Kip Problems

[Kendahl08]

I have several really; First, a small tap at the glide. When I extend my glide I tap my toes to the floor before bringing them to the bar. I cannot seem to get rid of this habit. Does anyone have any tips to get rid of this or any other info on why i'm doing this?

Next the tip "Pull your pants on" I really don't understand I try very hard to follow directions but this just seems very hard. Allow me to explain. I begin with a pike , glide than I bring my toes to the bar, I can pull all the way up to my mid theigh. Than I fall, its almost as if I can get to the bar my shoulders fly up above the bar but i can't seem to complete my kip.
What am I doing wrong?

Last but sure not least. Is it okay to shoot your legs from the glide far up the bar (without sliding them up)? It always seems that I do a whole lot better when I do that.

Also does speed matter? If you go faster does that make the kip any better?

 

[I-Heart-Beam]

I would try using a kip machine (these things are great)

Tie a piece of elasticy rope about a foot below the bar, hook your toes in it and pratice your kips.

Hope this helps!

 

[ryantroop]

Without seeing it's fairly hard to say...

However, it sounds like a muscle thing.


Two exercises that I drill are v-holds to the bar. Basically, do a v-up, hold your feet there for 15 seconds, releax, repeat. You should feel the pull in your stomach and your shoulders. If you are not using your shoulders, it could contribute to your kip's problems.

Second are v-up "pops." Basically, hang on the bar. Do a v-up, and once your toes reach the bar, pull the bar towards you so your body rises a bit, then move back down. You will have to do this one on the high bar as it results in a little bit of swing - which you HAVE to control. The concept is basically v-up, pull your toes towards the ceiling.

 

[flipper]

try doing a straddle glide. it should help you not hit your toes on the floor

 

[eeyoretumbles]

here is a site that is always verrryyy helpful. he was one of my coaches and he helped me so much, because he breaks things down to basics.
Link Removed

there is a kip video, broken down in like 5 pieces
here's the link to that: Link Removed
i'm actually in this hahaha, i'm in part 3, i'm the glides from the jump in the purplish leo :]
but these drills definetly helped improve my form.

 

[BlairBob]

Eeyore. Thanks for the link. I enjoyed all his articles and will post this on DrillsandSkill for others. Great shapes for all of the gymnasts. I really liked the glide down the wedge mat drill and the fact he doesn't allow his gymnasts to arm swing up into the glide ( how I hate this ).

 

[LittleLady]

One exercise I used to do to keep my feet from tapping the floor on a kip when I was learning it, was to lay on my back on the floor holding a dowel stick extended over my head with my body extended. I would lift my feet about 4 inches off the floor, legs together and hold it for a count of 2 and bring my feet up fast to point towards the ceiling while bringing the dowel stick to my feet at the same time. Repeat and do again for about 12 times. After it became easy, which took several weeks, I would add very light ankle weights, maybe 1 lb. on each ankle and do the same exercise for several more weeks. After that, I never tapped my feet on the ground because I had developed the upper thigh and lower abdomen strength to hold my feet off the floor in a glide. It really worked well. Just go slow and never use ankle weights that are too heavy! If there's any unusual strain or pain, the weight is too much. Reduce it. Work hard and never, ever give up!

 

[gymnastx333]

Do more stomach conditioning and that will get rid of the tapping your feet on the floor. Bars is a lot of stomach and arms. I think a stradle glide to the kip is a whole lot easier than a pike but that's just me. Good luck and never give up because it's real easy once you get the hang of it!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I have several really; First, a small tap at the glide. When I extend my glide I tap my toes to the floor before bringing them to the bar. I cannot seem to get rid of this habit. Does anyone have any tips to get rid of this or any other info on why i'm doing this?

Practice and ab conditioning.

Next the tip "Pull your pants on" I really don't understand I try very hard to follow directions but this just seems very hard. Allow me to explain. I begin with a pike , glide than I bring my toes to the bar, I can pull all the way up to my mid theigh. Than I fall, its almost as if I can get to the bar my shoulders fly up above the bar but i can't seem to complete my kip.
What am I doing wrong?

Two things jump out at me. First, I don't think of the kip as a "pull;" it's a push. Rather than trying to pull the bar towards you, try to push it down towards the floor as you transition from a pike to a hollow. Second, try loosening your grip. It sounds completely backwards, but in my experience, the most common problem on a kip is too tight a grip, causing the wrists to get stuck on the bottom of the bar. Your grip should be loose, to the point where you ALMOST peel off the bar doing your kip -- and then use that as an ooportunity to regrip to the top.

Last but sure not least. Is it okay to shoot your legs from the glide far up the bar (without sliding them up)? It always seems that I do a whole lot better when I do that.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this.

Also does speed matter? If you go faster does that make the kip any better?

The speed isn't really that variable -- it should essentially always happen at the same speed. Unless you're talking about the amount of power in the glide, in which case you want it fast/powerful enough that it reaches full forward extension at about 45 degrees. Swinging any higher will actually make the kip harder.

If you could post a video, that would be very helpful.

 

[gymnasto13]

I tap me toes to hehe. I don't have to, to kip up but i get some of my powr from it. Its just a really bad habit. Not sure if you need to tap or its just a habit that you don't need. But my coach just let me keep it as long as I wasn't making a bigger deduction I was doing. But when trying not to tap I just do my glide and make sure not to tap a few times and not kipping after a few times of that i just really focus on not tapping even if my kip is ugly eventually it will get better right ; )