Target Practice on Beam?

[GetaGrip]

Lately I've been working on a lot of aerials and front handsprings on beam, and I've noticed that it is a LOT harder to get that first foot on than it is in a back handspring.

Most of the time my foot is on really well, but sometimes my foot is off to the side in my aerial and I tweak my ankle just a bit, or my foot slips off in my front handspring.

Just the anticipation of landing on that first foot is making me really reluctant to move both skills up, even though they would probably be just fine.

Also, smacking myself under the kneecap yesterday probably isn't helping me much.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get on the beam better?

Thanks!

 

[iwannacoach]

It all boils down to; kicking the back leg straight up.....pushing straight up and forward with the front leg. Both of those skills are made much easier if you at least stay centered over the beam as you are leaving it.


I don't know about other coaches.......for alingnment sake I don't think it helps to watch the beam as your foot lands. You should look at whatever portion of the beam is comfortable and let your "on board computer" do the rest while you focus on good alignment.

About not seeing your foot as it hits the beam.....Do you do any of the following....watch the toothbrush as you guide it to where you want to go.....watch your hand as you reach out for the bathroom door knob.....look at your feet as you go up or down a stair case......Can you close your eyes and touch your nose 99 times out of a hundred..........

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

For front handsprings - the idea of my foot slipping used to scare me so much. The number one way to fix this is numbers, numbers, numbers. Doing this skill every day (or fairly often anyway) will make it much more consistent. My number two tip is to KEEP YOUR HEAD BACK. Look at your hands throughout the entire skill. Wait for both feet to land on the beam before you bring your head up - pulling the head early causes your body to shift to the wrong position, which makes it really hard to land the front handspring without wobbling. If you're going really early, it can cause you to miss your feet. Your body wants to be able to see where it's going, so you will have to fight the urge to look at the end of the beam - focus instead on keeping your arms steady by your ears and your eyes on your hands.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it is more likely than not that your arms are not in sync with one another. they must both do the same thing going in and both be down at your side when you land. the "ta da" (lifting the arms for show) comes after you have secured the landing.

right now, you probably have 1 arm down and the other out to the side a bit. it screws everything up and causes a landing like you have described.

 

[GetaGrip]

I've actually fixed the front handspring now, it turned out that my first foot was turned out too much so I slipped. Imagine that!

When I'm off in my aerial, its usually not by much, so I think I should just do hundreds and hundreds until I have it down so well that I don't even think about getting the foot on the beam.

Thank you for your help!

 

[iwannacoach]

I've actually fixed the front handspring now, it turned out that my first foot was turned out too much so I slipped. Imagine that!

When I'm off in my aerial, its usually not by much, so I think I should just do hundreds and hundreds until I have it down so well that I don't even think about getting the foot on the beam.

Thank you for your help!

Sounds like you're getting it figured out. Just don't tire yourself to the point you loosen up in the core, and end up with a bad back.

If you give a front aerial a straight and strong kick that you guide straight over the top and push straight out of your lunge......It really becomes a matter of maintaining timing and not rushing to get your foot onto the beam. It's as simple as "what goes straight up, comes straight down".

Rushing means reaching and reaching is what takes you out of alingment, and that is what makes your foot land to the right one time....to the left another time.....to the middle the next.....

This all assumes, of course, that your arms are working for you as described by dunno.

 

[gymdog]

Are we talking about a front aerial or a side aerial?

 

[iwannacoach]

I hope it's a front aerial, cuz if it isn't, I just helped her create a new move.....Hey getagrip, how about naming it a fried aerial??

 

[gymdog]

I hope it's a front aerial, cuz if it isn't, I just helped her create a new move.....Hey getagrip, how about naming it a fried aerial??

Well, I figured since we were talking about front handsprings, but then when I went to reply I realized it wasn't really specified.