Why a front hip circle?

[gymgurl]

Ok, well i was thinking about it the other day and can't figure out WHY there is a front hip circle in American routines due to the progressions surely the aim of a learning the kip (in part) is to be able to get a decent cast out of it and i am no coach so i am probably entirely wrong but i was talking to my friend about it (who is a coach) and she also agrees its stupid and counteractive.

Can someone please shed some light on the importance of this skill?

 

[10.0]

Just to add another circle skill and lear how to change your grip (get your hands back to the top of the bar) other than that it is just a filler. If you think about it mill circles are the stupids skill ever but if we took them out and front hips the level 4 routine would be like kip or pullover with a deduction (AAU) back hip under shoot, which is basically the level 2 routine.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Near as I can tell, it's a filler.

 

[JAO]

I think there's value in forward circling at an early level whether or not it helps with forward circling at an optional level. Even if it doesn't help, I don't think it hurts. Also, it helps get rid of some of the fear of leaning over the bar and falling forward which helps with casting. And, as mentioned, wrist shifting. Thinking that the front hip circle ends at level 5 because the front hip circle alone never gets used again is very narrow minded. All the shapes that get taught to do a front hip circle appear in multiple other bar skills, so training for it doesn't really inhibit training for other things. It's not wasting any time, as it's stuff you could and should be doing anyway. Seesaws teach tightness going forward and backward, snapping from a straight to a pike and pushing down on the bar are all important components of numerous skills, so putting them together in a safe and easy skill for beginners is a win-win for both coaches and athletes.

 

[gymdog]

Being able to connect kip front hip circle well is ideal for kip cast. Also the end of the FHC with wrist shift and feet in front to cast is another good way to mimic the end of kip cast.

 

[gymgurl]

Thanks guys, and i agree with those of you who said it was better than a mill circle (it hadn't crossed my mind In aust, i don't think anyone does them we tried them once too see if we could do it.......lets just say a lot of the level 5s would only be lvl 3s if we had it in aust

 

[Aussie_coach]

Yea, we don't do them at all in Australia. we use other things to "fill" the routine. Glide swings are introduced in the lower routines, level 2 and 3 and for some level 1 and swings on the high bar are done as a separate skill in the routine.

Eg level 3 prep routine is
Glide swing
Pullover
Cast to horizontal
Back hip circle
Underswing or toe shoot dismount
3 swings on high bar

In level 4 we introduce high bar, typical level 4 routine is
2 glide swings
Pullover
Cast to horizontal
back hip circle
squat on and jump to high bar
3 swings to long hang pullover
toe shoot dismount from high bar

 

[emandelsmom]

I like those skills better than the USAG skills.

 

[ryantroop]

All the above + weiler kip, push for front giants (though mill circle helps there, too), and shaping/movements for other events (forward roll re-enforcement and application, levering the body like vault, etc...)

 

[coachmolly]

I agree with most of the other redeeming qualities that previous posters have mentioned (hand shift, learning to cast out of elements, forward circling, etc.) but I often find myself asking the exact question when I'm teaching the skill! Definitely not my favorite skill to teach.

 

[BlairBob]

Ask Neil Resnick or I will state what he said at Congress.

Mill/Stride circle: to teach undergrip for later use in other skills. As well, it's less scary to fall forward in split than in a straight body like front hip circle because many girls think they are gonna peel during fall of front hip.

Front hip: it is the inverse mirror of a glide kip. There is a stretch, then a fold of the body and pop to support. Neil thinks there is some beginning correlation to Jaegar as well. Also for kip cast HS. Exactly the reason I was told by an Olympic gymnast why we were doing them with the girls.

Most L3/4 girls are not strong enough to start kipping. The basic process, yes, but not the outcome.

 

[MamaofEnS]

I have noticed level 10's doing front hip circles. It is when they are wearing the belt with ropes attached, and are prepping for a giant and a release move.