Round off BHS BHS...

[MdGymMom01]

So at practice the other day dd's team was practicing RO BHS BHS's. Dani really wanted to try it but her coach was a bit hesitant saying that she doesn't have her RO BHS, how can you do two? After Dani kept begging, the coach told her that she will only let her try it if she follows through on each BHS with her spotting her. So she does it and the first BHS was like it always is, hesitating a bit out of the RO, but the 2nd BHS was perfect!! No hesitation at all!! Coach was a bit baffled and thinks that it may be the RO that is giving her trouble--maybe producing too much power that she is afraid of. But wouldn't the first BHS produce more power because of the momentum?

So with this said what are some drills to help the RO and controlling it?

Also, have any of you coaches seen this type of issue with any of your gymnasts?

 

[Linsul]

Yes! As far as the actual skill goes, the momentum should carry through to the 2nd bhs. The idea being that she's eventually going to be connecting higher and more complicated skills. If she were to go for say, a ro + bh + layout full she'd need her momentum to carry through. Not to worry you though as that comes with practice and comfort with the skill!

It's common enough for kids to halt a bit after the ro. What I like to do is play with connections to teach them the value of momentum and position. Instead of asking them for a bh after a ro, I'll ask for a ro + backwards roll + bh. I still want their ro to be powerful and punch, so they have to figure out how to cope and adapt that speed for the backwards roll. More often than not it starts as a back extension rather than a roll, but that's okay! What they need to learn practically rather than by explanation is that different degrees of speed are okay and even helpful depending on the skill being attempted.

 

[gymdog]

It's probably the turn in the RO into the back handspring and the speed I'd assume. RO BHS and BHS BHS feel a little different, and if she did it from standing, it was slower. If she had a standing back handspring, I would have let her do standing BHS to another BHS (easy to spot and slower) but I'd be hesistant with RO BHS BHS if she usually hesistates on the RO BHS, just because I've seen so many kids completely stop or fly back and then get more messed up.

If she could do a standing RO, I'd just have her start connecting that to a BHS. One of my teammates lost all her back tumbling in L8 (seriously afraid to do RO BHS) and she started with standing RO, bounce, BHS, then standing RO BHS, then hurdle, then small run, etc.

 

[peace.love.gymnast]

I also have my students do RO backward rolls to help them get comfortable adding things after the RO. They also do RO & then jump to their backs on stacked mats to help get the feeling of going backward out of their RO. Another drill I find very helpful is to have them do a handstand snapdown off of a block or stacked panel mats & go right into a BHS...this one really seems to help with them getting comfortable after that snapdown motion that a RO has at the end.