So you teach every child in your program to do a back walkover on their opposite side? Honestly, I know very few people who do a back handspring back layout with a different lead split leg than their front leg for roundoff. A couple, but certainly not a lot. So while I agree that right cartwheel left back walkover "works" I'm still not sure what the point is here. The thing that makes the most sense is to use the best split leg (most flexible side). Also, I can do a left back walkover much easier than I can do a left roundoff. I've never had a pressing need to do either though.
WAG "Leftie gymnast"?
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So you teach every child in your program to do a back walkover on their opposite side? Honestly, I know very few people who do a back handspring back layout with a different lead split leg than their front leg for roundoff. A couple, but certainly not a lot. So while I agree that right cartwheel left back walkover "works" I'm still not sure what the point is here. The thing that makes the most sense is to use the best split leg (most flexible side). Also, I can do a left back walkover much easier than I can do a left roundoff. I've never had a pressing need to do either though.
Gymmommy71
Proud Parent
- May 15, 2012
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I had my daughter perform all the tests posted above and she came up righty every time. She writes w/ her right hand and is more flexible on her right side, so except for the turns, I guess she's a righty all the way. However, she is still pretty good w/ her bad leg when it comes to most stuff (she was demonstrating for me)...like she can do a ROBHS starting w/ her bad leg, and her cartwheels and walkovers look almost the same on either leg w/ a slight decrease in flexibility being the only difference between the good and bad leg versions... Me, a left handed writer, came up left on all three of the tests, but I definitely do a carthwheel/RO w/ my right hand...taking it even further, I am more flexible on my left leg, so I'd do a left leg back walkover (if I could still do them...which I can't!)...I guess had I been a gymnast (I never got any further than walkovers 
), coaches would have had to retrain some portion of my stuff to make me consistent...haha. Oh, and DD also told me that she has a girl in her group right now that writes with her left hand but is a righty gymnast. She said this particular girl is also more flexible on her left side, but the roundoff/cartwheel seemed to be more dominiant thing and that's why the coaches trained her as a righty...
), coaches would have had to retrain some portion of my stuff to make me consistent...haha. Oh, and DD also told me that she has a girl in her group right now that writes with her left hand but is a righty gymnast. She said this particular girl is also more flexible on her left side, but the roundoff/cartwheel seemed to be more dominiant thing and that's why the coaches trained her as a righty...
D
Deleted member D3987
no, gymdog. if a left cartwheel is done they will land with the right foot forward and the left foot back. this seamlessly leads to a right leg kick/lift back walkover. a left round off is right side dominant to the athlete. the majority of athletes that do left round offs are right handed as explained above. this means that they are right leg dominant also. so they will 'push' off the left and kick with the right. it is mechanically sequential to the left cartwheel. this is not "opposite" side". it is same side.
and the reason you would do a left back walkover much easier than a left round off is because you are doing a right cartwheel/round off?
girls that perform left cartwheels will consistently do flip flop lay with their right legs forward. this is because, again, the left cartwheel is a right hand dominant skill. it is consistent that back walkovers from the cartwheel, flip flops from the cartwheel, etc; will all lead with the right leg.
example: left cartwheel, flip flop step out, layout step out. figure out which legs are doing what.
and think about cartwheel gainer flip flop or layout step out. you would never see an athlete switch their leg in the cartwheel to accommodate gainer work if they were left leggers. they would kill themselves.
again, folks, the majority of gymnasts on beam perform left round offs. and then flip flop lay work with kicking the right leg first. and this same gymnast will kick her right leg over for an aerial cartwheel and aerial walkover. and if she dismounts a round off, it is more likely than not that her right foot will be forward to punch and her left foot back to stabilize as this is consistent with the root skill of left cartwheel. understand?
maybe i shouldn't go on here until all the questions are answered or if i'm not making since to some of you i can try to explain better. the next part can be confusing/complex because it will now involve the round off and being right side up which changes/challenges the twisting direction opinions of coaches because now the principles of trampolining may not apply.
so, i'll wait a bit for everyone to digest this.
and Geoff, i'll get to boys to. i need you to go and look at Horton and Legendre's double front 1/2 on vault. ever wonder why they couldn't hit it or finish the twist. look to see which way they twist the front out and then go look at their round offs. you will be surprised.
