Level 5 squat on

[mygymnastrocks]

My daughter is having issues with the level 5 squat on. She has a great bar routine, has both kips and it's hit/miss with the squat on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[CoachTodd]

Basically do a lot of squat ons in practice. Make sure her shoulders are over the bar and she is bringing her knees to her chest (not feet to butt). She should be looking past the bar instead of at it. Mainly focus on casting up instead of back. If she has a squat on already, doing more reps of them correctly will help. It is also useful to use a floor bar, start in an arched push up shape with straight arms, them bounce to the squat on on the floor bar.

 

[sobegymchic]

this is how i fixed mine beides what CoachTodd said..... do you have a floor bar at home? what my coach told me to do is to look for the high bar when your eet hit and when you cast keep hollow if i remember correctly in the level 5 routine the squat on comes after the front hip? if so tell her to keep her arms straight out of the front hip... hope this helps! :rotfl:

 

[mygymnastrocks]

Thanks to both replies. We have one of those Jr. kips bars at home.. She said she thinks it's more her foot position... She also said she thinks as soon as her feet are hitting the bar, she should be releasing her hand grip on the bar~~ We will be practicing those a lot more.. Thanks again, I appreciate you help!!

 

[bogwoppit]

Be very careful practicing squat ons at home, they can be very dangerous and she will develop bad technique.

Drills that are better are using a line on the floor. Start in push up/hollow with hands on the line, then looking above the line jump to squat on position and then jump up. This will at least give the felling of getting the hips in the air and the feet at the right height for the bar. You can also do this with the feet on a raised block so the gymmie gets used to getting her feet under her and away from her but.

A floor bar is okay, but not one that is 3/4 feet off the ground, save that for the gym and the coaches.

Here are some good links

“the most dangerous skill in gymnastics” — Gymnastics Coaching.com

Link Removed

 

[mygymnastrocks]

Thanks, your right, I shouldn't let her do these at home. When you say floor bar, what exactly is that? Is that like those handstand bars I see? At my daughters gym, they don't do the squat on over and over.. drives me crazy. if shes doing her routine and misses the squat on, they let them climb back on the bar and jump to the high one!! one more question!! What about if I lower the kip bar we have to the lowest setting.. it's pretty low.. could I do that or just stick to what you told me in your post?

Thanks Again, I watched the video and appreciate you having me watch it.

 

[bogwoppit]

A floor bar is a regular bar that is about 8 inches off the floor. Some gyms have them for optionals training pirouettes and handstands. The problem with a regular bar at home is that she can fall on her face or even worse fall on her outstretched arms and break something. It happens all the time unfortunately.

Try concentrating on the drills at home, they can't be done wrongly, therefore she can't develop bad habits and they WILL help what she does in the gym. Maybe after a few weeks get her a 30 minute private to work on it with a coach, there are many things that a coach can do with her one on one that can help. First get her working on the basics.

Encourage her to look "up at the high bar" (or where it would be) when she jumps her feet between her hands, that will get her used to not looking at the low bar, she doesn't need to as her feet "know" where her hands are!

Good luck, this can be a frustrating skill. Funny though here in Quebec all our girls need the squat on to compete any level so they get it early, unlike the kip which they don't need early on so our girls really struggle gettting it. I think some drills are designed out of necessesity.

 

[Blackie6]

WOW, loved that video Bog, wish my DD's gym did squat on skills like that! My DD also struggles with this skill. No problems with kip, just the squat on.

 

[staceyb]

All the girls at my old gym that were working on their squat on's had extra burpees added to their conditioning, maybe you could ask her coach about maybe getting her group to do some during their conditioning sessions.

YouTube - Jump Burpees

 

[sobegymchic]

some teams teach it that way but if she is going to do level 6 next year the squat onis out of the kip?! (correct me if i am wrong) staceyb had a good idea as well as Bogwoppit <3 hope she gets her squat on better! sending the squat on fairies on express mail!

 

[mygymnastrocks]

Thanks to all !!! I will no longer let her do those at home !! Thanks for telling me the dangers of this skill.. She's 50/50 on it, so hopefully working on it at the gym will help. Our gym does NOT have privates or an open gym. They sorta let the girls get things when they get them.. Thanks for the squat on fairy!!! She will need it Thanks for the tip of looking for the high bar.. never thought of having her do that.. Will tell her to try tonight at practice..

Thanks Again!!!! This forum is awesome!!!

 

[gymnast16]

Yes, keep your shoulders over the bar, and if she falls backward, try to teach her how to go around te bar, falling back, and ending back on, then jump to highbar, this is a less of a deduction than actually falling off.

 

[mygymnastrocks]

Thanks, I will let her know.. Is there a name for that move? Thanks again!!

 

[bogwoppit]

She means a sole circle, it can be very useful if allowed at her level. But she should learn to do the squat on consistently before she learns it as either an optional skill or to save a squat on. Only her coach can teach that one as there is a lot off falling off the front of the bar before they learn how to use their body to get them around the whole way on top of the bar.

One thing at a time is good.

 

[mygymnastrocks]

At practice lastnight, she got more squat on's then misses.. She looked great!!! Let's hope this trend continues Thanks so much for everyones help/tips~~ it's appreciated.