Turning Handstands

[gym4life123]

I have been practicing casts to hand stands on bars and have been turning them. Recently at another club I saw a different way of turning, and I was wondering what the difference was between a blind change and a pirouette, or are they the same thing.
I think that for a blind change you only lift one hand to turn half way, and you switch from over grip to under grip. For a pirouette, you must lift both to turn half way, and you always stay in over grip. Is this correct?
Which one is learned first? If I do everything to the right which hand do I lift to do these? My head hurts just thinking about it? Which way would I turn, I want to go right. I am confusing myself because I think that going righ is acctualy left and vis versa. I am over thinking it. I would ask my coach but we have to take most of the summer off.
Please help me. Thankyou.

 

[gymnastgets10]

A pirouette requires 2 hand changes. You would turn your right hand into reverse grip and then turn your body over your right hand and grab the bar with your left hand so that you are now in a normal grip facing the way you started.

A blind changes requires 1 hand change. You would keep your right hand where it is and turn under your right hand, grabbing the bar in reverse grip with your left hand so that you are now in reverse grip facing the way you came. You could also grab with your left hand in normal grip and then change your right hand back to normal grip.

Both of these are just different ways to do a 1/2 turn on the bar. Blind changes are often use to transition between back and front giants because you end in reverse grip. It doesn't really matter which one you learn first, but unless you have giants I would probably learn the normal pirouettes first because blind changes are easier if you swing into them. Hope this helps!

 

[gym4life123]

That helps a lot, but in a pirouette can you move your hands in reverse order. Put your left hand over and beside your right, then reverse the grip of your right hand. Same direction but you move your hands in opposite order. (This is the way my coach showed us) Which way is normaly used?
Thankyou.

 

[gymnastgets10]

Hmm... you could do a pirouette like that but I think it would be basically a reversed blind change (don't know the official name ) and your right hand would end up in eagle grip before you turned it back. Does your shoulder twist a lot when you do it that way? Eagle grip is pretty difficult unless you have really good shoulder flexibility. (Put your arms out in front of you and turn your wrists inward, the more uncomfortable way, and imagne holding the bar like that. That's eagle grip ) I don't see this turn very often.

 

[gym4life123]

Gymnastgets10, I am not to sure if you understood what I meant, or maybe I misunderstood you. But what I meant looks like this in Shawns routine at 13 secondes YouTube - Shawn Johnson - Uneven Bars - 2008 Olympic Trials - Day 1. So you lift one hand to do your half turn, then switch the other back to overgirp. I will try and see if I can find some better pictures to explain what I mean. Thanks for your help.

 

[gym4life123]

Like this Link Removed
Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to post the picture on this thread.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Gymnastgets10, I am not to sure if you understood what I meant, or maybe I misunderstood you. But what I meant looks like this in Shawns routine at 13 secondes YouTube - Shawn Johnson - Uneven Bars - 2008 Olympic Trials - Day 1. So you lift one hand to do your half turn, then switch the other back to overgirp. I will try and see if I can find some better pictures to explain what I mean. Thanks for your help.

what shawn does at the 13 mark is called a free hip or clear hip blind change.

 

[gymnut1]

that is a very strange turn - it does look like a blind change with a quick grip change at the end. I'd love to see it in slow motion so see more clearly. it is not a straight forward pirouette or bling change.

 

[gym4life123]

So should it look like this

Or like this

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I don't think that is the proper way to do a pirouette. You may recieve deductions on it. Part of the reason a pirouette is hard is because you have to be really on top of the bar - have good timing - to make it to a handstand. It's scary because you are lifting up and turning a hand during your handstand - the version you are doing seems to be less scary or easier. A lot of people who are first learning a HS pirouette on bars will pick up their left hand (assume they're a rightie) first before changing their right because it's like the beam dismount or what they do if they accidentally go over on a cast handstand. You should talk to a coach about it! It doesn't seem like what you're doing is a true HS pirouette to me. If you do try to do it turning your right hand first, make sure to try it on the floor bar or with a spot the first time!