Struggling with fulls?

[Muddlethru]

Are doing fulls a common struggle for most gymnasts in L8? My daughter is on and off on this skill. Luckily, she can perform a lot of other B skills to compensate for the full. She does whipbacks and double saltos, etc. But is struggling with the fulls. Funny last year, testing for TOPs, she learned the skill pretty quickly. Being in the lower levels, she did not use it all year. Then this year testing at TOPs Nationals, she had to relearn it again. Was able to do it, albeit not pretty. But now preparing for the season, is struggling with it to the point that the coach may be removing it from her routine. I've been looking for drills, and there were some tests to find out your natural twist direction. And based on those suggested tests, she is twisting her unnatural direction. Of course, it is not my job to direct her. Anyone else who has struggled with this skill? Any tips? Lastly, is this a very important skill to have in the higher levels?

 

[momof5]

I don't have any answers for you but I jut wanted to let you know that your DD is not alone mine also needs it for level 8 but will probably have to do another pass instead. She can only do a half twist. She is very stressed out about this and frustrated that she can't get this. Everybody else in her level caught on really quick.

 

[2gymmies]

I don't have any words of wisdom but I get the impression that the problem can be common! There is a girl on my dd's team who is an amazing gymnast and really struggles with her full. She does them but I don't like to watch because they scare me - the coaches are still working on it before deciding to put it in the routine or not. Hang in there - sometimes there body can do it, but the mind gets in the way. Good luck.

 

[gymnastgets10]

I have struggled with fulls for almost two years. I had finally just figured it out when I hurt my knee last January and now I'm trying to find it again. I just can't seem to figure out how to stay in the twist. I can do a good half and when I try to do a full I do a 3/4; I know I just need to pull more but when I think "pull" I twist right off the floor and overrotate to my back (I've hit my head pretty hard a couple times ). I was also doing my backhandspring incorrectly so that I was setting back instead of more up. But I think I'm getting closer. So no real advice; just commiseration. I'm sure we'll both get it eventually (hopefully soon!)

 

[gym monkeys mom]

My DD got her fulls rather quickly as a Level 7 competed them for 2 years then suddenly at Level 8 they stunk and she was fearfull. It took her a long time to relearn..... but she has it is common.

I think it is due to fear kicking in and siometimes growth throwing them off. Keep encouraging her as her mom and let her coach handl relearning the skill in the gym.

Things come and go this is just the way gymnastics is sometimes......ecsecially when the skills get hard!

 

[Muddlethru]

Thanks to the posters above. Your posts where just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Sparky]

My dd took a fair length of time to get her fulls, too - the other girls in her group got them much more quickly - however, here we are a few years later and she has competed double fulls, does triples into the pit, 1 and a 1/2's into punch front........it will come.....

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Here's the thing with a full: done correctly, it's one of the easiest skills on floor to do consistently. Done incorrectly, it's one of the scariest and hardest skills to do.

I'd wager a fair amount that either she's finishing the twist to early and losing sight of the floor, or she's growing so rapidly that her technique can't keep up with her changing body.

The reason why twist timing is such a big deal is that, in a correctly-timed full, the gymnast can see the floor for almost the entire skill -- they can spot it far better than in a back tuck or layout, and once they have a strong grasp of how to do this, it should be considerably less scary than just about any other salto skill. However, if she finishes the twist too early, she loses sight of the floor at the end of the twist, and finishes the twist looking at the ceiling -- few things are scarier than opening out a twist, looking for the floor, and seeing the ceiling instead, because it makes it feel like you're about to land on your head (I had this exact problem on my Kazamatsu on vault for a long time).

That said, since it's the first twisting salto most kids do, it's an entirely new sensation that takes most gymnasts quite awhile to get used to.

I'd have to see a video to say for sure if this is the issue, but from what you're saying this is my best guess.

 

[Muddlethru]

Here's the thing with a full: done correctly, it's one of the easiest skills on floor to do consistently. Done incorrectly, it's one of the scariest and hardest skills to do.

I'd wager a fair amount that either she's finishing the twist to early and losing sight of the floor, or she's growing so rapidly that her technique can't keep up with her changing body.

The reason why twist timing is such a big deal is that, in a correctly-timed full, the gymnast can see the floor for almost the entire skill -- they can spot it far better than in a back tuck or layout, and once they have a strong grasp of how to do this, it should be considerably less scary than just about any other salto skill. However, if she finishes the twist too early, she loses sight of the floor at the end of the twist, and finishes the twist looking at the ceiling -- few things are scarier than opening out a twist, looking for the floor, and seeing the ceiling instead, because it makes it feel like you're about to land on your head (I had this exact problem on my Kazamatsu on vault for a long time).

That said, since it's the first twisting salto most kids do, it's an entirely new sensation that takes most gymnasts quite awhile to get used to.

I'd have to see a video to say for sure if this is the issue, but from what you're saying this is my best guess.

Thank you Mr. Taucer. My daughter tells me she does start to twist too soon (which would mean she finishes early, I guess?). She has landed on her head a couple of times. Sometimes when she does a layout, she twists without intending to. And the twist actually looks good. She also keeps both hands over head when she wants to do a full and just crosses her arms overhead. From the few twists (or attempted twists) I've seen, it also looks like she does not get to a straight body. It does look sloppy (at least compared to her other skills). She feels more comfortable doing a tuck full (but that isn't pretty either). I'll see if she will let me videotape her doing (or trying) to do the skill. Thanks for your post.

 

[dreamBIG05]

I wish to just state that you can get through level 8 without doing I a ful. I recommend not putting it off so you can learn new skills based off of that full as the levels go up. I am still struggling with this skill due to me putting it off, basic step in a full: set. You cannot whip this type of skill.
Lots of luck!