D
Deleted member D3987
hey Geoff, i forgot a part. make sure you also take notice of which direction Jon & Steve twist their front tumbling. then look at their vaults.
so, the round off. from the root skill cartwheel. and it is still a left cartwheel. remember to reverse if it's right. a left cartwheel will always be right foot forward and left foot back on the landing. this means on the end of the beam the same. whether it is cartwheel or round off. keep this in mind as i go along.
once the left round off rights itself to vertical, a couple of cause and effects take place. the left round off can be a right twist barani BECAUSE the hands don't touch a surface. when the right hand pushes from the floor, the legs cartwheel down, the legs close and the body becomes right side up is where you find counter torque because the left arm comes up from the floor first. remember, both arms/hands are placed on the floor to the left of the body. but when the body finishes near right side up vertical, the arms/hands are coming from the RIGHT side of the body. so, the left side of the body must 'borrow' weight from the right side of the body thru the left arm or the body may not come to a stand.
you'll see this often with beginners when they can't get up. they do a left cartwheel. their left arm/hand comes up from the floor first. but the right arm/hand stay on the floor. they then land in a sideways squat. this is due to the left leg NOT closing rapidly to the floor on the cartwheel and pushing off the floor from the right hand/arm simultaneously. hence, the use of those rubber hands and carpet squares. lol.
so then, when the body becomes upright the body becomes left sided with a load in the right leg. all left twisting is initiated from the right side of the body. if it's tumbling, it comes from the right foot, calve and quad. if it's vaulting, it comes from the right arm, shoulder, etc; a left twist handspring full is a good example and less complicated to visualize than, let's say. a Cuervo. when the body leaves the horse, the right arm drops. this is because the left side of the body needs to "borrow" the arms weight from the right side of the body in order to twist to the left. if you have seen any other method or technique you know how crappy they can look. the drop arm method is seamless and make sense in physics. understand?
if you ask the athlete to jump right twist at the completion of a left round off you will see that it is awkward. this is because the arms are already moving to the left side of the body. it is uncommon to see a left round off to a right twist arabian or back 1/2. the torque and load are forcing the body to twist left.
when you place a back handspring before the skill, this torque and load dissipates thru the body and floor during the back handspring. so now you could apply the rules of trampolining.
but twisting to the left from a left round off is not 'better'. it's not about what's better. it's about what works. so now apply this to beam dismount. as i said, if you left cartwheel round off your right leg will be forward and your left leg back. this is right side/right loading dominant that will create counter torque to the left side of the body allowing the athlete to seamlessly perform a left full, double full, triple full etc; the key is that the right foot is forward to punch. and most likely this athlete is right dominant. so then, the left foot stabilizes the punch, then the right foot/leg initiate twist to the left from the lower body, and then the right arm follows thru by wrapping to the left. it's seamless.
now go back and look at Nastia's early dismounts. she could never finish a triple full and without deduction. go look at what side cartwheel and what foot was forward when she punched the dismount. her inability to finish the triple was not a coincidence. so for those that switch their feet before the punch cause ostensibly they are doing the wrong side cartwheel/round off, they will be more successful performing 1 1/2, 2 1/2, etc; it is to inefficient and difficult to perform a double full to the left if the left foot is forward.
yet, i recently sent video of Carly Patterson to a coach in England to see what i'm talking about as there are EXCEPTIONS to these rules from time to time. Carly did a right round off. this means left foot forward and right foot back when her feet touch the beam upon completion of the round off. but everything Carly did on beam was right legged. aerial walkover, flip flop lay, etc; all done by kicking her right leg. but what did she do?
