Proper way to bail/crash from a geinger or jaeger

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Some of my kids are getting ready to start working on Jaegers on bar (front tuck/straddle/pike and recatch the bar). If they miss over something besides the pit, of course, they will go down face-first.

What's the best way to land such a crash? I can't allow any of my kids to try the skill until I can teach them how to avoid injury if they crash it. I never learned the skill, and never really learned proper falling technique for that sort of crash. From what I've seen, most people tend to land as flat as possible, but are there any other details I should know? Arm position, head position, knee/leg position, etc?

[teachrugratswga]

I would of coarse start working them over a pit. (Assuming one is available)

After a gymnast is showing good technique, and promise on learning the skill, or grabbing the bar fairly well, I would then introduce the skill over a resi-pit or stacked mats. Do a piked 1 1/4 to the mats. This will help to develop a feel for the over rotation needed to do the skill properly. (It will also help to teach the gymnast the proper way of what to do if they do not catch the bar every time.)

This is also assuming that the gymnast does not release to late, and hit their feet on the bar. That is a different story. As for that, Pray your coach can catch.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I definitely plan on having them learn it first over a pit, until they can catch there with some consistency. But this is the sort of skill I will not feel comfortable having them work over anything else until I can teach them the safest way to crash the skill.

[hammy]

I learned the geinger over the pit, but I landed on an 8 incher in the pit. Landing in the pit on your stomach is never a good idea--it's asking for back injury. When you land on your stomach in the loose foam your back sinks with the foam around it, causing the back to bend and hurt.

Personally, I feel that if the gymnast is advanced enough to learn a release move like this then they are somewhat aware of how to land. All I did was kinda just go and land on my stomach; I think I might have just done a few to my feet first so that I knew where to land and what not. You can also do it in progressions--onto a higher mat or you can do it on a channel (tunnel) bar and have the gymnast end standing on a mat (that's been pushed in my a teammate).

The only disadvantage to doing it onto a higher mat is that the gymnast is now used to landing up higher and they might not take into account the lower landing when they go onto the lower mat, so they might be more likely to overrotate. Also, when doing them on the pit bar (if you're wokring with girls) be sure to take into account that there will be a low bar when they transfer the skill to the regular bars---my coach and i forgot about this fact so i wasn't prepared for the pike/more rounded hollow down past the low bar so i overrotated and ended up landing on my head.

Long story short---just kinda make sure they know to land flat on their stomach with straight legs, squeezed muscles, arms up by ears and head neutral. Good luck and have fun!

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hammy Long story short---just kinda make sure they know to land flat on their stomach with straight legs, squeezed muscles, arms up by ears and head neutral. Good luck and have fun!

This is what I was looking for.

Thanks!

[hammy]

Sure thing--sorry for the long story.

[CoachL]

Always teach a kid how to fall before ever attempting the skill.

[JBS]

Our gymnasts all land flat when missing...and that's what we teach them. All our girls work these skills over a resi or a pit with a mat on top...never loose foam.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

What are some good drills to practice a flat landing?

[CoachL]

reverse fly away 1 1/2 to stomach in a layed out position. Tell them to pinch their shoulders to their ears as they land, you want to be as long and tight as possible so the impact spreads better.