Bars questions

[ellabella]

I'm new to the whole recreational level of gymnastics. I'm a huge gym fan and can tell you the names of all the skills being done at the olympics and their vaules in the COP, but I don't know squat about the lower levels of gymnastics. I've never watched it, studied it etc.

My question's are mostly related to bars because the other events are pretty simple to understand. What is a normal progression on bars? What skills do they learn first? I'm guessing my DD is working on front hip and back hip circles. Which is easier or does it differ by gymnast?

[Ingymmom]

I love watching the little ones on bars They are way too cute!!! When my dd was 3 she was in a 55 minute a week rec class. They would do bars only every other week. First they worked on front support, back hip pullover & a forward roll dismount & then it was a back hip circle. This school was strictly a rec gym, when we switched gyms a few months after she turned 5 to a pre-team program they introduced the front hip circle (which is more difficult then the bhc). Our coach did glide and long hang kip drills simultaneously with front hip circle drills - ironically, my gymmie got her long hang kip 1st, then glide and then her front hip.

[Aussie_coach]

With our little ones we start with
*Tuck swings
*Front supports
*Jump to front support mount
*Small casts
*Forward roll over the bar to tuck hang dismount


These basics are needed to compete the core skills in level 1

The next stage they do
*Glide swings
*Pullovers
*Casts to 45 degree's above horizontal
These are the bonus skills for level 1 and the core skills for level 2

The next step is the level 3 core skills
*Back hip circles
*Toe shoot dismounts
* beat swings on high bar

The level 4 core skills
*continuous glide swings
*Cast to horizontal
*Squat on jump to high bar
* tap swings on high Bar
*long hang pullover
*toes shoot dismount from high bar

Level 5
*Glide kips
*long kips
*Casts to 45 degree's above horizontal

This is in the Australian system.

Back hip circles are much easier than front hip circles. We introduce them as a bonus skill in level 2 and a core skills in level 3. We don't do front hip circles at all in Australia.

[gym law mom]

Just a guess, but they may be starting her on the back pullover. She stands at the low bar and pulls her legs over---ideally ending in a front support. For the little ones this can take awhile until they develop more upper body strength, coordination etc. They learn this before they do the back hip circle. As Aussie Coach said, the front hip circle is a more advanced skill and most gyms don't start working it with girls until they are working around L4. There are certainly lots of drills and developmental skills they teach the younger ones to get them ready to do these skills when they get a little older----and their grip gets stronger.

If you can name most of the skills, you might want to hire yourself out to sit with some of us parents. Optionals are harder because so many skills are named after a gymnast and tells me nothing about what my gymmie is doing. I have figured out tsuk and yurchenko though

[ellabella]

I could definitely help out with upper level skills on bars. That's all I've ever watched. I feel kind of stupid for not knowing any of the lower level skills, but I've just never watched any lower level meets. I don't mind watching level 8 and up, the rest is boring.

DD is doing pull-overs, back hip circles, little casts etc. I think they are also doing front hip circles unless I'm just confused. This is all with a spot. She can't even quite do a pullover by herself.

She goes 2 days a week, but it doesn't seem like they work on bars as much as I think they would. They do either floor/vault or bars/beam each day. There doesn't seem to be any reason behind it. Sometimes they do floor/vault both days of the week. I haven't figured out a pattern and I'm beginning to think it's just whatever the coach feels like doing.