Gymnasts Mental block help

[GiaTheGymnast]

Hi I am a second year xcel gold gymnast and did one year of silver also and rec classes for 10 years before that and I have had a mental block on squat ons for five years now and I have gotten them consistent a few times but then would just lose it and they scare me a lot and I have tried Avery thing from drills to YouTube videos to repetitions and spots and nothing works sometimes I will be able to make it but it just dosent feel right and I am to scared to even have a spot from my coach when I used to have it consistent for the longest time I’ve ever had it consistent was when my bar set that I use was in a different spot in the gym then it is now and after they moved it I just couldn’t do it even though they just scooted it up and away from how close it was to the wall. Last year and In silver I was never able to make it and not even when we would show routines at the gym but at meets I would be able to make it because of the pressure but this year I just had my first meet and it wasn’t the best since I took a month off because I broke my finger and I had only two weeks to prepare I diddnt even try my squat on because now it just feels like in my brain I can’t even attempt to do it and they don’t feel natural, this is supposed to be my last year of gold and if I can’t go to platinum next year I will have to quit so I really need this and my coach always tells me not to be a weenie and just do it but they don’t understand that it is such a mental obstacle that I’m facing not a physical one and not a weenie problem

 

[Jadegym25]

Hi, I’m an xcel silver gymnast and have had a couple mental blocks this year myself, what I find helps are drills, breathing (it actually works, a deep breath before doing the skill!) and mentally doing the skill!

 

[Splat]

Have you worked a pike underswing dismount? Alot of my girls that used to be scared did those untill they got used to touching their feet to the bar. Also any drill that works on leaning over the bar as that can also be scary. The last one would be working shoot threws. I would start with 1 ft then possibly the other and try to do both to where you are just sitting on the bar.

 

[GiaTheGymnast]

I can’t do the pike underswing because my fear is not so much jumping off the bar of to the high bar it’s getting my feet on the bar

 

[Gymnasticsismylife]

I’m a first year Xcel Gold and I’ve had a lot of mental blocks so I’ve gotten to try out some different strategies. Different stuff works for different people but taking a step back and looking at the mental part has really helped me. I’ve often discovered that there have been things that lead up to it like fears of losing skills right before a meet. I recommend doing some research on the mental side of gymnastics because that has really given me the confidence to do scary skills. Also, the longer I have a mental block, the more scary and irrational it becomes for me. I tell myself this as a reminder not to wait until tomorrow to take the mat away or move up to a higher beam. Today is the best day to do it and I’m ready. Breaking it down and going back to the basics also helps me. Try and think of it less as I lost all my progress and I’m doing this because I’m scared to do the skill and more I am resetting and this is a fresh start for me. One drill that might not be as scary for squat ons is doing a push up shape with your hands on a floor bar and then jumping to a squat position with your feet on the bar. You can also stand up and jump off from there. And my last tip is to not think about having to have the skill or this or that will happen. I know it’s hard but focus on one day at a time and your baby steps no matter how small they are. You got this! Hope this helps!