WAG Straddle versus straight cast handstand

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Straight cast is technically simpler and allows for slightly-better pirouettes, but straddle cast requires less strength and arguably less precision of balance. I used to always prefer straight casts, but more and more over the last few years I've come around to straddle casts. The technical purist in me still loves to see the occasional powerful elite gymnast do a proper straight cast with a pirouette done entirely on the way up, but for most girls a straddle cast is simply more practical.

 

[IK'sMom]

My lvl 9 daughter prefers straddle. I was told straight is strength and straddle is technique. Unless she is training tops or elite, its a gym/athlete preference as far as I know.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Our gym works on both. All the girls do straight for level six (not to handstand) and then at seven do straddles. Most will continue with straddles but a few will continue to work straights if they have the potential to do good ones. There would never be an archy straight cast allowed in our gym, they do low, but proper straight casts until they get a good straddle and then they go from there.

My dd is now perfecting her straight cast to put into her routines. They are good and she is doing full routines with them, but they aren't consistent enough to mess with her already good routine in a meet situation. She is level 8.

I'm not sure why they are switching her exactly. I would be curious to hear from coaches what the reasons would be. She has been working on a lot of pirouetting and blind change stuff as well as bar to bar releases, up and down. I think she would be considered a strong bar worker.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Our gym works on both. All the girls do straight for level six (not to handstand) and then at seven do straddles. Most will continue with straddles but a few will continue to work straights if they have the potential to do good ones. There would never be an archy straight cast allowed in our gym, they do low, but proper straight casts until they get a good straddle and then they go from there.

My dd is now perfecting her straight cast to put into her routines. They are good and she is doing full routines with them, but they aren't consistent enough to mess with her already good routine in a meet situation. She is level 8.

I'm not sure why they are switching her exactly. I would be curious to hear from coaches what the reasons would be. She has been working on a lot of pirouetting and blind change stuff as well as bar to bar releases, up and down. I think she would be considered a strong bar worker.

How old is she? If she's hitting a growth spurt or if her coaches are anticipating one, that could be a compelling reason to switch. Straight casts get much harder with every additional inch of height.

 

[thefellowsmom]

She's 11. She is on the smaller side but certainly not tiny. About 4'7" and around 65 pounds. No sign of puberty yet. She is terribly confused as to why all her friends are acting crazy.