Cast Handstand

[Anna]

I'm learning cast HS (yay). Problem is, I'm 5"7, so that makes it difficult straight off. Not impossible, just harder. But I'm determined to get it. And that's a legs-together one.

I know the theory of cast to handstand, somewhat. It's really important to lean over the bar (and I only open my shoulders back into HS when I'm within 10*) and look over it. And I know somethingtodo with legs and stomach and drive is important.

So can someone be a gem and explain exactly what I should be telling myself as I'm doing the skill? I work well with keywords, and also if someone can describe the skill of what I'm exactly meant to be doing, I learn it really quickly. Watching others learn theirs has helped but they're all 4" shorties, so it didn't quite translate.

(Yes, we get spotted on them - but I'd still like to be able to tell myself keywords).

[hammy]

To me, a cast is made of thre things--planche, heal drive, and open shoulders. Planche (i hope i spelled that correctly) is when you lean your shoulders over the bar. Heal drive is when you kick your heals hard up and over your head (not arched). I'm sure you know what these are I'm just explaining them in case someone else dosen't know.

Part 1 of the cast:
Planche--lean your shoulders over the bar with your feet still in front of you (support)

Part 2:
Heal drive--while planched, drive your heals hard toward hanstand. It is important that you do not do a significant arch during this motion, however some very slight arch (signifying heal drive) is alright.

Part 3:
open shoulders--while driving your heals being opening your shoulders (once your heals pass horizontal) and extend your body towards handstand and hollow/straigthen body.

Maybe try thinking planche, heal drive, open shoulders.

Good luck and please let me know if this helps.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

If you're looking for key words/concepts, I'd say the two biggies are lean forward and push the bar down.

I've always found that my girls cast higher when I tell them to push the bar down than when I tell them to open their shoulders. Go figure.

[purpleterah]

Becasue you are taller you will need more strength. The taller girls in our gym used to practice on the parellel bars with legs weights. The wieghts gave resistance it was hard to get up into the handstand but when the weights gave off htey shot up nicely. think about the same heel drive you use when vaulting stay tight no matter what!!!!

[Anna]

Thanks for the ideas guys, they look really helpful. I'll try it out tomorrow night when I'm next on unevens.

Purpleterah, that sounds like a smart move also (and boy I know how much easier it can be when you take the weights off! When I used to do DofE hikes, we would hike 20km daily with, say, 12-15kg on our backs. One day I was ahead of schedule, and the others were far behind, so once at the campsite I took off my pack, and ran back to them - it felt like it was SO easy and I could do that all day. Let alone after hiking in the Watagans).

Strength being of importance has been a common theme in all my research and experience with cast HS. Does anyone have any extra drills/strength that are quite good? (I'm thinking shoulder strength is really important, mainly?).

(I love the rolling off a box in seal position to kick up to HS. Eventually you should be able to do this from the floor!)