Standing Back Walkover Help (the kind on one leg)

[GymGirl's Mom]

HELP!!!

DD has had her standing backbend into back walkover for over a year now. Her class just started working on doing it on one leg and she is STRUGGLING- she can only do it with a heavy spot. Any exercises she can do to help her build whatever muscles she is lacking to make this possible. The girls on her team are getting the skill and she is still at square one and beginning to get frustrated.

Help, advice, etc. much appreciated.

 

[gymdog]

Stand on one leg back to a wall. Not too far away. Maybe two feet (depends on size). Reach back to the wall, and she should hit it pretty soon. Then she should walk her hands down the wall and put her hands on the floor to reach a bridge. trying to hold the front leg up.

When she has mastered that, she can try to walk back up the wall onto one foot and reach the standing position.

I am assuming she already has a BWO and is struggling with the timing off one leg (many kids will try to "jump" to their hands). The wall walk down and up will help understand the timing and develop balance. If she doesn't have a BWO then she will struggle with this skill until she has a bridge kickover and back bend kickover, which I wouldn't recommend working on at home if she hasn't gotten them in the gym yet.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

Thanks! Exactly- she has her BWO no problem, could do it in her sleep- it's a balance/coordination thing on the one leg in the air while going backward. I'm going to have her try it now.

I am not good with the gym vocab- but she does have her BWO bridge kickover. She is competing level 3 and they are uptraining this skill b/c the team has all mastered the BWO.

 

[marie83]

Is it just to do with balance or is it a 'worry' thing? When I am teaching this skill I like the gymnasts to do it onto a splat mat first, so that if they do collapse, its a soft landing! (not too many as this can cause sore wrists)

I have my gymnasts go through the following check list in their head:

1) Stand on 2 feet, arms by ears - Get balance
2) Point one foot infront and lift up - Get balance
3) Pull shoulders backwards past ears
4) Arch backwards, and keep free leg moving upwards. Push hips forwards.
5) Straight arms, keep legs split
6) First foot down, chest up to stand.

The parts in bold are the most important and need emphasising over and over. Beginner gymnasts often forget to take their time in getting their balance because they are eager to do the skill.
Forgetting to push the hips forwards is the main cause of 'jumping' onto the hands.

Good Luck to your DD!

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

I think it's a combo if balance and worry. She needs a little bit of help with both Thanks for the advice!

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

UPDATE- well, a week or two since I posted this- she got it. It was a fear of hitting her head thing. A few spots on the floor, and trying it alone for a few days on the big thick really soft mat (the kind they often lay over the foam pit) and she can do it on floor now. No spot- yay! It was definitley a confidence thing.

 

[Blazing15]

Congrats on your daughter getting it.

 

[marie83]

Yay! Well done to your DD!