Carly switches her feet on the round off to have her RIGHT foot forward. why? because she is right dominant and needs her right foot forward just as her other tumbling on beam. and then she does a 2 foot snap down to punch with the right foot still forward. she needs her right foot forward to 'push' just as she does on all her other beam tumbling. the right leg is the strongest and the leg/brain that has memorized what it must do over countless repetitions. (this is what makes a switch pitcher/hitter so unique and rare. the majority could never do it.) Carly is an endomorph (lower center of gravity to the beam which is center of mass) and strong beyond comprehension. because what does she do next? with her right foot forward to punch, she performs an arabian double front to the right with right twist. remember above where i spoke of the crotch/thighs closing against the twist?
well you can see it here: Carly Patterson - Balance Beam - 2004 Olympic All Around - YouTube
you will see the end in slow motion how the body was moving still to the left side of the beam. when she lands you can see she is off center to the left side of the beam. this is due to the right foot being forward which wanted to create a left twist to the left side of center axis. understand? and observe how the body is twisted during this tumbling series and not 1 body part is aligned over the center of the beam. and look at what the left leg must do to accommodate this phenomena as it leaves the beam. if Carly was not an endomorph and extremely strong she would not have been able to counter the forces of gravity that were pulling her in the opposite direction. and for those that know her history, she missed that dismount more than she made it. and thankfully, she made it when she needed to. she was a great athlete.
so then, when you have the left cartwheel and a right twist (trampoline) you will have a difficult time performing anything past a 1 1/2 twist. and yes, there have been a few that can 2ble full before puberty. the risk after is to the ACL. this is why coaches go to gainers or front twisting dismounts.
more later...i'll see if there are questions about this and then i'll move to vault. and remember again, gymnasts should twist the same direction going forward somi or backward somi.
so, the round off. from the root skill cartwheel. and it is still a left cartwheel. remember to reverse if it's right. a left cartwheel will always be right foot forward and left foot back on the landing. this means on the end of the beam the same. whether it is cartwheel or round off. keep this in mind as i go along.
once the left round off rights itself to vertical, a couple of cause and effects take place. the left round off can be a right twist barani BECAUSE the hands don't touch a surface. when the right hand pushes from the floor, the legs cartwheel down, the legs close and the body becomes right side up is where you find counter torque because the left arm comes up from the floor first. remember, both arms/hands are placed on the floor to the left of the body. but when the body finishes near right side up vertical, the arms/hands are coming from the RIGHT side of the body. so, the left side of the body must 'borrow' weight from the right side of the body thru the left arm or the body may not come to a stand.
you'll see this often with beginners when they can't get up. they do a left cartwheel. their left arm/hand comes up from the floor first. but the right arm/hand stay on the floor. they then land in a sideways squat. this is due to the left leg NOT closing rapidly to the floor on the cartwheel and pushing off the floor from the right hand/arm simultaneously. hence, the use of those rubber hands and carpet squares. lol.
so then, when the body becomes upright the body becomes left sided with a load in the right leg. all left twisting is initiated from the right side of the body. if it's tumbling, it comes from the right foot, calve and quad. if it's vaulting, it comes from the right arm, shoulder, etc; a left twist handspring full is a good example and less complicated to visualize than, let's say. a Cuervo. when the body leaves the horse, the right arm drops. this is because the left side of the body needs to "borrow" the arms weight from the right side of the body in order to twist to the left. if you have seen any other method or technique you know how crappy they can look. the drop arm method is seamless and make sense in physics. understand?
if you ask the athlete to jump right twist at the completion of a left round off you will see that it is awkward. this is because the arms are already moving to the left side of the body. it is uncommon to see a left round off to a right twist arabian or back 1/2. the torque and load are forcing the body to twist left.
when you place a back handspring before the skill, this torque and load dissipates thru the body and floor during the back handspring. so now you could apply the rules of trampolining.
