Gymnasts Kip Cast Handstand Help

[Hannah_Gymnast2029]

I am a 13 year old level 6 gymnast and struggling with a kip cast handstand and I know everything on what I should do but I just can’t seem to get it. I am pretty good on circle skills like giants and free-hips. I have goals of competing one level 7 meet and the rest 8 so I have chances to be a college athlete. I know I can get the rest of the level 7 and 8 skills this summer but I need some more mental tips and some new drills to try so I can improve and get my kip cast handstand.

 

[S_Flips]

Hey! This sounds a lot like me, it took me longer than usual to get my cast to handstand. I’m also not a coach, just a gymnast, but I hope I can still help!

I would just suggest: after your Kip, lean forward a lot, like a lot more than you think you should. Falling over does help when you are Learning! Also, do lots of turns on the floor bar, press to handstands, and cast to handstands from a block. (Put a block in front of the low bar, then jump off of it onto the low bar and try to cast to handstand)

I hope this helps, good luck, you got this! (Also what do u mean by mental tips?)

 

[Hannah_Gymnast2029]

I have also been really working on leaning over and I have been doing so many press handstands and when my coach spots me I get up there no problem and he is barley touching me and says that is on your own I just can’t seem to figure it out without him there. Thanks for the tips I will really try that when I go back to practice. Mental tips are like special key words you say to yourself.

 

[JustAGirlWhoLovesGym]

I had some troubles with this skill as well. My coach always told me not to straddle too early in my kip cast HS and to shift my hands over the bar when I got to front support.
As for mental tips, there are a few visuals or little clue words that I could say to myself before I did the skill. The clue words were "shift (my hands)", "lean (over)", and "cast up (I wanted to think about getting my hips up super high before I started the straddle)". I also thrived on visualizing skills, so if you are a visual learner, I would recommend this technique. Before you do a skill, picture in your mind's eye how it would look and feel to do it correctly (I.e. see yourself doing a super high cast and leaning over; picture what part of the floor you will look at when you lean over through front support, etc.). Also, if you have a low strap bar, practice lots of kip cast HS on that.
(This video is also a good resource that breaks down the movements of the skill into baby steps)
Cast HS
Hope this helps! As always, all this advice might've worked for me, but there is no guarantee it will work for you. Good luck!

 

[Hannah_Gymnast2029]

I had some troubles with this skill as well. My coach always told me not to straddle too early in my kip cast HS and to shift my hands over the bar when I got to front support.
As for mental tips, there are a few visuals or little clue words that I could say to myself before I did the skill. The clue words were "shift (my hands)", "lean (over)", and "cast up (I wanted to think about getting my hips up super high before I started the straddle)". I also thrived on visualizing skills, so if you are a visual learner, I would recommend this technique. Before you do a skill, picture in your mind's eye how it would look and feel to do it correctly (I.e. see yourself doing a super high cast and leaning over; picture what part of the floor you will look at when you lean over through front support, etc.). Also, if you have a low strap bar, practice lots of kip cast HS on that.
(This video is also a good resource that breaks down the movements of the skill into baby steps)
Cast HS
Hope this helps! As always, all this advice might've worked for me, but there is no guarantee it will work for you. Good luck!

Thank you so much I will try this in my next practice those mental tips is something I haven’t thought to myself yet.

 

[S_Flips]

Ok, sounds like your really close, I think you just need more repetition now. LOTS AND LOTS OF REPETITION!! Also remember to finish your lip, completely and then cast. You got this, good luck!!!