WAG Straddle versus straight cast handstand

[cbifoja]

My daughter recently switched gyms and her new coaches told me one of the first things they are going to do is to have her begin doing a straddle kip cast handstand. Can anyone share their experiences about how that process was for your daughters? Did they find it hard to transition after doing straight ones for so many years? About how long until they felt comfortable? Any input is appreciated.

And I know that it varies from child to child, just looking for some dialogue. Thanks!

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

Straddle in the kip, or straddle up to handstand?

 

[gymgal]

Hopefully someone will come along with some experience with this but I haven't heard much on these boards about gymnast switching from straight to straddle if they already have a good straight.

Is she already doing straight body cast hs that look good? If so, I would be asking why they are messing with it. If they don't look good or she can't get to hs then that's understandable.

 

[gymbeam]

at our gym, the straddle is only taught to those who didn't have the strength to get master the straight CHS. and when they do switch to that, they learn them pretty easily.

 

[cbifoja]

No she isn't. Lol. That's why they are changing it. This gym focuses on form more than her old gym did.

 

[cbifoja]

Straddle in the kip, or straddle up to handstand?

Hmm. I'm not sure but my guess would be straddle up to handstand.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

So, our gym teaches the straddle cast to everyone, regardless of how strong their straight casts are. They actually start doing drills with spotted cast handstands as soon as the L4's have strong kips. They all do a ton of press handstands (from standing) on the floor during conditioning and during bar rotations. The motion makes it possible for everyone to develop a strong, consistent handstand on bars. Kipper was one of the last to learn it. We moved to a new gym at the end of L4 (June 2014) to this gym, which is huge on form and conditioning. She is not a strong bar worker and barely hit horizontal in L4. She was casting to handstand on her own by December, and connected it to a kip by February. Fear was a big issue, and she didn't make it to HS on the high bar until the season was over. LOL But, I've seen others grasp the skill MUCH faster. A lot of your dd's progress will depend on her natural strength and how comfortable she is on bars.

 

[wandrewsjr]

One of my own kids went back and forth. Started straight when she was young(8-10 yrs). Went to straddle for a year or so mostly because of growth spurt so strength hadn't caught up to size, straight wasn't so easy/pretty any more. Went back to straight went her strength caught up, she was always more comfortable pirouetting from the straight.

 

[titanic]

I teach all of my kids straddle cast handstands when they are training level 5.

 

[lindsaygymnast7]

I switched gyms about 6 - 7 months ago and when I was at my old gym I never casted straddle. However, I couldn't even cast above horizontal and never got my cast requirement. When I came to my current gym, they started teaching me straddle casts and they are way easier! I struggled with casting so much before I started straddling, and now getting up to a handstand is much, much, much easier! Her coach is probably having her straddle cast because her straight cast isn't big enough. I can't express how much doing a straddle cast helped me. I hope it goes well for your daughter!

 

[GlobalNomad]

DD has a straight body, but has tried to get her to straddle also. DD could not get the timing, and finds the straight body easier. It seems like it would be useful to have both.

 

[glad2bgymmom]

My daughter has both her straight body and straddle cast handstand. She competed L7 and L8 with the straight body cast handstand. Her coaches thought her legs weren't as straight as they could be though. She just switched to a straddle cast this year as a L9. It did take her a little while over the summer to learn the straddle cast handstand. I must say though that the straddle cast handstand is a much better option for my daughter as her legs now look a lot straighter.

 

[glad2bgymmom]

I should also add that she had problems going into a pirouette with the change. She is not competing with a pirouette this season though. I'm sure she will work on that transition once meet season is done. Her coaches seem to think she will find it easier once she does get it.

 

[B.Gold]

I've always assumed, when I see a higher level gymnast competing with a straight body cast, it's because they are training elite. Is this too much of a generalization?

 

[LizzieLac]

I think it depends on the gymmie and what they can do better. What I have seen at our gym is that coach tries to get everyone to straddle cast to HS. Some girls just can't master the timing. I think mine falls into that category - on the low bar her straddle cast is very low so coach switched her to straight and then she is about 30 degrees from HS. She can straddle better on the high bar, but again he just made her do straight last weekend and she was probably 20 degrees from HS. We were not sure how it was going to go but it did look better. She is just getting back to really competing after breaking her leg last year, so I am not sure what the plan is for casting going forward, but the straight body cast worked well last weekend!

Then we have to do girls that straight cast and they do get to HS, but they arch up and it does not look pretty so they are probably getting form deductions. But they really can't get the timing thing of the straddle and so that approach looks even worse.

All of that being said, my observations is that our strongest overall bar workers straddle cast and they all get to HS. Not sure if there is a correlation there... ;-)

 

[titanic]

I've always assumed, when I see a higher level gymnast competing with a straight body cast, it's because they are training elite. Is this too much of a generalization?

A straight body cast is a requirement for TOPS, and so girls going that route will do those. But other than I don't think there is a correlation.

 

[gymbeam]

I've always assumed, when I see a higher level gymnast competing with a straight body cast, it's because they are training elite. Is this too much of a generalization?

could totally be true (in some cases) because straddle does get deductions in elite compulsory.

 

[Natasha]

DD switched gyms after 1st year of L8 and switched to straddle handstands. Her straight body ones were either not to HS or really arched and ugly. I don't remember it being an issue at all with switching over and bars went really well the next season.

 

[needcoffee]

Straddle cast to handstands are the bane of my dds existence currently. She's been working them for months and the last one in her group to get it. Which is bizarre as she has by far the nicest and most consistent press to handstand. She just can't get that straddle cast to handstand. Her actual casts aren't that great either though, rarely makes it above horizontal.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

A straight body cast is a requirement for TOPS, and so girls going that route will do those. But other than I don't think there is a correlation.

um, worldwide including us do straddle cast hands. you might straight body 7-12...but things change after 13 and up. there is no judgmental difference.