Women only two events...

[haileygymnast]

Ok guys, I have a serious problem and I really need some advice from people who understand the sport.

I have done gymnastics since 3 years now, so I started pretty late. I train 3-4 hours a day, 6 days a week.

On bars I can Kip-Cast Handstand on low and high bar, I do a toe on handstand in straps. I can also do Giants and Flyaway with a spot, although I am still a little scared of the flyaway. But I guess in about 1 or 1 ½ years I should be ready to do that routine.

I am also good at all „standing“ stuff. On a foam beam on floor or a line, I can easily do a back handspring, a back tuck, a back pike and a side aerial.

BUT I don't like connecting things when they are fast. Like in a Round Off Back Handspring. I do good with my coach, but alone I just get so scared of losing control in mid-air, stopping the skill and landing on my head. I am good front „tucker“, I can do a nice high tuck on floor and I can also do Front Tuck – Front Tuck on rod floor. I can do a Front Handspring on Vault also, but I don’t like working that. I just don’t enjoy the fast things. Of course, I sometimes mess around on tramp but not longer than a few minutes. Then I want to go to bars again or work standing stuff.

Although I am such a powerful fast-twitch tumbler, I am not used to controlling my body during speed. I am pretty sure I would learn that if I worked on it, I just need repetition, but why should I do something I do not really enjoy? I think a nice back tuck on beam, perfectly stuck is so much cooler than a RO BH FULL on floor. This is just my personal opinion! I don’t want to achieve something competition wise, I just wanna be a good gymnast for myself. I personally think bars and beam are the two most beautiful events.

So I kind of decided I would focus on bars and beam now. I will still do basic stuff on floor like RO BHs or FT, but no upgrade or focus. All about getting used to tumble on beam and doing bars!

So long story short question:

At the moment, I can do this pretty perfect on a floor foam beam: Side Aerial – Full Turn – Back Tuck – Pivot Turn – Wolf Jump – Sissone – Cross Press Handstand – Back Handspring stepout – Back Pike

If I would really focus on that, do it over and over and over again, I could maybe have it on medium beam in a year and on high beam in two?

I know some of them are big skills... but for me, a back tuck or pike is pretty easy. And if I can do a tuck on beam, a pike shouldn’t be too hard. And the Aerial is all about repetition and control. There is also no series or difficult jump or leap in the routine...

Do you think it is realistic to do that?
Is it really possible to do those things on beam and bars without even having a RO BH BT on my own?
Is it stupid?

Thank You in Advance!

 

[Sari]

Whatever you work on consistently and with the correct basics, you'll get. If it's just for fun and you don't plan on competing (as you're suggesting), you won't need to have a series on beam or a RO BHS full on floor. Most gymnasts, if not all, prefer certain events over others, it's not unusual. Nothing "stupid" about that in my opinion, as long as you and your coaches are following the proper progressions.

 

[haileygymnast]

Whatever you work on consistently and with the correct basics, you'll get. If it's just for fun and you don't plan on competing (as you're suggesting), you won't need to have a series on beam or a RO BHS full on floor. Most gymnasts, if not all, prefer certain events over others, it's not unusual. Nothing "stupid" about that in my opinion, as long as you and your coaches are following the proper progressions.

Thank you very much!!! It helps me a lot, because I have been really frustrated in the last days.
I just don't enjoy tumbling. I could do a perfect standing back pike on floor before I even started working on Round Off Back Handsprings. I am sure I would do good on floor tumbling as well, I would just need LOADS of repetitions as this is new to me and I never really liked speed.

I just really enjoy beam work, because this event kind of allows me to show off my strengths, which are all those standing tucks.
I think I need tons of reps to even dare trying them on medium beam, but it is something I enjoy so much. I could do 100 standing tucks on a line and never get bored I just love the feeling of sticking a skill.

Thanks again

 

[Aussie_coach]

It sounds like you are a powerful gymnast, for very powerful gymnasts the standing stuff can be a lot earlier and the running stuff can feel out of control.

But you can work up to it by using more control. If you want to get your round off back handspring start with a backward roll to back handspring, and standing back handspring to a second back handspring and a cartwheel snap up to a standing back handspring.

Once you are comfortable with that worl and step round off back handspring, don't even do a hurdle, just step and snap your feet down. Then go from a hurdle. Once you are comfortable with that the round off back handspring with a run will come.

By only focusing on two evens you are limiting your potential, especially by not doing floor. Floor will aid your beam.

 

[haileygymnast]

It sounds like you are a powerful gymnast, for very powerful gymnasts the standing stuff can be a lot earlier and the running stuff can feel out of control.

But you can work up to it by using more control. If you want to get your round off back handspring start with a backward roll to back handspring, and standing back handspring to a second back handspring and a cartwheel snap up to a standing back handspring.

Once you are comfortable with that worl and step round off back handspring, don't even do a hurdle, just step and snap your feet down. Then go from a hurdle. Once you are comfortable with that the round off back handspring with a run will come.

By only focusing on two evens you are limiting your potential, especially by not doing floor. Floor will aid your beam.

Thanks Aussie Coach! Good to know that this is not "unusual".

I was at the point were I did Round Off Back Handspring with my coach comfortably. He was still there spotting a tiny bit, but I did well. Then one day at open gym there was an other very old coach, he said I can do it easily alone. But I was scared so he said he would spot me. I did not really trust him, but I didn't want to show my fear, so I went for it. Although he promised to, he didn't spot me. I did a really good RO BH all my own even with a rebound and he was standing 3 feet away. But instead of being happy I did in on my own, I got scared. And then I couldn't do it anymore, although he really said he was going to spot me now. I wanted to go for it, but every time I started, my round off turned into a cartwheel instead. I know I can do it, I know I have a lot more power and better form than other who do RO BH BT or even RO BH BL.
I really trust MY coach, but he can not spot me all the time. I kind of like front tumbling and I sometimes work FT - FT on floor, because I find this really easy. But backward is horrible.

I am actually scared of my fear. I am scared that during the skill I get scared, stop the movement and fail. The more I think about it, the scarier it gets. It is just easier for me to do just one skill standing. I still get scared, but it is not as bad as in fast back tumbling connections. I do totally fine on trampoline, but not on floor. My coach says I could definitely learn it and I am sure I could. I also want to learn RO BH, but that's it. I would rather have a great beam routine which I enjoy working for than having to deal with all those mental blocks that totally screw up my brain and drive me crazy... I am also having a super hard time with flyways, I even hate the tuck flyaway, but I learned my kip in 2 weeks, got it consistently with straight arms in 3 months and could kip cast hand in 5. When I first learned my standing tuck and back handspring, I would ONLY do it on a squishy fat mat alone. The coaches asked me why I did that, it would be so much easier on floor. But I just couldn't do it. My brain said no and I was afraid off falling on my head.

And even now, although I have done 10000 of back tucks and back pikes, the first few of a training session still scare me. That's why I think I might not be able to handle all 4 events and just want to do my two favourite ones, as I don't like the other anyway....... I guess I am just a weirdo....

sorry for this long post, no matter if someone replies or not, I just had to write that down because it drives me crazy