Coaches Head Out on Back Tumbling

[PalmTree]

I have an eight year old Level 4 who does atrocious back handsprings - she throws her head way out to complete them. I have tried having her put foam under her chin, bite her leo, etc…but nothing has worked. I have tried spotting her through it heavily and reinforcing the head position, but she always goes right back to it and says she CAN'T change it. Any drills or advice before I go crazy and put this otherwise talented girl back in pre-team??

 

[iwannacoach]

Ask her to list the important (to her) things she needs to do to make a bhs, and to explain what she does to accomplish those things. Chances are good that she has a list that differs from yours.

Work from there.

 

[twinklytoes9468]

Is it a really loopy shape as well?

 

[Gymsanity]

A pic/vid is worth a thousand words, but I'll take a stab at it anyway.
A great drill/progression I use is to have them stand on a raised surface (like a panel mat), and do 'half of a bhs' meaning you spot them from the jump to the land on their hands phase. I hold them there to adjust their head, hand, shoulder, hip, leg, position etc. When that looks good, they do a 'snap down' from there, but only after everything else is fixed first. Be persistent, it will come.

 

[PalmTree]

@iwannacoach , when I ask her that she just says "I don't know"….I tell her that it is NOT her head that makes her do the back handspring!

@twinklytoes9468 , no it's not particularly loopy, but she sags in her shoulders when she hits the ground.

@Gymsanity , I'll see if I have a video to send you. I've done the drill you described, but not a ton, because I am so frustrated! It has been so long that I wonder if anything will fix it now. But I do need to schedule a private lesson with her to do that drill a bazillion times.

 

[twinklytoes9468]

I think it's a lack of core strength .Sticking her head back shifts her centre of mass back.This makes the distance between her feet and the COM a shorter lever shorter and therefore the turnover requires less core strength

 

[PalmTree]

Interesting. She is a very strong athlete (can do cast handstand, leg lifts, etc). But I have said that about athletes before and then been amazed at the strength required for certain skills.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I have an eight year old Level 4 who does atrocious back handsprings - she throws her head way out to complete them. I have tried having her put foam under her chin, bite her leo, etc…but nothing has worked. I have tried spotting her through it heavily and reinforcing the head position, but she always goes right back to it and says she CAN'T change it. Any drills or advice before I go crazy and put this otherwise talented girl back in pre-team??

tell her just that. fix it or i move you back.

 

[PalmTree]

@dunno , that may just be what I have to do…this week she also "lost" her front handspring vault, all tumbling, and a KIP!!! (she had a kip cast handstand a couple months ago)…there is a breakdown going on!