Tap Half/Blind Change Fear - HELP PLEASE!

[stxrdusty]

I'm having a major fear of tap half turns (the old level 5 dismount only higher) right now at gymnastics. Up until about a month ago I had a tap half to handstand, but after one turn in which my body didn't turn for the blind they've been progressively getting worse and I'm at the the point now where I fear doing tap halfs from even the smallest tap swing. My coach has been telling me to go back to small tap swings, and I have, but my fear just seems to be following me as I go back and I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I know I'm capable of doing a tap half, but my mind is betraying me and I'm at loss of what to do. Plus, the tap half to handstand is in my bar routine for this coming season. Any help or suggestions of any sort would be greatly appreciated, I'm desperate!

 

[stxrdusty]

I'm having a major fear of tap half turns (the old level 5 dismount only higher) right now at gymnastics. Up until about a month ago I had a tap half to handstand, but after one turn in which my body didn't turn for the blind they've been progressively getting worse and I'm at the the point now where I fear doing tap halfs from even the smallest tap swing. My coach has been telling me to go back to small tap swings, and I have, but my fear just seems to be following me as I go back and I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I know I'm capable of doing a tap half, but my mind is betraying me and I'm at loss of what to do. Plus, the tap half to handstand is in my bar routine for this coming season. Any help or suggestions of any sort would be greatly appreciated, I'm desperate!

I posted this in the gymnast forum before I found this forum. I don't know how to delete that post so I hope no one's offended by the repeat. I apologize!

 

[Gymnast194]

I had a fear of doing bwo on beam but now i don't because i watched videos on how to get ride of fears. Most of them said, " you are the only one that can push yourself." and " no matter what, your coach will always there to catch you if fall. Just don't think and you will do fine. Trust me... I have been through so much fear you don't even know!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I have a two-part suggestion, and both parts are equally important:

First part: ask your coach if there's any way you can take the swing 1/2 out of your routine. The skill will happen when you have enough trust in yourself to do it.

So the second part, of course, is how to build up that confidence. My advice would be to keep working the 1/2 turn at whatever height you're comfortable with, even if that is no swing at all. Hang, hollow, turn your toes, half turn. Work your way up from there. Your body knows how to do the skill; you just need to teach your brain to trust it.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I'm having a major fear of tap half turns (the old level 5 dismount only higher) right now at gymnastics. Up until about a month ago I had a tap half to handstand, but after one turn in which my body didn't turn for the blind they've been progressively getting worse and I'm at the the point now where I fear doing tap halfs from even the smallest tap swing. My coach has been telling me to go back to small tap swings, and I have, but my fear just seems to be following me as I go back and I honestly don't know what to do anymore. I know I'm capable of doing a tap half, but my mind is betraying me and I'm at loss of what to do. Plus, the tap half to handstand is in my bar routine for this coming season. Any help or suggestions of any sort would be greatly appreciated, I'm desperate!

I posted this in the gymnast forum before I found this forum. I don't know how to delete that post so I hope no one's offended by the repeat. I apologize!

===
Okay, ask your coach if you can take a few days off from blinds and start fresh on Monday.
Next, you have to change the way you are thinking. Forget what you are doing wrong, forget about what happened, and focus on what your coach is telling you to do. Instead of dreading going to bars each day to work them, view the blind as a problem. What do you do with a problem when presented? You break it down and you solve it. So break it down to the basics and solve one at a time. (example, the cast, the fall, the tap, posting on support arm, wrist shift, feet together etc...)

Does your coach let you do blinds up onto a stack of spotting blocks next to the bar (a few inches lower than the bar), so you can focus on these things? If so then ask them, if not then don't.
You will get though it.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

monkey swings. do 3 of them in a row and try to get the 2nd a little higher than the first. and the third a little higher than the second. like a pendulum.

 

[stxrdusty]

That's originally how I got good at tap half to handstand. My coach noticed and encouraged me to try to go to handstand. I'm fearful of the swinging forwards and turning part now so its hard. I'm working on getting to "monkey swimings" now with confidence. Thank you for your suggestion.