but twisting to the left from a left round off is not 'better'. it's not about what's better. it's about what works. so now apply this to beam dismount. as i said, if you left cartwheel round off your right leg will be forward and your left leg back. this is right side/right loading dominant that will create counter torque to the left side of the body allowing the athlete to seamlessly perform a left full, double full, triple full etc; the key is that the right foot is forward to punch. and most likely this athlete is right dominant. so then, the left foot stabilizes the punch, then the right foot/leg initiate twist to the left from the lower body, and then the right arm follows thru by wrapping to the left. it's seamless.
now go back and look at Nastia's early dismounts. she could never finish a triple full and without deduction. go look at what side cartwheel and what foot was forward when she punched the dismount. her inability to finish the triple was not a coincidence. so for those that switch their feet before the punch cause ostensibly they are doing the wrong side cartwheel/round off, they will be more successful performing 1 1/2, 2 1/2, etc; it is to inefficient and difficult to perform a double full to the left if the left foot is forward.
yet, i recently sent video of Carly Patterson to a coach in England to see what i'm talking about as there are EXCEPTIONS to these rules from time to time. Carly did a right round off. this means left foot forward and right foot back when her feet touch the beam upon completion of the round off. but everything Carly did on beam was right legged. aerial walkover, flip flop lay, etc; all done by kicking her right leg. but what did she do?
Carly switches her feet on the round off to have her RIGHT foot forward. why? because she is right dominant and needs her right foot forward just as her other tumbling on beam. and then she does a 2 foot snap down to punch with the right foot still forward. she needs her right foot forward to 'push' just as she does on all her other beam tumbling. the right leg is the strongest and the leg/brain that has memorized what it must do over countless repetitions. (this is what makes a switch pitcher/hitter so unique and rare. the majority could never do it.) Carly is an endomorph (lower center of gravity to the beam which is center of mass) and strong beyond comprehension. because what does she do next? with her right foot forward to punch, she performs an arabian double front to the right with right twist. remember above where i spoke of the crotch/thighs closing against the twist?
well you can see it here: Carly Patterson - Balance Beam - 2004 Olympic All Around - YouTube
you will see the end in slow motion how the body was moving still to the left side of the beam. when she lands you can see she is off center to the left side of the beam. this is due to the right foot being forward which wanted to create a left twist to the left side of center axis. understand? and observe how the body is twisted during this tumbling series and not 1 body part is aligned over the center of the beam. and look at what the left leg must do to accommodate this phenomena as it leaves the beam. if Carly was not an endomorph and extremely strong she would not have been able to counter the forces of gravity that were pulling her in the opposite direction. and for those that know her history, she missed that dismount more than she made it. and thankfully, she made it when she needed to. she was a great athlete.
so then, when you have the left cartwheel and a right twist (trampoline) you will have a difficult time performing anything past a 1 1/2 twist. and yes, there have been a few that can 2ble full before puberty. the risk after is to the ACL. this is why coaches go to gainers or front twisting dismounts.
more later...i'll see if there are questions about this and then i'll move to vault. and remember again, gymnasts should twist the same direction going forward somi or backward somi.
- Aug 17, 2011
- 2,179
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Oh my :brainache:
So basically a leftie gymnast *should* twist right, and vice versa?
No wonder I struggled, I very definitely twist left going backwards. My Barani, as you say, goes right, my front half (half twist in the second half of the somersault), twists left. I think...If I do the twist in the first half of the somi it goes right....Basically I always initiate the twist with my left arm/side.
Now I feel the need to get back in the gym *cough* [SUB]30 years later[/SUB] *cough* just to see if what I am visualising here at my computer is correct
So basically a leftie gymnast *should* twist right, and vice versa?
No wonder I struggled, I very definitely twist left going backwards. My Barani, as you say, goes right, my front half (half twist in the second half of the somersault), twists left. I think...If I do the twist in the first half of the somi it goes right....Basically I always initiate the twist with my left arm/side.
