Push away Kip

[BarCoach]

Any drills or tips on holding the feet up greatly appreciated. Have 2 gymnasts who are struggling.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

When I was learning a kip, I felt that the end of the swing part, when you bring your toes up to the bar and do the actual kip up, the pulling-up-the-pants, etc...I felt that the rhythm of that bit was actually much faster than what it looks like when you see other people do it. The kip has to be swift...I was trying to emulate the other gymnasts, but it looks slower than it feels. If they are pushing away, it may be a speed question? Or lower abdominal strength.

 

[gymdog]

By push away kip I assume we are talking about kip out of something (i.e. clear hip) so not starting from glide swing on the floor.

This can be difficult to learn, particularly if you are taller/longer limbed when first learning it (the little ones get away easier here, but watch...they should still use correct technique and keep feet in front). The best thing they can do for it is practice a lot. Kip, cast kip, cast kip. Start with sets of two. If they're doing pike glides, they may want to try straddle first as it's probably a little easier, then once they get the hang of it go to pike.

If they're already doing straddle, then have them do cast to glide swing (don't try and kip). Put something (like a block) out where the kip should extend to, and they need to glide swing out to there. Some of the kids will probably be able to do this even if they can't hold their feet up in the cast kip. Because they are getting too anxious and trying to begin the kipping action early and cutting the glide short. Or just not thinking about it.

Some may lack strength, L or straddle L (stalder) leg lifts are good. Handstand, straddle, press down (coming through to sit), see if they can control that. Many kids can't, if they haven't worked on it. This generally indicates that they do not understand how to use tension through their shoulders to shorten their body length and control the contraction. Harder exercise: handstand hold, straddle press down to hover just above the floor (don't go through to sit, you don't need to be able to stalder to do this - or hold your feet up on a kip) then press back up to handstand, press down to sit. I feel by L7 they should be able to do that. I am one who lacks a lot of hip flexor flexibility and often struggled with stalder press, but I can do that one fairly easily. Sometimes I've seen only the stalder emphasized, great if they can do it but the ones who are never going to get it are going to just sit around "trying" and not getting much strength benefit. By mixing the press exercises and using the easier "press down" we can teach and work on control and strength through the shoulders.

Straddle/pike rocks on parallettes (in L sit).

They should be able to press down to sit. This takes less strength and more just body control. It's nice to be able to do a stalder, but some kids just can't and in no way is that amount of strength a requirement to be able to hold the feet up.

 

[BlairBob]

When you say push away kip, I think cast push away from support (sometimes called a push-away bail) into the glide swing (be it straddled or piked).

It's important in the push away to push your shoulders out all the way and get your head in ( just like a regular back swing from a traditional tap swing ).

You must master the ability to hold a L and straddle-L hang. This means with no shoulder angle or head sticking out.

Failure to master the basic ability to hold an L or straddle-L is inexcuseable whether you are 4 feet or 5 and a half. 30s should be a bare minimum if not a full minute.

A L or straddle-L hang can be achieved by all while some may never master the L or straddle-Lsit press to HS due to hip flexors weakness/tightness.