Round offs

[iamagymbabe]

I've started doing some coaching recently and 1 of the girls in my group is struggling with her round offs. She has the right shape for a round off but she just doesn't push off the floor and lift her chest at the end. She gets into the handstand part and then just flops down with no block off the floor. We have been doing some drills to try and help with the block but nothing seems to work for her. We have tried: handstand hops, donkey kicks, round offs off a springboard and off a bench, round offs on an air floor and even shouting 'push' so shes knows when to block. Does anyone have anymore drills we could try? She is a recreational gymnast aged about 11 so she can do more complex drills. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

the fix for this is doing it over a barrel mat. start with the small ones and work your way up to the bigger ones.

 

[iamagymbabe]

unfortunately we don't have a barrel mat at our gym. is there something we could use as a substitute?

 

[ryantroop]

Since she can do a handstand hop, try teaching cartwheel hop (the hop happens before the first foot touches).If that doesn't click, you can always put a spring board in front of an 8" mat with a wedge on top of that (low side facing the board, so it inclines) and if you have it for safety, a board collar (but it's not toally necessary), and then she will need to do cartwheel stand up and fall on her shoulders/back. Then up to round-off and fall, and finally try to miss the feet altogether. The final one is very tricky.An alternative to this (based on her size) is to stack spotting blocks or folded panel mats in front of a porta-pit so that they are slightly above the top of the pit and do round-offs onto her back, missing her feet.Another option is to work a bazillion cartwheels and train the up motion as a conditioning piece, but she would have to learn to block off as she stands up.Basically, any drill you can think of to break down the motion you desire will help. She is weak/inexperienced somewhere, and she needs to feel the motion to understand what you are asking.Hope that helps!Ryan

 

[CoachGoofy]

Does she get to handstand and, like, stop? (the cartwheel and feet together at the top and put them down thing?) There are a lot of drills for keeping momentum going if that's the issue, mostly going back to a cartwheel.

 

[ryantroop]

*sigh* formatting fail via phone browser.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

unfortunately we don't have a barrel mat at our gym. is there something we could use as a substitute?

stack a couple of panel mats at least hip height and throw a stinger mat over it.

 

[iamagymbabe]

thanks for all the suggestions. i will try them out this week.

Does she get to handstand and, like, stop? (the cartwheel and feet together at the top and put them down thing?) There are a lot of drills for keeping momentum going if that's the issue, mostly going back to a cartwheel.

basically yes! could you post some of the drills please?

 

[CoachGoofy]

Disclaimer: I am a weirdo who pretty much doesn't teach a roundoff until I can expect an actual roundoff (not that cartwheel pikedown garbage. I spend soooo much time fixing that stuff and it has made me slightly crazy):

We do:
Cartwheel pops (standing, running, power hurdle)
Cartwheel step-ins (standing, running, power hurdle)
Both of these reaching over a mat, trying to get over a mat with their feet, hands in a 'tunnel' between mats
Cartwheels for length and speed

I don't even want them THINKING about a handstand in a roundoff.

 

[CoachTodd]

Go back to the cartwheel. I don't tell my kids to block. I tell them that a block happens when they do everything else right. The round off has to be the hardest skill in gymnastics to get right even though it seems so simple. I coach a cartwheel over and over again to lead to the round off.
First: do a good cartwheel from a stand or a fall. Make it as big as possible. Make sure they aren't putting their feet down at the end of the cartwheel but lifting the upper body to put the lower body down. I even have them try to finish in a scale.

Second: Cartwheels from a hurdle keeping the same shapes and focusing again on the lift instead of dropping the feet. Eventually these cartwheels should continue to move backwards. i.e. they should have trouble stopping just like a round off will rebound if you do it right.

Third: Once they have the "bouncing cartwheel" down, bring the feet together for the round off. All of the basics are technically the same. I have my kids try to get their feet together before they get to handstand. Most of them can't do it that fast but that isn't the point.

All of these drills work well up to a stack of mats as well as over a mat. I tend to use my arm as the barrel mat so I can help them feel the lift. If you do this, be ready to get kicked in the head and have a sore shoulder.

 

[georgert]

Stabilization

You might also consider that she does not have enough shoulder stability. Handsprings or roundoffs involve dynamic force from the added momentum of the athlete requiring strong stabilization through the shoulder girdle and posterior thoracic region, and involve stabilization of the scapulae. The scapular stabilizers are the muscles that attach on the medial (inside) aspect of the scapula. These include the middle and lower trapezius, rhomboid major and minor, and serratus anterior. While the shoulders might be strong, without other muscles in the kinetic chain to stabilize the upper torso, it's a little like trying to fire a cannon from a canoe. If you Google Scapular Stabilization Exercises, you will find a lot of resources for functional training of this area. In addition, consider that the deep abdominal muscles, the transverse abdominis, muscles that help stabilize the spine activate every time before force absorption or projection through either the arms or legs. Increased work on core and hip stabilizers are every bit as important.

 

[BlairBob]

Basically I don't teach a RO even in Rec (which I get a lot of flak for) if they don't have a GOOD cartwheel.

As for stabilization, have a good HS. A handstand hop/pop/shrug/block means nothing to me if they do not have a solid HS. I don't even teach a HS hop before a solid HS.

Once they have a decent HS and enough upper body strength and good mechanics, the block will just happen. All the drills in the world will not matter if they are weak in their shoulders and cannot maintain control of their middle.

 

[pihlajat]

one drill that has helped my gymnasts is using mini-trampoline. i found one video where one of my young not-so-advanced gymnast is doing this drill. you don't have to add the jump back if you don't like, but i think that it also helps the kids to push with their shoulders to get up very quick because they REALLY love to jump back and i don't let them do that before they can do a roundoff without piking.

[video=youtube;_MpV3EZ0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MpV3EZ0[/video]

 

[coachcasie]

pihlajat, thanks for sharing. I'm sure many kids would enjoy this drill...something different!

 

[Deleted member 9865]

I've always had a problem with roudoffs, some kids pick them up really fast and naturally, others struggle, I find the best ways, are to go through every part of it. I spend a lot of time doing preps for making sure your going through handstand (use two blocks to make a corridor, and move them closer and closer each time) the hand turning (put chalk on the hands and watch where the hands are going, depending on how you teach handplacement) the snap down rebound, (hand stand on a height, throw legs down and rebound). I've also found on the rare occasion that if you teach them from hurdlestep then it makes it easier for some, stand on a box of about 30cm, straight jump off and land in lunge, it makes the snap a bit easier and faster.