Now I feel the need to get back in the gym *cough* [SUB]30 years later[/SUB] *cough* just to see if what I am visualising here at my computer is correct
My point was if anything I'd change the back walkover. I do right RO/CW. I do a righty back walkover, a right BHS step out, and a righty back layout step out, right legs, and my right split is more flexible. The only thing I do left is twist, and I twist left front and back consistently with no problem. However, I don't find that "consistently" this is the case. I'd say about 50% of the time it is the case, but plenty of right ROs do right BWO so I don't see the point in forcing anyone to relearn something they can do easily on one side on the other side. I agree with generally working on both sides to avoid overuse. But it makes sense for the back step out skills to be done on the leg with the best split if anything. Some people are fairly equal, I am not.
Overall I'm not arguing that there are more left side gymnasts than left handed people. I find that to be true. What I'm arguing is that there are plenty of righties and asking everyone who is talking biomechanics to clarify the practical implications of their point - do you "pick" a side for children in your program even when their other side is better? That's the situation in the OP. If her daughter can do CW/RO on the right side naturally, and can't do it on the left, then I think it's extremely foolish for the coach to decide she's a lefty. Bordering on ridiculous in fact. Yes it is rooted in some biomechanical principles, but that doesn't mean that every single gymnast will follow that rule. There are almost no hard and fast "rules" like that in gymnastics.
Just to illustrate my point, because again I don't find it to be consistent that girls use a different leg for roundoff and beam series skills, I looked up a few gymnasts and watched what leg they used.
Gabby Douglas - left roundoff/left back handspring step outs and layouts
Nastia Liukin - right roundoff/right BHS step out and layout
Shawn Johnson - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out
McKayla Maroney - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Realized at this point I should look at twist direction - right twist.
Jordyn Wieber - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Right twist.
Aly Raisman - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Right twist.
Kyla Ross - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Right twist.
Chellsie Memmel - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Left twist.
Mary Lou Retton - right roundoff, right back walkover/handspring step out. Left twist.
Shannon Miller - left roundoff, left back walkover/back handspring step out/layout. Left twist.
Elizabeth Price - right roundoff, right back handspring step out/layout. Right twist.
Sarah Finnegan - Left roundoff, left back handspring step out/layout. Left twist.
Alicia Sacramone - Right roundoff, right back handspring step out/layout. Right twist.
A small amount of data, and certainly skewed in a way, but from this we see:
- Many gymnasts are righties
- Roundoff leg and back series leg (proxy for back walkover) are consistent
- When anything varies, it was twist direction
- Twist direction generally doesn't vary
Of course this was what I expected to find, since many or most elite gymnasts today compete an aerial front walkover directly into a back handspring step out series. In order to do this without being awkward, you have to use a consistent front leg. Cartwheel back walkover series (or aerial back layout step out) are almost nonexistent on beam for a reason (that reason being that most people are dominant in those skills on the same leg, so it doesn't make sense to attempt it).
Gabby Douglas - left roundoff/left back handspring step outs and layouts
Nastia Liukin - right roundoff/right BHS step out and layout
Shawn Johnson - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out
McKayla Maroney - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Realized at this point I should look at twist direction - right twist.
Jordyn Wieber - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Right twist.
Aly Raisman - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Right twist.
Kyla Ross - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Right twist.
Chellsie Memmel - right roundoff/right BHS and layout step out. Left twist.
Mary Lou Retton - right roundoff, right back walkover/handspring step out. Left twist.
Shannon Miller - left roundoff, left back walkover/back handspring step out/layout. Left twist.
Elizabeth Price - right roundoff, right back handspring step out/layout. Right twist.
Sarah Finnegan - Left roundoff, left back handspring step out/layout. Left twist.
Alicia Sacramone - Right roundoff, right back handspring step out/layout. Right twist.
A small amount of data, and certainly skewed in a way, but from this we see:
- Many gymnasts are righties
- Roundoff leg and back series leg (proxy for back walkover) are consistent
- When anything varies, it was twist direction
- Twist direction generally doesn't vary
Of course this was what I expected to find, since many or most elite gymnasts today compete an aerial front walkover directly into a back handspring step out series. In order to do this without being awkward, you have to use a consistent front leg. Cartwheel back walkover series (or aerial back layout step out) are almost nonexistent on beam for a reason (that reason being that most people are dominant in those skills on the same leg, so it doesn't make sense to attempt it).
