Thanks so much for your ideas, will definately try them out!
So far the exercises I've done are all just mimicking the shape and the shoulder opening action of the cast to handstand, but what my girls are lacking I think is the strength - they can all consistently get to horizontal, occasionally they are going above and one is consistently close to handstand but she moves her shoulders back just a fraction too early!
Exercises I've done so far:
1) Supported hundreds - It's all we've done on bars this past fortnight as we only have one set at the moment, so its one person at a time doing bars, the rest are doing side stations which include:
2) Feet on trampette, hands on box top (in front support), shoulders leaning forwards. Bounce to handstand, fall back to front support, moving shoulders forwards and bounce back up to handstand - I REALLY like this one but have to make sure the girls do it properly with the correct shoulder action - We don't have a handstand trainer so I think this is as close as we are going to get!
3) An exercise we call 'knees to handstand' Gymnast starts on their knees with hands just infront of them and has to lift to handstand - again this requires correct shoulder movement
4) "hoovers" - gymnast in front support. Coach or partner lifts feet off floor and gently pushes the gymnast forwards and then pulls them back
5) As 4, but as shoulders move back, partner lifts gymnast into handstand
I think what I need now is something to actually make them strong enough to do the exercise - or is it more about timing like with the kip?
Please keep your ideas coming, I'll definately use them!