MAG That awful mushroom!

[Azgymmiemom]

Hey, coaches & athletes...my ds has been struggling with those stupid circles on the mushroom for ages. Usually he can do 2-that's it. It's killing his aa score and really bringing him down. Recently, a friend from the gym brought in their practice mushroom for him to borrow...any tricks or advice I can give him? He is doing all the conditioning drills and such but so far no luck. He's only been on the team for about 4 months.

Is this just something he will eventually figure out? He is so frustrated and I feel for the poor kid!!

Thanks in advance!

 

[gymtaxi]

My son has had similar problems as well. The other events seem to come pretty easy but that mushroom... what can I say.. he is doing much better on it.. I think his highest number of circles is 20 in a row, but... this is his third year competing... he does level 2 in Canada (there are 5 levels and then national youth/open) We have a mushroom at home but to be honest, after being at the gym every night except 1, and doing tae kwon do (he is a junior 1st degree black belt), he really just wants to relax and have some down time at home, so we don't push practice. It took him at least 1 1/2 years to get his five circles for level 1. One good thing is that the more they are able to do the easier it gets to add on some more. Anyways, don't stress too much, they all seem to "get there" eventually, but for anyone who says it looks easy... it's not... my son tried to teach my husband and I how to do circles at home... much harder than it looks! (some pretty funny video as well which was deleted very quickly)

 

[zoemurr]

No real advice.. but my DS had the same problem. He did a great job in L4, but only stayed on the mushroom for about 1/2 of his meets. (At those he won 1st AA.. so when he fell everyone was pretty bummed.) The only thing that helped him was putting one right in the middle of the living room and he practiced over and over and over. But he did fall off again at states. Tanked him down 3 spots as it was the last event.

The good news is that now in L5 he falls off once in awhile at practice, but has his flairs and has not fallen off at all during a competition. There are however 2 L5 boys that still struggle. Most of the boys on our team have one at home.

It is very common that this is the last skill they perfect.

I'll ask him if there is anything that finally made it "click" for him..

 

[Galadriel]

Hi,
asked my son, and he said his advice is lots of conditioning - forearms, triceps, shoulders and core.
Also remembering not to try and do them too fast as you will spin off, and remembering to lean your shoulders the opposite side of your legs eg, if your legs are in the front of you, lean shoulders back etc.
Also you should keep your body tense. but the MOST important thing is to practise!!!
My son says that nothing clicked really, as the gymnasts he knew just 'learnt', and it takes time.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Two things:

1st: hip extension. He should try to hold a tight arch throughout the circle (technically, completely straight body is ideal, but there's such a natural tendency to pike or overhollow that it's generally best to shoot for an arch).

2nd: muscle-circles. This is an exercise I've found to be pretty effective. Basically, the gymnast should try to start circling without any kick-start. He should get in front support on the mushroom, lift his feet off the floor, so his weight rests entirely on his hands and thighs on the mushroom -- from here, he should try to start a circle, just by pushing with the shoulders.

Really, though, with mushroom, he's just gotta practice. There are a couple of minor tricks that will help along the way, but there is no silver bullet technique -- he's gotta do it a million times.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

thanks for the advice! I will have him read this. His problem is, at 10, he fells like he should be able to do this, otherwise he just "sucks" (his words) I try to remind him that he only started gymnastics a little over a year ago, and that some of these kids he is competing with have been doing this for a lot longer! (they kinda pushed him through fast at his gym because at the time, there were very few boys-I think he still feels a little overwhelmed at times!) I agree with the conditioning, and so does he...he is MUCH stronger than he was when he started gym, so it only stands to reason that he will keep getting stronger and stronger.

Again, thanks!!

 

[ZJsMom]

It's just time. I think it does take a lot of repetition. Frankly, the team boys I know who are best at it all have mushrooms at home. If he can do it at home a couple times a week while having fun with it-- maybe trying to beat his record or see how many he can do in certain about of time-- it will come.

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

Mushroom = BANE of my sons life!!! Your son is not alone, really I think it was just time that helped.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

lol...thanks guys. I told all this to Christian, and he just kinda sighed and said, "I'll keep doing circles..." and went back to his room...lol

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lol...thanks guys. I told all this to Christian, and he just kinda sighed and said, "I'll keep doing circles..." and went back to his room...lol

and tell him that everyone "sucks" until they don't anymore. that's why we do gymnastics.

 

[Valentin]

Not really going to be able to say anything else that others haven't said already. Except that its very personal thing. I know of a former UK national team member who was the pommel specialist, and it took him 2 years to learn him first circles if you will believe that.
Out of a group of 5 Level 4 kids over a 9month period 1 has 5 1/2 circles, 2 have 1 1/4 circles, 2 have 1 circle. They do the same things etc.. however one picked up the movement fast the others haven't.

Bucket helps. Not sure if your son has done that. No matter what, repetition is key + the little tips and tricks that help the process. If you post a video you will be able to get better advice also

Check this video out for some technical tips
[video=youtube;Lzu7PlX_bvE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzu7PlX_bvE[/video]

 

[Azgymmiemom]

Hey, wanted to say thanks again for all the help and suggestions. After a month with the borrowed mushroom, Christian is consistently doing 3 circles, and at the gym, his coach is telling me that he can hit 4 and 5 every once in a while. So, repetition has certainly been the key. I am hoping to get some video of him and put it up. He still really needs help with his form, but it is slowly coming together. This kid amazes me-esp. for the short time that he has been in the gym.

 

[Charlton]

Mushrooms are not that good thing to go for. You just need to get something else than mushrooms.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Mushrooms are not that good thing to go for. You just need to get something else than mushrooms.

wait what?

 

[Coach.Simon]

wait what?

I'm confused as well. Maybe Charlton thinks we are talking about shrooms.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well...it might be what he had ingested before he typed the above...

 

[JBS]

Out of the forest and back to the thread...

This is a great one for working extension:

[video=youtube;EOA1F8YytO8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOA1F8YytO8[/video]

 

[Coach.Simon]

well...it might be what he had ingested before he typed the above...

lol'd


@JBS

Yes, the bucket is a great way of teaching extension, used all the time at the gym I work at!

 

[JBS]

Yes, the bucket is a great way of teaching extension, used all the time at the gym I work at!

Bucket on the forearms is awesome for extension...it really forces the issue!