D
Deleted member D3987
i think what i want to convey here is that with the exception of 2, Memmel and Retton, they all are consistent with what i posted above. artistic preference, RRO>right twist. and LRO>left twist. i'll have more later.
D
Deleted member D3987
please recall my post earlier and reposted below. we agree. in all my years, i have changed 2 cartwheels and maybe a dozen twist directions. and in fact, have had them twist 2 different directions for vault and floor. and if they twisted right off vault, they twisted right off the bars. but they left twisted off their feet in tumbling. like i said, whatever works.
okay, next. as a reminder, the rules in artistic gymnastics are not as pure or empirical as trampolining. it really is about what you are able to do vs. how you would like them to do things. therefore, in gymnastics, everything is subject to change, nothing is written in biomechanical stone, and there are exceptions to certain rules. and the apparatus create challenges because 1 is 4 inches wide finding one foot in front of the other for most things and you dismount all but floor from your hands. kids do strange things when they leave the apparatus from their hands. it presents challenges for some kids.
okay, next. as a reminder, the rules in artistic gymnastics are not as pure or empirical as trampolining. it really is about what you are able to do vs. how you would like them to do things. therefore, in gymnastics, everything is subject to change, nothing is written in biomechanical stone, and there are exceptions to certain rules. and the apparatus create challenges because 1 is 4 inches wide finding one foot in front of the other for most things and you dismount all but floor from your hands. kids do strange things when they leave the apparatus from their hands. it presents challenges for some kids.
wallflower
Proud Parent
- May 16, 2012
- 2,362
- 3,965
I find all of this very confusing and over my head and will not even bother trying to understand. All I know is that my DD does left cartwheel/ro, left bwo, left bhs step-out and twists to the left. For a minute there I was thinking "Oh no she has being doing her bwo on the wrong leg". So based on what you posted gymdog, she's fine doing a left cartwheel and left bwo? Her left split is her most flexible.
please recall my post earlier and reposted below. we agree. in all my years, i have changed 2 cartwheels and maybe a dozen twist directions. and in fact, have had them twist 2 different directions for vault and floor. and if they twisted right off vault, they twisted right off the bars. but they left twisted off their feet in tumbling. like i said, whatever works.
Okay, so we agree that. To be clear, I'm not contesting that most people twist to their dominant side. I just don't think it necessarily presents a problem worth fixing when someone doesn't. I'm not a great twister right or left, but I'm much better on the left. Yes, my right roundoff/left twist makes the popular RO 1.5 step out roundoff double type pass all but impossible, however since I was never able to learn a proficient full to the right, it kind of makes it a moot point...I would have never achieved a level of competence if I "had" to twist right. So I just think it's silly to take a kid who can do something fine on one side and switch them to the other because of twist direction (in preteam? really...). Also, I think in most cases the opposite of what people have posted in this thread - that it's usually best to do the backward stepout skills on the dominant leg, same as CW or RO. For many that is the more flexible side (and constantly performing the leg drive action into CW/RO/handstand reinforces the flexibility on that split. These skills (BWO, BHS, back layout) are generally better on the more flexible side. HOWEVER, many kids, about half, start learning kickovers by kicking their bad leg. Probably because when they do the one leg bridge at that age, they are more stable on their dominant side. Then it becomes a habit. Still, it sometimes reverses itself or is easily fixed as they get stronger and realize they are better on the better split side. Many that persist in reversing the leg have awful back walkovers in my experience. Not teaching kickover too early and doing lots of stability exercises and one leg balances helps with this in a good developmental program. THAT said if I have a kid who does an acceptable quality back walkover on one side and CW on the other side, then I don't worry about it. It isn't worth wasting months or years to reprogram something that will most likely never be a problem.
