Is it right time for giants?

[pihlajat]

I coach girls who are 7-11 years olds. Some of the girls are very strong and very good on bars and i have been wondering if it's right time to start doing giant drills with the best ones.

We have already practiced floor bar handstands and their tap swings are ok. They have also done tap swings on strap bar and very high swings on low strap bar (with bended knees). The girls can't do cast handstands by themselves but they have done them with spot.

I have never coached higher level girls (our gym is very small and just few girls do giants) and i don't have experience about teaching giants. I'm not sure if it's good time to start doing them now because I am afraid that girls will hurt themselves because of my poor spotting skills or something. But on the other hand, girls are young and light and they have no fear (not yet lol)...

When did your gymnasts start doing giants? I have thought that it should be a good idea to practice them with straps on at first but some coaches seems to prefer no-straps-style from the very beginning. And then I would like to know if we should start giants from cast handstand or high tap swings? And should we start practicing with bended knees and low bar?

I would love to see some videos or hear tips and advice... Thank you!

 

[gymdog]

Work on cast handstands more. If you are really afraid that they will hurt themselves due to "poor spotting skills" then you should find a more experienced coach to show you how to spot it, and supervise you double spotting it.

 

[pihlajat]

Well, i didn't actually mean it when I said that I'm afraid that they will hurt themselves. I have spotted them thousands and thousands times and I know them very well. And I'm quite strong and they are light. I have also seen (on Youtube) that 5 year olds who can't even do a proper handstand on floor or tap swings on bars have done giants (with spot of course) so I just thought that maybe I have underestimated my girls...

Double spotting is a good idea. In our gym there isn't coaches who can spot giants correctly, I think. The girls (who are 13 or something) have taught themselves... They never do cast handstands, they just do high tap swings on bars and then they do a giant if the swings are high enough... But our girls can't teach themselves, they are too young.

We will work with cast handstands more. Thank you!

 

[marie83]

I'm just starting giants properly with my girls now. Before now we have played during the non competitive period but now I am beginning to work seriously on them. Before letting my gymnasts begin, I want to see the following:

Good tap swings on wood and shiny bar.
Backward roll to handstand with straight arms
3/4 circle to front support.

We are similar to you in that hardly any of our gymnasts giant. In fact at the moment we haven't got anyone who can so it is difficult to learn when there is nobody to look up to.

Today on shiny bar my gymnasts showed me that they could do nice tap swings to a candle stick position, tomorrow I will expect a 3/4 giant from at least one of them as she was making nice shapes.

I think the most important thing is to have patience. Spend a long time on the tap swing and correcting shapes and head position.
Make sure the gymnasts are strong in their backs and have flexible hip flexors.
I'd start them from tap swings to begin with, or maybe a horizontal cast.
Cast to handstand can be worked separately.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Giants should be taught early if possible. Kids need to be able to do them very well and consistently in straps before going to the normal bar. Its a skills that should not be quickly rushed and taught at the last minute but one they have spent some time developing. We usually do Giants for our girls in loops from level 5 with spot. By level 6 we expect giants on their own in straps and by level 7 they are doing them on the wooden bar, some competing them , others waiting until level 8.

If they don't have really strong tap swings with their bodies to at least horizontal both at the front and at the back of the bar (on a single bar) then work these more, work lots of cast to handstands so the kids have the strength to hit that position too.

 

[BlairBob]

Work just bigger and bigger swings in straps focusing on correct position. Of course, you should be working cast HS and I like to work the pushaway/bail from the cast to swing in straps at first.

With little ones, I would push for a straight body cast but you can work the straddle on-straddle press to HS as well.

See about going to a clinic or nearby gym to learn how to spot giants.

I would also work the strap giants in gloves once they can do them just in straps to teach the shift otherwise that becomes a problem.

 

[Valentin]

Hi

Personally i suggest,
1- Talk to the other coach in the gym who coaches the older girls and get their opinion. They are are there and can see the girls and can make a better decision (well should be). Given that they are coaching girls who are doing giant than they should know.
2- From what you described, it sounds like there are absolutely no harm in working drill and building up to giant in strap bar
3- Working giants and cast together works well.
The sooner you start the better with some skills and giants is one.