how to "pop"

[gymnastics4life]

my coaach always tells me to pop with my sholders or to push forwards, but i cant seem to do it do you have any tips ?

 

[Linsul]

Preschool vault board + wedge

Put the wedge against a wall, board in front of it (springs nearest to wedge). Get in a push-up position with your hands shoulder width apart and arms straight on the board. Push off of it and put your hands on the wedge, push off the wedge to get your hands back on the board. The goal is to try and get your hands high on the wedge and to maintain straight arms throughout the process. Put chalk on your hands to see where they are hitting the wedge, this helps check both for height and for even hand positioning.

You will have to keep the rest of your body tight for this to work. To get from the board to the wedge and back with straight arms requires you to use your shoulders!

 

[emacmommy]

Linsul, I can picture this a few different ways based on your description. Can you explain it again in a bit more detail? Are they staying in a push up position? Hopping their feet with the hands? Which direction is the wedge against the wall? I can see most of the ways I picture this helping one way or another, but I'm not exactly sure which one in my head is the drill you are using?

 

[Linsul]

Linsul, I can picture this a few different ways based on your description. Can you explain it again in a bit more detail? Are they staying in a push up position? Hopping their feet with the hands? Which direction is the wedge against the wall? I can see most of the ways I picture this helping one way or another, but I'm not exactly sure which one in my head is the drill you are using?

Any excuse to break out the mad mspaint skillz I'm ok with

Red = wedge
Black = preschool board
X = gymnasts hands on wedge and board
Green Circle = gymnasts feet on the floor (they should be together and touching at the toe and heels)
Orange = wall

Gymnast is in a push up or hollow position with hands on the board and feet together. They have to remain tight throughout or keeping straight arms will be hard or impossible. Preschool boards have enough bounce for this, regulation boards are not recommended. The action is pushing arms off the board, putting palms on the wedge, pushing off the wedge back to the board. It's very fast, no stopping.

With straight arms the action from the shoulder is in the part of the drill where they push off the wedge back to the board, the springs are there to help them get back to their block position on the wedge. I'm looking for straight arms that cover the ears or are slightly past the ears if the head is held neutral. Usually I have these done in sets of 3-5 or however many the gymnast can stay tight for.

I like the head neutral, but a lot of girls look up at first. To remedy them doing that and 'checking' their placement, I use chalk on their palms. That way they can do the drill correctly and have something to see afterwards that confirms their placement.

 

[emacmommy]

Finally getting back to this post.. Thank You! That is very helpful to see! Great mspaint skills!

 

[marie83]

Do you do handstand pops/jumps/hops? (There are many different names for them!)

If not - here's how to do them:

1. You must have a really good fast handstand - Start standing with feet together, arms down at your side, or even a little behind you. Take a large step forwards, chest down. Swing your arms to your ears and reach forwards as far as you can before putting your hands down whilst at the same time kicking quickly but strongly to handstand.

2. In press up postition, shrug your shoulders up and down without bending your arms - do about 30 of these. As they get easier, raise your feet until eventually you are in handstand against a wall.

3. Shoulder shrugs in press up position - on the 'up' phase, actually lift your hands off the floor, but be sure not to bend your arms.

4. Put these exercises together: Start with number 1. As you kick to handstand with the first leg, shrug your shoulders and jump forwards and upwards, finishing in a handstand with legs glued together and head in neutral.

If you can, get your coach to support you - as the first leg reaches handstand, ask your coach to actually lift you at the hips. The fast joining of the legs should help though as it will create a weightless sensation.
Make sure you enter the handstand with your shoulders shrugged up.

The actual 'pop' off the vault however is slightly more difficult as your legs are already together. It is a matter of hitting the vault at the correct angle. You should hit the vault just before handstand, with your shoulders shrugged up. The 'pop' happens as you reach vertical and you should have a good 2nd flight.

The handstand jumps really help though. Once you get really good at them, try jumping up a panel mat, then making a series of steps to try and jump up! Its tough, but really useful for the 2nd flight!

Good Luck!
Marie

 

[ginnymac]

Thank you Linsul

Linsul!!! Loved that drill...used it at practice last night and it made a difference to a few girls who finally "got it"

Thank you! It will definitely be part of our rotations.

 

[Linsul]

Linsul!!! Loved that drill...used it at practice last night and it made a difference to a few girls who finally "got it"

Thank you! It will definitely be part of our rotations.

Awesome I'm glad I like to set it up at the beginning of the runway (if possible, depends on what vault I use) and have the girls do hollow body hops to the station after vaulting, pop, and then get back in line to vault again.

 

[mbphoto]

Hi this is bailey MBPhoto`s daughter one way to learn how to pop is going into a handstand and pushing against your hands when your in a handstand. another way is pushing against the wall with your arms straight.


!Good Luck!