Help keeping legs together L5 bar dismount

[gymcritter]

Today my dd came home and said that she is losing .3 on her bar routine because her legs aren't staying together on her dismount so she showed us on her bar here.. she is seperating them at her turn. Just wondering anything she can do to help correct this? her coach scored her at a 9.1 and said she'd be up to a 9.4 if she got this fixed? Her first meet is saturday.

Thanks everyone!

 

[gymnastbeth]

Oh, I remember that dismount...What a nightmare!

She could practice with a block of foam (or anything) between her feet. If she just drops the foam, then you can even put something around her feet and have her do it to a soft mat, or the pit. I don't know why, but I seem to remember feeling like I was going to fall on my face when I put my legs together on that dismount. So, lots of mats, and lots of repetition with a band.

ETA: You have to really have a good high tap swing to feel comfortable enough to do that dismount with legs together. Timing the turn right at the top of the swing could possibly make it easier for her.

 

[fuzi]

I find the leg separation comes from one of two things.
Either she needs to tap FIRST, and then turn. If this is the case, her coach should be able to see this and correct it.
Or she is not squeezing her legs. I tended to make my L5 gymnasts do this with half a foam block (or a sock/wristband) between their legs. Suddenly they become aware of squeezing their legs, and it gets written into muscle memory.

 

[CoachTodd]

Tell her to turn her toes first. I don't know why but it seems to be nearly impossible to keep the feet together when you try to turn the shoulders first. I know if you try really hard you can hold them together but it seems to be much easier if you tap, turn the toes, the finish the dismount.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

When I was a L5, we had to practice routine halves and full routines with a sock/wristband between our feet. We had to make, say, 5 routines with the sock staying in the whole time or try 10. It teaches you to squeeze your legs together really hard. We also did this at L6, though we were given some slack since at that level it's hard to control the clear hip enough to pike glide out of it if you're taller.

 

[wordsmith]

In addition to what CoachTodd recommended, I'd suggest aiming the toes a little in the direction she wants to turn at the completion of the tap swing.

Does she shift her turning hand in at all? That might help (bringing the hands closer together so as to pivot easier). I know some coaches frown on this, believing it's a cheat that will hurt them on pirouetting skills; but I used to bring my hands closer together on blind changes and I know other coaches who teach it this way. The gymnast has to learn how to pull the bar behind the ear and learn how to weight-shift anyway, regardless of technique.

 

[gymcritter]

Thanks everyone, the problem dd is having now is that she can do it wiht her legs closed but everytime she does it that way her swings are not high enough so now she's losing .3 for her swings. so eihter way she's losing .3.. any ideas?

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

They can use a single rail set down so that it is just tall enough for her to swing on, and put a Pacman mat or a wedge mat in front of it, stacked on other mats so it's at the height her toes should be. She swings next to the mat, then has to turn and put her feet up onto it. This way she is turning at the top of her swing.

Or, the coach can hold out a hand while she is swinging and make her tap her toes onto his/her hand before she turns.