Twisting direction...

[blantonnick]

The direction a gymnast twists is a very critical choice a coach must make in a career. There are lots of different skills that require your twisting to be the same direction: Kasamatsu, Makuts, full twisting step outs on floor, Diamodov 1 1/4, Gogaladze etc....my question is do you as coaches feel a responsibility to choose the twisting direction of a gymnast because you know further down the line in their careers it will make certain tricks easier. In other words, by seeing a child who naturally likes to twist to the right when they jump on the floor, do you then force him, or her, to learn a right handed cartwheel (a left twisting action) because you know in the future they will have less problems???

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I generally just let them decide. If they truly can go just as well both ways when they get to me, then yes, I encourage them to twist the same direction as their cartwheel leg.

[teachrugratswga]

I agree... I let my gymnasts choose the way they feel comfort in twisting. It makes them gain skills quicker if they are at ease.

[9bob8]

For the cartwheel my coach has been making us do left and right leg, but she lets us do what we fill well with.

[hammy]

I agree with JBS on this one. I was allowed to decide and I let the gymnasts decide. I also agree with 9bob8--once they are able to do their cartwheel correctly on their good leg i have them learn it the other way.

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hammy I agree with JBS on this one. I was allowed to decide and I let the gymnasts decide. I also agree with 9bob8--once they are able to do their cartwheel correctly on their good leg i have them learn it the other way.

Hey...I didn't even reply yet. I guess I could say whatever I want and you'd be on my side. Ha Ha!

I agree with hammy on this, which means I agree with GT. Making someone twist their bad way may open up the door to new tricks, but they may never get good enough to throw those tricks. Throw the tricks you can with what you have. Right/left, right/right, left/right, left/left...any combination could make an Olympian.

[CoachL]

a round off w/ the right leg forward is a left twisting skill, and a round off with the left leg in front is a right twisting skill, and that is why I base twisting directions of the round off. Also its very important to train your gymnasts to twist forward and backwards the same direction. It usually confuses them at first but its VERY important for advanced skills and piros on bars.

example. I just had a level 9 come to me from another gym and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why i couldnt teach her a half in half out on bars. I sat there watching her for probably 10 minutes and then bam it hit me, she was twisting opposite on the half out. Anyhow we spent the next 3 days on the tumble track re programming her brain, and about 3 weeks later she landed the skill on the hard surface. And last year she placed 3rd at J.O. nationals on bars.

[hammy]

My bad---i meant GT--sorry about that. But i do agree with JBS too!