Coaches Hurdle leg

[GymRays]

I have a girl who is a righty. She cartwheel right, turns right, round off right. However, when she runs to vault she takes off on her right and her left knee comes up to hurdle before punching the board. It's a good hurdle and I'm wondering it it matters that she does it on her non dominant side? She is still young and if it needs to be fixed I'd rather work on it now than later. Does it really matter since either way the punch is always off two feet? Doesn't seem to effect her tumbling in anyway.

 

[raenndrops]

I would say that it doesnt matter ... at least when checking myself, I am the same way. One question... is she right or left handed in real life?
I ask because I am technically ambidextrous, but a natural lefty in life (righty in life didnt come in to play until I was 5).
I do a lot of things "differently" than most people.

 

[blue_5678]

My initial instict is that it doesn't matter. I'm a lefty for everything, however when I hurdle to take off/punch from two feet (ex beat board for vault, front tuck on floor) I hurdle off my left therefore my right leg is up. Sorry if that was confusing, but basically I do the same thing as the kid you coach, just a different side. I don't recall ever trying to change the hurdle to my dominant side, I just did this because it felt natural and it turned out okay for me.

 

[MrsAnderson]

She has no problem hurdling the other way when tumbling?
I'm just curious that one hurdle would be natural one way and the other the opposite.

 

[GymRays]

She has no problem hurdling the other way when tumbling?
I'm just curious that one hurdle would be natural one way and the other the opposite.

Nope, she hurdles for roundoffs and other tumbling just fine as a righty. She has not learned front tucks yet. So I don't know if she will try to hurdle like vault to punch for a FT. Or again, does it really matter.

I would say that it doesnt matter ... at least when checking myself, I am the same way. One question... is she right or left handed in real life?
I ask because I am technically ambidextrous, but a natural lefty in life (righty in life didnt come in to play until I was 5).
I do a lot of things "differently" than most people.

Yes she is right handed in real life.

 

[blue_5678]

Has she learned split leaps yet? Taking off from one foot, not two.

 

[GymRays]

Has she learned split leaps yet? Taking off from one foot, not two.

Yes, she does a right leg split leap.

 

[blue_5678]

That's really interesting then... I'm a lefty, but I can do both split leaps and actually prefer right (so I push off of left), and I believe that's why I push off of left when I do a hurdle for front tuck/vault. It just feels more natural. Does she know how to split leap or even do an assemble on both legs?

 

[ayyyrial]

I did this too. I was a righty for everything but hurdled lefty for front tumbling and vault. I don't think it affected me negatively - no one ever noticed or corrected it for me. Maybe I would have had stronger front tumbling if I'd fixed it, but I'll never know.

I can only see it mattering if she learns a punch front dismount on beam (or a punch front on the beam) - the wrong foot would be in front then. I did punch front dismounts off beam for a bit, and I think I switched my hurdle for them. But it was uncomfortable since I wasn't used to it.