D
Deleted member D3987
they may see something that is necessitating the change. she is 6. it would be different if she were in gym a couple more years and was 9 or 10.
How longstanding and successful is this gym's developmental program overall? I can't say for sure, but it seems rather strange to me if she can do these things well on the right. She does a right handstand, right? Are they changing that as well?
Amusibus
Proud Parent
- Aug 16, 2012
- 648
- 606
- Thread starter
- #56
Yes, she does a right handstand, and yes they are trying to change that too. It seems like they learned she was right handed, they decided based on that alone, but I realize there is stuff they may not be telling me. The developmental program seems good... the girls age 4 to 6 go 9 hours a week, until the year in which they turn seven. Then they either go TOPS or into level 3 or 4. Really they are pushing tops, but their tops program is like 24 hours a week and requires homeschooling, which is just not for me. I know this past year they had 5 or 6 tops girls, and of those 3 of them passes some test and went to some camp... or something, I don't know much about it. This gym also has a handful of elites but I don't think any olympians ever and I 'm not even sure about national team. There is another bigger gym 20 min from here that HAS produced many national teamers and even a few olympians, but with my daughter's disabilities (aspergers/adhd), I prefer her at the smaller gym.
Hmm. I have a guess (not trying to be creepy, I live in your region). It's a very longstanding program if my guess is right. I don't know anyone there. You could PM dunno the name, he may know someone there.
I would have another chat with the coach and try to understand better. How much do they know about your daughter's developmental conditions? With a kid with Asperger's especially you don't know which side of the brain could be processing what! (I mean that in very affectionate way. I work with kids with this profile and I just think if anyone is going to be the exception to their rules, it's going to be your daughter). I would just say "I know you have a reason but I just wanted to discuss XYZ about how my daughter learns, we understand it is an unusual situation in competitive gymnastics and are hoping you can make accommodations for her learning style."
- Mar 5, 2012
- 69
- 33
i write right handed, gymnastics left footed, snowboard/skate goofy footed, kick right footed.
i actually happen to leap better on my right leg.
no one ever made such a big deal about any of it. it doesn't matter in my eyes what leg or arm they use as long as it makes sense to them. this thread is so long and it makes me laugh because it doesn't matter, and a coach shouldn't try to train anyone a certain way just because they feel its the right or wrong way.
i twist left forwards and right backwards, and we learned half on full offs twisting left ON the vault and right OFF the vault.
all-in-all lefties are people too and i actually don't have a "dominant style" except that i roundoff/cartwheel and handstand with my left leg.
and it's funny to me because you can do both in compulsory (yes, indeed you can reverse skills, i had a level 4 do everything different ways) and it doesn't matter in optional, so why worry about it. let the universe be in charge of all the twisting.
BUT i feel as if you twist the BEST they way you jump full turn the BEST
or...maybe you don't.
i actually happen to leap better on my right leg.
no one ever made such a big deal about any of it. it doesn't matter in my eyes what leg or arm they use as long as it makes sense to them. this thread is so long and it makes me laugh because it doesn't matter, and a coach shouldn't try to train anyone a certain way just because they feel its the right or wrong way.
i twist left forwards and right backwards, and we learned half on full offs twisting left ON the vault and right OFF the vault.
all-in-all lefties are people too and i actually don't have a "dominant style" except that i roundoff/cartwheel and handstand with my left leg.
and it's funny to me because you can do both in compulsory (yes, indeed you can reverse skills, i had a level 4 do everything different ways) and it doesn't matter in optional, so why worry about it. let the universe be in charge of all the twisting.
BUT i feel as if you twist the BEST they way you jump full turn the BEST
or...maybe you don't.
Twisting the same way forwards and backwards usually makes sense because the end of a half twist forward is the same as the end of a full twist backwards. I mostly agree, but if you have a better way, it would be more efficient to use it both front and back because of that. I've never thought much about half on half off type vaults, because I've never been in a program that used them for JO levels, but I thought that you were supposed to twist opposite way...or something.
K
Katieeb:)
I am a lefty but am right handed
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