WAG Re: tap swings question

[sjm2b3]

I probably should know this by now as my son already competed L5, but now that my DD is doing the bars at that level (new level 4), I'm confused about what the tap swing is supposed to look like. I wish I had a video to share, but I don't. She's tiny enough that when she swings, she keeps a completely straight body. She goes super high, but she doesn't pike at all as she comes near the low bar. It seems like everyone else pikes on their way back by the low bar. Some are more hollow than others, and I do know that hollow shoulders are a good thing, I just wasn't sure about the body position at that point. I am really just curious. She used to not swing very high so this is a new thing for me to see.

 

[tay8589]

You really want the body to be hollow in the back. For tap swings I teach the words hollow, arch, kick (hollow).

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Hollow in the front and back, arched under the bottom. (Whether the arch should occur in the bottom or just before the bottom can vary depending on the kid and on the context)

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Great to know since DD is just starting these! The coach seems to really emphasize the hollow, she stops them and holds them in the hollow position while they're training this.

 

[coachmolly]

I also use the "hollow-arch-hollow" or "hollow-arch-kick" terminology to teach tap swings- another great reason to get kids learning hollow and arch shapes early on!
I'm glad you asked this because I was coaching a group I don't typically coach who were just learning tap swings and one of the girls insisted their usual coach told them to pike in the back- and pike hard. I explained that it's more of a hollow and she continued to insist they were to pike, like a folded in half pike. She was so adamant I thought I had totally lost it and forgot how to teach tap swings, or had not been introduced to some new and improved tap swing technique. Glad to know I haven't totally lost it... Yet .