Teaching Back Extension Roll on Beam

[gymdog]

Yes? No? This is a pre-emptive post because I haven't tried yet either, but I don't really understand how this skill will work most effectively. I guess I gather that it is going to be bent arm and the kid wants their hands placed kind of behind their head (yes? no? when I do a back extension my pinkies hit first).

But this skill doesn't make that much sense to me and I've never tried it (uh, successfully). Help me out here. What are we doing?

edit: also, this can still be done in level 6 right? I guess the appropriate question is how can it be done to get the skill/minimize the deductions in a compulsory routine.

and yes this is an 11th hour question. don't judge.

 

[gymkat]

Hmm, I've only taught it to one L6, but several of our 6s have used it in the past. The process really wasn't too difficult. We started on a beam pad and just rolled to a candlestick from a stand (yes, arms are bent, thumbs on top-- kind of like BWO hands). After that, the BER part came pretty quickly-- it took a few days to figure out when to open. Putting it on the real beam was never too difficult... some issues with sitting or rolling crooked at first. You could put down a carpet to make that hurt a little less for the first few times. We teach it to HS; I think it's easier to control that way than to 3/4. At meets, our BER kids had to plan ahead for their hairstyle-- they recommended two braids.

 

[gymdog]

All right, that seems manageable. Not sure what I'll end up doing, but it just occurred to me this is another option and it might not hurt to try. But I've never even tried teaching it before - it just seems kind of difficult to me. But maybe not.

 

[BlairBob]

It's a pain in the butt to get but sometimes necessary if the gymnast will never have the flexibility in their shoulders (and back on BB) for walkovers.

Luckily, BHS-SO on beam is much easier than BWO on many gymnasts back.

 

[CoachGoofy]

Awesome. I was about to post a similar thread...one of my girls just can't grab the beam with both hands at once in a backbend.

 

[BlairBob]

I've known quite a few coaches tell me BWO would aggravate their back but BHS-SO did not . Less stress on the back and these were coaches who had back injuries.

Besides with BHS-SO, you don't use a hand placement with the hands together side by side.

 

[tumblette360]

I actually competed back extensions during my level 6 year, I was going to compete back extension to back extension as a connection in my level 7 routine but decided not to. The back extension is very unique becuase very few gymnasts do it during competition, it will definitley stand out.

When I was learning them, I naturely put my hands together (as if going for a back walkover and rolled backwords but quickly opened my shoulders so I can get the credit for the handstand. But the most trickiest part was staying on the beam, what I did was I didnt have my legs(specifally shin area) completely together. This would help myself to show that I was correctly on the beam and to show myself that I was centered. I know that is kind of odd, but it helped to know if I was centered or not.

 

[grizzoline]

Great thread, as I am trying to get those myself.

Basically, I can do bwd rolls on beam, but the step to just opening up earlier seems much larger than expected. Will try the candle stick drill and let you all know if I have any more hints.

 

[CoachGoofy]

I played with these with some of my compulsory girls this week on a beam pad.

I had them sit and roll aggressively to candle a few times, then do that & pop over to a backward roll "with feeling". In a few tries three of my 5 girls I tried it with were going right up to handstand.

Now we just need to do it from a stand. Here "we" being a word that means "they, I am just catching".

 

[gymdog]

So, did you just put the pad on high beam? One the kids in question tried it on low beam, but with mats, and I think it would be easier to just take that away and do as you said, so that the hand placement is kind of forced. That was my inclination (I wasn't working with the beam group at that time).

 

[gymkat]

It's pretty much impossible to grab the beam if you have panel mats stacked up, so I would probably put the beam pad on a medium-low beam-- it's easier to spot when it's lower.

 

[CoachGoofy]

I'm not very tall, so we put it on the medium beam. It gave me a nice angle for spotting without doing the whole thing for them.

 

[grizzoline]

I tried the roll to candle stick thing. Worked pretty well, because it was so awkward that you just wanted to do the whole thing. I had a friend spot me on the low beam, but it was good for a start. thanks for the pointers.