WAG Pausing between RO and BHS (Adult Gymnast)

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LilAdultTumbler

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Some background: I'm a 30 year old adult trying gymnastics (I never did it as a kid) I've been taking 1-2 days a week classes for almost three years. I'm taking it nice and slow cause these old bones and joints can't handle too much.

I really want to get my ROBHS, but I always round-off pause sometimes a small fraction of a second and sometimes a whole second before do my back handspring. My coach just tells me to do it a bunch until the times and then the pausing will go away, but I've had this pausing issue for since Jan/Feb. (The reason I pause is because I'm scared and everything feels so fast! Although most of gymnastics feels that way.) Anything else I can do besides just do it a a bazillion times.

Also...Any adult gymnasts out there?
 
Just exercise patience. If it happens it'll happen when it happens, it'll happen. :) With repetition, your body will eventually let you know when it's comfortable to get rid of the pause.

How about standing backhandsprings on the tumbletrak in a row?

I actually often encourage the pause for young kids when they are first learning, because they may still have weak round-off turnovers. To ask them to connect right away into a back handspring when they are landing short, I think it encourages that classic undercutting where the knees are buckled forward and the chest already out in anticipation of the backhandspring. I don't mind the delay if it gets the gymnast to not back handspring until the moment they feel off balance; to hold a hollow chest for as long as possible. To encourage the connection between the round-off and back handspring, I just ask them to minimize the pause and get to that off balance position faster.
 
Just exercise patience. If it happens it'll happen when it happens, it'll happen. :) With repetition, your body will eventually let you know when it's comfortable to get rid of the pause.

So I just gotta be patient! My form isn't the best either. My back handsprings are ugly and I often don't squeeze my legs together enough. I honestly have never tired multiple back handsprings on the tumble track before. (Maybe I'll give it a whirl or a try)
 
Oooh, I am jealous. I wish I could find an adult beginner class near me! As it is my girls have got me doing a decent cartwheel, ok handstand, and even a bridge lol! Good luck on the ROBHS!
 
I love my class! Some adults are just trying to learn a cartwheel and others are working on double backs. We do lots of stations and drills with groups who are working on similar skills.

My work life is extremely stressful and it is great for me to escape and focus all my mental energy into something completely different.
 
Do you ever practice round-offs with jumps after or rebounding? This basically gives you the feeling of springing straight up after the round-off and may help with getting used to the quickness you need and used to not stopping.
Also, my biggest advice would be to TRUST yourself! If you can do the BHS and the round-off you most likely will be fine. Gymnastics is a serious mental sport. Your muscles have the skills and my guess is that since you are older (and are hence more aware of fears/concerns) that the only thing holding you back is you ;) GO FOR IT! When you do make the connection and get that rhythm (and hopefully multiple BHS in the future) - it is a seriously awesome feeling!
 
Agree with working bhs in series. Other techniques that work for my nervous gymnasts is to remove the run and even hurdle from the round off, step into the round off like a cartwheel. cartwheel step in bhs are also a little slower. Also using mats that are firm but softer than the floor. Tumbling onto a firm mat over the pit/resi, start with feet landing on mat from round off.
 
Thanks again for the tips! I've been doing some more drills like round-off and jump backwards and doing ROBHS into a resi over a firm mat.

My connecting problem has been getting much better in the last 2 weeks since originally posted! More and more of my back handsprings have been connected lately! However, I do feel they have gotten uglier. (Froggy legs..) So I get better form when doing them separately or ugly form when I do them connected. You can't win 'em all... :p
 
Just chiming in to say I'm also an adult gymnast, about 3 years in, with in-progress ROBHS. Hello!
 
Not quite an adult gymnast, but almost :)

Connections feel fast because you're used to doing one skill at a time, then stopping and thinking about the next one, so the aim is to get your body to feel like it's all one continuous skill, rather than two connected together. One really good drill to achieve this is to set up a soft crash mat on a 45-60 degree slope (put some boxes or blocks underneath it). There are progressions depending on how comfortable you are/how much you pause:
1. Round-off with rebound to in front of the mat, pause, and then jump back onto the mat (landing on your back)
2. Round-off to just in front of the mat, then use the rebound to jump back onto the mat, again landing on your back
3. Round-off, then the rebound should be similar to the take-off of a back handspring - lean back like you're sitting in a chair and swing your arms back to your ears. Just make sure you're jumping straight backwards, not in an arc, so you land comfortably on the crash mat.

This is a very stress-free drill which allows you to practise the rebounding connection without worrying about doing the whole next skill.

Good luck!
 

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