Front Salto

[kez]

Hi. I'm looking for some new drills to help get the girls to punch up and rotate their hips around their shoulders in the front salto rarther than dropping their shoulders so that the front salto rotates downwards. We don't have a pit, or a tramp or a spotting belt. We have access to a mini tramp and also a double mini tramp.

I have tried getting them to punch up and rotate to a higher surface but they are still dropping their shoulders on take off - perhap I need to make the surface higher again? I have also tried to get them to front salto over a pool noodle. What I found with this was they just dropped their shoulders over the other side of the noodle rarther than punching up. I have a couple of girls with this problem and I'm trying to find another drill that might help them have an aha moment and see what I want.

Thanks for help.

 

[CalEliteCoach]

We start teaching front tucks drills over a p-bar block. Start standing on the floor and place the hands on the the block. Jump to a forward roll on the block. Finish the roll onto the floor. A variation is to add a tucked hollow rock then slide down to the floor. Great return station and landing drill.

 

[CoachTodd]

I like to have them tuck over a stack of pit blocks. We make a contest out of who can get over the highest stack. It's usually best to do this into a pit if you have one. It also works with the mini tramp. Most kids think it's fun.

 

[JBS]

Have them work bouncing front tucks on the double mini the same way you would on a regular trampoline. Just pad around it well and spot them.

EDIT: Do not have them dismount the double mini...have them take off and land back on it.

In this case I would spot them by holding their arm (upper arm near shoulder) with one hand and put my other hand on their stomach. By doing this I can guide them up into the air and teach them not to lean over. As they reach the top of the flip...I switch my hands. I move my hand that is on the arm to the back and the stomach hand to their forearm.

If I am facing the gymnast on the gymnasts right side. My right arm would go on their right upper arm and left hand on their stomach. I would then switch them as stated above.

Hope that made sense. It works for me...but I do this on a regular tramp. I would think it could be done pretty easily on a double mini...they're big enough.