Coaches Not a Coach but a question for you on directionality

[Canadian_gym_mom]

My daughter recently switched gyms, and while there were many reasons, one was the fact that we were informed by 2 different other gyms that she was doing her backwalkover using the wrong leg based on the direction of her cartwheel/roundoff.

I have since spoken to another coach that agrees with the way dd was first taught and was wondering where such confusion comes from.

So I am looking for coaching opinions about this. My dd does her cartwheel/roundoff with her left foot and hand touching down first. Which leg would you raise for a back walkover?

It was explained that the reason for the switch was that once she reaches higher level skills such as twists, that the directionality needs to be the same.

I would really appreciate any feedback/opinions you have on this, as we have been advised different things by different coaches.

TIA

 

[All Chalked Up]

Whichever one she's comfortable with, she should use.

 

[Coacharella]

There is no right or wrong leg. This is an endless debate in coaching. It is simply coach preference. As you travel from gym to gym, this will differ.

Option #1 is to perform cartwheel on left leg and BWO with right leg. Advantages include connecting simple skills early on (cw bwo) and later on when the athlete starts twisting dismounts from a cartwheel step in/round off off beam.

Option #2 is to perform cartwheel on left leg and BWO on left leg. Advantages are that the gymnast is using a "dominant leg", said leg is said to be stronger, etc. Kind of like being "right handed".

I've worked at 1 gym that does option #1 and current gym that supports option #2. Years ago I worked at a gym that supported both, it just depended which coach you had.

 

[CoachGoofy]

I'm one of those "whatever works for you" kind of coaches. In artistic once you get to optionals no one is sitting there saying "oh, right roundoff, left full turn, right split leap, left backhandspring stepoud. DEDUCTIONS!".

Also, I mostly coach T&T, where you start twisting basics extremely early-swivel hips, jump half turn, jump full turn, half turn to front drop. As long as it's all consistent, huzzah. When they're twisting I do not care what foot they roundoff with, I care which way their body likes to spin. How a backwalkover relates to a full, I don't even know...

 

[tumble-ready]

I would agree with "Coacharella" that there is no right or wrong leg. Personally, I work my athletes on both sides, whether front or back walkover, to develop even muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination. The athlete will tend to have a side they favor or do better at and that side can be worked more than the other. When it comes to cartwheels and round-off, again the athlete will have a favorite or natural side that will dominate in execution. Judy Wills Kline did a very intensive study on which way to twist and discovered that if the athlete learns the twist on their unnatural side, they "might" reach a double-full, but if taught on their natural side they have a better chance of reaching triples and beyond. The only down fall to twisting opposite of the round-off is that step-outs become much more difficult. So, the athlete who twists opposite their round-off does bounding skills instead of step-outs. I am talking from a power tumbling background, so I don't know how that may effect beam or other apparatus.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

There is no right or wrong leg. This is an endless debate in coaching. It is simply coach preference. As you travel from gym to gym, this will differ.

Option #1 is to perform cartwheel on left leg and BWO with right leg. Advantages include connecting simple skills early on (cw bwo) and later on when the athlete starts twisting dismounts from a cartwheel step in/round off off beam.

Option #2 is to perform cartwheel on left leg and BWO on left leg. Advantages are that the gymnast is using a "dominant leg", said leg is said to be stronger, etc. Kind of like being "right handed".

I've worked at 1 gym that does option #1 and current gym that supports option #2. Years ago I worked at a gym that supported both, it just depended which coach you had.

spot on! and to take this topic any further is mind boggling. case in point...carly patterson. switched her feet on the round off. then switched her feet again on the back handspring punch. then twisted the opposite way of the forward foot to arabian double front.

in the final analysis...you do what you gotta do and feels the most comfortable. carry on.

 

[gymdog]

Well, I know people who switch legs. Personally I think they should lead over with their dominant and for the average gymnast this will make things easier down the line. It's not really a tragedy to use the other leg, but I feel like they should be able to learn it on their dominant leg. They should be able to do a decent back walkover on both legs, really.

Some people can do everything on different legs and not really have any issues, but I have seen issues...and back walkovers that could have looked better if they were done with the dominant (and more flexible leg/split) leading. So I don't really see why you would have a kid do it on their worse split leg (which some people have equal splits but most don't), unless they really literally can't do it with the other leg which doesn't really make sense. I'm sure if I ONLY ever did back walkovers with my left leg in front, at some point I'd feel more comfortable with them. But I am not really exceptionally flexible under good circumstances, so while I can do a decent left leg walkover, it's not as good as my right leg which is a more flexible split.

BTW, most of this starts from the bridge kickover days when kids don't really "lead" with a leg but are just starting in an elevated bridge. Lots of kids feel more stable on their dominant leg and so they leave that one down and will try to use the other one, then they just get used to it, and transfer that to the walkover. I generally try to correct it and in my experience when kids get used to balancing on their non dominant leg in the bridge a little, their kickover is better on their more flexible split leg.

 

[Aussie_coach]

A lot of gymnasts actually do this. A few years ago and handspring step out to cartwheel was put in as a compulsory skill in our level 5 floor routines and many kids discovered that they did walkovers/handspring step outs and cartwheels on opposite sides.

What leg your gymnast does a back walkover on will not affect their twisting.

 

[CoachTodd]

I know when I'm teaching the walkovers, I basically say, "pick a leg". Once they have the skill, I mix it up and have them try the other side as well. I usually make a game out of "good leg/ bad leg" skills during warm ups when they get more advanced. This way they can do cartwheels and walkovers with whichever leg they choose at any time.

 

[iluvgym]

Did you visit these two gyms who told you this or did they offer you their unsolicited advice? Because the 2nd one is VERY unprofessional of a coach.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

Did you visit these two gyms who told you this or did they offer you their unsolicited advice? Because the 2nd one is VERY unprofessional of a coach.

We were unhappy with many things at the gym we were at, so we began looking around at other gyms. When we found a gym we liked, and they told us that her walkover would have to be switched, we wanted to get a second opinion from yet another gym to see which one was "right".

 

[gymalex]

It seems to me that you have been talking to inexperienced coaches. Back walkovers are whichever leg is more comfortable. And back walkovers have nothing to do with fulls. That's one of the craziest things I've ever heard.

 

[iluvgym]

...and remember that unfortunately some gyms will of course say what they have to say to MAKE you question your current gym to make sure you join, that is unprofessional as well, as these coaches and gyms are preying on the parents' desire to have their child in the best place possible.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

bwhahahaha...i love when people tell it the way it is.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^preach!

 

[iluvgym]

bwhahahaha...i love when people tell it the way it is.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^preach!

Who, me? I always tell people, if you don't want my opinion, don't ask for it!