LGrip for young gymnasts

[NGL780309]

Tom Forster on deciding whether or not to train El/Eagle grip from gymnastike

Technique Tuesday: Deciding Whether or not to Train an L-Grip | Technique Tuesday | Gymnastike

Thanks! That was very interesting.

 

[NGL780309]

Your daughter is 6? Sure-a little intro to the grip is ok-but to really teach is/ use it takes special flex & conditioning work. I can think of a million more things a 6 year old should be exposed to first. Has she ever even worked a handstand in a front grip? (like a grip for a mill circle?) I think her dad's a little ahead of himself in this situation.

I know at her gym they do hold handstands on a floor bar in the grip used for front giants and they also do chin-ups in this grip. Besides mill circles, which they aren't doing anymore, that's the only work I've seen.

He was proposing that she should do handstands on the floor bar in this grip as part of her regular training and hang in the grip to get familiar with it. Her gym doesn't do this and it's not like I'm going to march in and demand it so really it was just more interesting to me than anything. He seems to believe, rather correctly or incorrectly, that working in a grip like this is important starting somewhere between level 5-7 if the gymnast has the ability to do it. He said for some gymnasts he's worked with it's not something they physically could do. I don't think he was meaning it was some emergency at 6 years old. His point was more that this type of bar work takes many years of work and you don't start when the kid is 14 years old or something. I found that interesting because I never knew any skill in gymnastics had a window of opportunity and was curious if this was true or what others opinions were on this.

He oftens thinks ahead of himself because he's never really perscribed to the US system of doing things where kids are introduced to gymnastics as a fun sport and maybe someday if they are good enough or have the drive they might give the upper levels or elite a shot. He's always coached in system where kids where judged on their natural physcially abilities and body at around 6 years old. I think that's just the way his mind thinks in regards to young gymnasts.

I remember when he was coaching at a club after just coming to the US and he didn't like working with just any kid who walked in the door. He wanted to spend his time with those kids he could see had some real future in the sport. Can you imagine how well that went over with the parents? I have to say that one of these little kids that he felt had little potential is actually a jr international elite right now. I love to remind him of that! Meanwhile the kids he felt had potential have all quit the sport.

 

[flipper's fan]

Just a random thought on "window of opportunity"- maybe it's biology, becasue, I am OOOLd as dirt, not a gymnast, and following Dunno's instructions with the broomstick, was easily able to make the L grip, was able to drive in L- grip, can hang for a bit in l- grip, but could never do a handstand or other move( can't do them in any other grip either) Point being, I was surprised by the ability to even do it, untrained and unpracticed.

 

[NGL780309]

Just a random thought on "window of opportunity"- maybe it's biology, becasue, I am OOOLd as dirt, not a gymnast, and following Dunno's instructions with the broomstick, was easily able to make the L grip, was able to drive in L- grip, can hang for a bit in l- grip, but could never do a handstand or other move( can't do them in any other grip either) Point being, I was surprised by the ability to even do it, untrained and unpracticed.

I don't think he meant there was a window of opportunity to put your hands in Lgrip, but to learn skills that require it. When he was checking DD's wrists to see if she could do it easily without any discomfort and then raise her arms up, he tried it on me too and I could do it, though not as easily as DD. He on the other hand has very bad wrist flexibility and was an accomplished gymnast. I believe his point was that the chinese don't start learning skills that require this when they are 12-14, they start much younger. In the US kids generally wouldn't start learning skills like that until they had already made a decision to be an elite gymnast and at that point it's harder for them and they don't have the time. This is just his personal opinion and could be completely wrong. That's why I was very interested in what other coaches think about this.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

Interesting. I watched the video and then had DD come over and showed her a L grip (just for interest) I was able to turn her wrists easily into the shape but her shoulders looked hunched when I did it. I tried it on myself and couldn't turn my wrists that far without pain.

 

[canadiangymnast_eh]

I think eagle giants would be hard! I have very flexible shoulders in that position and i can both handstand and hang in eagle grip with my hands touching. Just a quick question, but is an elgrip giant worth more than an undergrip giant?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes.^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Sunobo]

Interesting. I watched the video and then had DD come over and showed her a L grip (just for interest) I was able to turn her wrists easily into the shape but her shoulders looked hunched when I did it. I tried it on myself and couldn't turn my wrists that far without pain.

I tried it first and could barely grab the broom. I keep telling myself it's just the bicep tendonitis I have but I'm sure it has more to do with just being old, out of shape and very tight shoulders. I gave a broom to both of my kids to see how they would do. Older dd (quit gymnastics 2 years ago as a L4) could lift the broom up over her head with her arms behind her ears. Younger dd (gymnast in a non USAG program) couldn't quite get the broom over her head but she was close.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

and to be clear, the hard part is holding the handstand on top of the bar in that grip.

 

[flipper's fan]

^^^^^^ crystal

 

[BlairBob]

Yep, for an elite track it's important to be working on just the basic flexibility as early as possible. I've been meaning to have them work with ropes or sticks implementing that into their WU but it hasn't yet happened. I doubt I could fit into our 45mx3d/w of compulsory bars as there is so much that needs to be done that it just gets lost. Perhaps as a side station IF I had an extra bar to hang from which I don't.