Coaches When to start strap bar?

[tweez94]

The boys need work on tap swings and we need to make a lot of progress this year, biggest issue is its tough to get these bars chalked up right now because we use them all for giants for straps for the girls, is it ever too early to start using strap bar?

 

[JBS]

Not really...

 

[BlairBob]

You're gonna have a heck of a time getting these bars to keep chalk if they are being used as a strap bar.

My old gym had this setup and are men's bar was way too slippery. No idea how old and how long it had been used as a strap bar.

Best bet is get a seperate bar to only use as a non strap bar. Otherwise that PVC will get wear down the surface till it's basically smooth as a baby's butt.

 

[tweez94]

The bar issue is permanent, there's two sets of uneven, one pit bar (wood), and two metal bars they use for gloves as strap bars, we've been fighting trying to get a bar chalked up but it's tough cuz the focus is the girls team

 

[Aussie_coach]

I use straps right from level 1 with the boys (in Australia level 1 is about 6-7 years old).

 

[Jenny]

Would it be possible for the boys section to fundraise for a bar of their own that could be kept chalked. You could just change it in when needed.

 

[BlairBob]

That's exactly what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for us/me. But maybe, it could workout for you.

Geez, I thought they were about twice as much as they are. I could have bought one instead.

Stainless Steel Competition Bar

 

[tweez94]

Getting a bar wouldn't be a big deal but unfortunately changing it in and then out again would be on us and with only 30 minutes per event I don't want to spend the first five minutes putting it in and then the last five taking it out is all!

 

[tweez94]

I've gone through this before when I was a gymnast at my old gym and looking back through a coaches eyes I lost A LOT of bar work because of it, I just don't want my kids to suffer so harshly on one sole event due to something not 100% in my coaching control and their working control

 

[gymdog]

If getting a bar isn't a big deal then that's your best bet. They should do conditioning and drills warm up while you change it out, which can be performed on the other bars such as casts, holds, etc. Then you do your swings portion in the middle of the time, and more drills at the end when you change it (such as straight arm backward/extension rolls). I don't know what level we're talking about so I'm just giving really general ideas, but it would be possible to accomplish a lot structured that way.

You can do straps but with 30 mins factor in the time it takes for each kid to strap in with your help...that's the problem, it's not always time efficient with novice/younger gymnasts.

 

[tweez94]

Levels 5-6 with not even a year of experience yet, they are older and we are sort of breaking the gymnastics rules trying to get these kids on track a little quicker because we just opened up our boys team in November, just introducing kips, swings, back hip circles, casts

 

[BlairBob]

There are no restrictions or rules per say besides age when it comes to MAG.

I would coordinate with the women's coach or swap out the bar before practice. Make it one of your first events.

Most MAG schedules won't have you training High bar every day.

What makes for strap bar being far more effective is having it set up for two sets of straps ( they don't go at the same time ), one on each side.

Cool thing about straps is they can get a lot of reps in for kips besides doing a lot of the routine in straps (besides the 1/2 turn).


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