WAG Cast to handstand

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Gymettemom

Proud Parent
My DD is an 11yo who just finished level 5. HC wants her and her level 5 teammates to compete 7 next season. DD is having serious trouble with her cast to handstand. She is the only one in her level who cannot do it yet. She says HC gets mad at her and says she isn't trying. DD gets frustrated with herself and cries (only at home, never in gym) because she cannot get it.
Any tips out there on strength she can do at home to help or any other advise ?
Bars is the only event that stands between her a level 7.
 
Easy solution: do a straddle cast handstand. Very common in college gymnasts. Can actually get girls higher scores versus a sloppy cast handstand. Pretty easy to do too!
 
I'm pretty sure there are easy drills for the straddle cast. My dd can do press handstands... Seems like a similar motion? Maybe talk to the coach. My dd has a good cast handstand, but it's archy when she's tired. So she did the straddle cast at night or early am meets. But I had to ask the coach if this was possible first. Talk to the coach....find out about the drills....it's doable:)
 
Can your daughter explain to you where her problems might be coming from or no? Where is she getting stuck and why she thinks she may not be getting up.

It took me 4 years to learn a straddle cast handstand, so it is a difficult skill if timing and body shapes are not correct.

Common problems (some apply the just straddle to hands and some apply to straddle and straight-body:
- Not leaning over the bar (in kip-cast-hands this is caused by the shoulders not being over the bar following the kip)
- Pushing backwards away from the bar with the shoulders (this usually happens if you don't lean)
- Arched body position
- Legs straddling backwards rather than down and then circling around the sides to handstand

Tips (most are for straddle to hands and all can be done with or without ankle weights around the ankles):
- I did a lot of sets of straight body casts. I tried to keep my stomach pressed hollow and my arms straight. Typically I did sets of 5-10. All drills on the bar, except for this one, can be done from a kip as well.
- Cast to straddle with feet on either side of the hands, jump off over the bar.
- Cast to straddle with feet on either side of the hands, fall to back on other side of bar (stack 1-2 8-inch mats behind either a low or high bar for this).
- Cast to straddle with feet on either side of hands, small jump/punch off the bar, fall to back on other side of bar. << This can be done with a jump or press to handstand progression next, but I was never able to do it.
- Cast to straddle with feet on either side of hands, DO NOT TOUCH BAR WITH FEET THIS TIME, fall to back on other side of bar.
- On floor bar, put feet/shins on physio-ball and roll to from extended position with shoulders extended (completely or not completely, either are beneficial, completely just requires more abdominal strength) to hollow position with shoulders over the bar. Sets of 10+. For all floor+ball drills remember to keep stomach pressed towards back in a hollow at all times.
- On floor bar, put feet/shins on physio-ball and roll to from slightly or completely extended position to pike position with toes on ball and shoulders over the floor bar. Sets of 10+.
- On floor bar, put feet/shins on physio-ball and roll to from slightly extended position to straddle to handstand. Remember to aim toes towards bar and then circle to handstand (like a punch to handstand with hands on the floor).
- Press handstands (on floor, from a sit, on a wall, off a mat, it doesn't matter where as long as body positions are good they are helpful).
- Free handstand holds on the floor or paralettes.

I'm sure there's more than this, but this is what I've done and helped me finally get my cast. I did hundreds of the "on bar" drills before I got my cast, but I had to correct 3 years of bad habits, so I don't think it'll take your daughter anywhere near as long. Once the cast is achieved doing sets of multiple kip to handstands and periodically doing single "stationary" cast to handstands with a couple pushing over the other side of the bar is beneficial (or at least it is for me).

I realize now I should make a video of all of these drills at some point haha! Good luck to your daughter and I hope she gets her cast to handstand. Reassure her she's not the only one who has trouble with handstands, I still have trouble to this day, but she can get it. I believe in her. :)
 
It amazes me how many coaches don't use drills/progressions to work towards cast handstands. It's just lots of spotted cast handstands and then the direction to "try it on your own." This works for some kids, but for lots it leads to frustration. If this is the case with your DD, explain her frustration to the HC (they obviously aren't seeing how worked up she is getting and how important it is to her) and ask if there are ways they can be breaking down the skill to help her. There are tons of great and very easy to implement drills for cast handstands that wouldn't require extra set up on the part of the coach.
 
It amazes me how many coaches don't use drills/progressions to work towards cast handstands. It's just lots of spotted cast handstands and then the direction to "try it on your own." This works for some kids, but for lots it leads to frustration. If this is the case with your DD, explain her frustration to the HC (they obviously aren't seeing how worked up she is getting and how important it is to her) and ask if there are ways they can be breaking down the skill to help her. There are tons of great and very easy to implement drills for cast handstands that wouldn't require extra set up on the part of the coach.


Yes, it seems HC has just done a ton of spotted cast handstands and that's it. All DD can tell me is that she just doesn't understand how to do it, DD is going to a gym camp this summer for a week. I'm hoping a change in coaching will shed new light on the skill for her.
 
All my kids do two drills before I even spot it.

1. Cast to Straddle, Feet on Bar, Jump to HS
2. With Mini Tramp, Jump to HS

In both drills, I have them fall on their back on a mat on the other side first, then either hold and come down or pirouette out of it.

Then I'll spot, which is pretty easy considering they aren't scared to fall over the bar anymore. And after that then they can try on their own.
 

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