Any advice on this would be very helpful, and any tips on a front full are helpful as well!
I just remembered I never properly answered this last part. I do rather love nerding out about twisting technique, and I'll try to keep it shorter than
last time, but let me know if you want more detail on any of it:
For a front full, the exact best drills and progressions to train this will depend on what equipment and space and coaching you have available. Do you have access to a trampoline? (And if so, is it a back yard trampoline on your own, or at a gym with a coach?) Do you have access to a tumbletrak? A loose foam pit? A resi pit? Any of the above next to each other? I may be able to suggest some specific drills, depending on what's available to you.
In general, here's what I consider the best approach to training a front full, and you can take the general idea and fit it to whatever equipment is available to you:
STEP 1: Front layout and front pike, with some specific details getting special attention:
In the front layout, you should be watching the ground for as long as you can while you drive your heels over in a tight, slight arch. Seeing the ground is the biggest key; that visual cue is one we'll be coming back to.
In the front pike, you should be able to pike and then open out to straight body before you land. The two keys here are the height and the kick open. It should be high enough to feel floaty, not rushed, and it should extend to straight body before landing. This floaty front pike-open is the starting point for building a front 1/1. I like arms out wide on this, but I know a lot of very good coaches who teach it with arms in close to the body on this step. Either way can work.
STEP 2: Build a strong front pike-open-1/2.
Front pike-open with the arms out wide in the pike. Then, front pike-with-arms-wide, open-with-half-twist.
Once you are comfortable initiating the twist, the next step is to focus on visual cues. Remember how I said we'd come back to the way you watch the ground in a front layout? Well, when you do your half-turn, try to look for the ground. You should have plenty of time to see it before you land.
(Side note, I think a good clean front 1/2 while watching the ground is one of the most important bedrock pieces of good upper-level tumbling, and time spent on improving this skill is never wasted)
STEP 3: Front pike-open-1/1 and front layout 1/2
Here's where we're bringing it all together.
The pike-open-1/1 should start like an aggressive pike-open-half, maybe with slightly less of a deep pike and a slightly-earlier kick open, and then just add an additional 1/2 right at the end. Again, visual cues are key; you should be able to see the ground pretty much the entire skill. You see it as you take off, you see it as you kick open, you see it as you do your first half twist, you see it as your feet and hips finish the 1/1, you try to watch it all the way until your feet are on the floor.
The front layout half should have exactly the same timing as the front pike-open 1/2, just without the pike open. Arms up on takeoff, then going out to the side and coming down towards the sides of the body during the half twist. Again, visual cues are key: at this point you should be able to see the ground for the entire skill from takeoff to landing.
STEP 4: Tucked and/or laid out front 1/1
You can learn either or both. The key is that you should feel like you are tight and confident all the way through, not having to do the hula to get the twist around. You should see the ground for as much of this skill as possible
STEP 5: Front 1/1 stepout, and beyond
Disclaimer: I have taught all of the skills above, but I have not ever taught or done a front 1/1 to stepout. Below are my first thoughts on how I'd probably go about it, extrapolating from what I've seen work teaching a front 1/1 and teaching a front tuck stepout, but if any of your coaches disagrees with me on any of this, it's probably safest to assume they're right and I'm wrong.
I would first want to see a front 1/1 that over rotates the flip. How exactly to train this would depend on the available equipment setup, but I'd want to do some sort of front 1/1 that's too powerful to stick.
I would then train front 1/1 stepout to either cartwheel or front walkover. Not sure which would be better, that's one I'd experiment with or get opinions from other coaches.
I could see front 1/1 stepout to front handspring reinforcing some good habits, or I could see it being too difficult to be worthwhile. Again, probably worth experimenting with, but no need to continue beating your head against this wall if it's not working for you.
