meanwhile she could do a BHS on high beam since level 4, a BT on a high beam since level 5 and a side aerial on high beam since level 6...but connecting two skills....good Lord. Every level 7 meet and the one and only level 8 meet she did felt like torture for every single human within a 10 mile radius of this kid!!!

Yes! As the other poster said, brains are a funny thing!

 

[Mish]

My older one quit over the BHS-BHS series...which only came after a ridiculous mental struggle with a BWO-BHS series the season before!

Same here. Had this series years ago, developed blocks and wound up competing two seasons of level 8 without it. Came in 2nd on beam at regionals with a BHS-BWO series but knew she would not go to level 9, so part of reason why she quit as well.

 

[NutterButter]

Every level 7 meet and the one and only level 8 meet she did felt like torture for every single human within a 10 mile radius of this kid!!!

Ok, this made me LOL cuz it reminded me of my kid. Mine also got her back tuck on beam early and it was gorgeous, like no deductions gorgeous. But the kid struggled the entire time on connections and finding a series that would work. Nothing ever really stuck and I was relieved when she gave up beam entirely.

 

[Thankful]

Took her over 2 years to clearhip to handstand. I kept telling her it went on vacation and it would return when it wanted to

 

[LCsMom]

Took her over 2 years to clearhip to handstand. I kept telling her it went on vacation and it would return when it wanted to

Ha ha... For a while I was asking my kid if she'd brought her giant with her to the gym. She'd tell me it was shy.

 

[SMH]

Clear hip to handstand- it was never consistent after 2 years. She learned a toe hand over the summer and they work much better for her.

 

[JPC13]

Clear hip to handstand- it was never consistent after 2 years. She learned a toe hand over the summer and they work much better for her.

My daughter was just working these (on strap) at the last practice. Very cool to see.

Do you have any idea what level this skill typically shows up in?