Women Straddle or hollow body past low bar

[HopefulGymnast]

I have a question for both giants and (more relevant to me atm) cast from high bar to flyaway layout.

When I cast more strongly (like above horizontal) from high bar, I get scared of hitting my feet on the low bar. Im trying work on a very strong curved hollow body after my cast so I fit between the bars. But when I look at higher level gymnasts, the only ones im seeing use thie technique are very short gymnasts.

I'm 1m65 (5 foot 5). I've had a coach say in the past that he's not a fan of gymnasts straddling past the low bar, because a tight hollow body should work to get yoi past the low bar.

When do people decide wether to straddle past low?

 

[Gymgirl84]

I think at that height in regular FIG settings (I know in the US you can set the bars differently, we can't so I don't know with other settings) you can either pike or straddle. I don't think you could do it just in hollow. In fact, my gymnasts that are a little shorter, but around 1,55/1,60 have to straddle because when doing swings in hollow they'd hit the LB.

 

[HopefulGymnast]

I think at that height in regular FIG settings (I know in the US you can set the bars differently, we can't so I don't know with other settings) you can either pike or straddle. I don't think you could do it just in hollow. In fact, my gymnasts that are a little shorter, but around 1,55/1,60 have to straddle because when doing swings in hollow they'd hit the LB.

I am not in the US, we also use FIG settings and can't adjust. Thanks a lot for your thoughts. For the moment I've been getting past in a hollow, but it's because I do tiny casts and tbh it kinda feels like it also needs my shoulders closed a bit too much. Do you know if piking is a deduction? I know straddling isn't. I'll also look it up.

I think it'll be interesting to work on straddle, I'll need to look up some drills to make sure I can keep my core tension properly in that form. I know I used to have issues with that.

 

[Gymnast_13]

Honestly it just depends on your height. My coach says for me that I'd straddle my giants and cast handstands because of my height (I'm also 5'5). Some girls do them without straddling but I don't think its a deduction to straddle. Is this what you're asking?

 

[HopefulGymnast]

Honestly it just depends on your height. My coach says for me that I'd straddle my giants and cast handstands because of my height (I'm also 5'5). Some girls do them without straddling but I don't think its a deduction to straddle. Is this what you're asking?

So, at first I was asking... Is it necessary to straddle at 5'5?

And then I also wonder, is it a deduction to pike past the low bar in a cast to tap swing / cast to flyaway, or in a giant?
I know that straddling in a giant is not a deduction, and I think also not in a cast to swing past low bar.

I can't cast to handstand or do giants yet, but we do cast from high bar straight to tap swings or flyaways here, and I get real scared of hitting the low bar.

 

[Gymnast_13]

So, at first I was asking... Is it necessary to straddle at 5'5?

And then I also wonder, is it a deduction to pike past the low bar in a cast to tap swing / cast to flyaway, or in a giant?
I know that straddling in a giant is not a deduction, and I think also not in a cast to swing past low bar.

I can't cast to handstand or do giants yet, but we do cast from high bar straight to tap swings or flyaways here, and I get real scared of hitting the low bar.

Ahhh I see. I think you said that the bars can't be set wider so if the bars are pretty close together then straddling might be necessary. I think it is a deduction to pike down but if you did it in a hollow body shape (so everything was round and hollow) it might not be a deduction. I think its better for you to straddle if you're scared of hitting the low bar rather than potentially getting a mental block on it and having to rework the skill for potentially months.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

There really shouldn't be much mechanical difference between doing it straddled and together (assuming everything else is correct). I'd go with whichever feels more comfortable.