Height problem!!

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LasswadeCoach

Ok, i have a problem! My 11-13 year old recreational gymnasts need to learn a tucked backaway (flyaway) very shortly in order to be able to enter their next competition. They have all done the 'dead cow' preparation into our pit, but when told do perform the full backaway they forget to let go, pull their knees in and land dangerously close to the bar, i know what the problem is, i just cannot fix it. The girls i coach are nearly the same height as me, and i am not physically strong enough or tall enough to carry them through the move safely, i cannot ask the other coaches, as they would simply not have the time to come over and support the girls. I was wondering if anyone has any drills in which i wouldnt have to handle the girls much, we are kind of stuck at the moment, and they cannot progress further safely without a different preparation, can anyone help?
 
http://gymnasticscoaching.com/?cat=45&paged=4

The top entry, "wall of death" is a good drill. Though it is for the laid out flyaway not tucked. Though it does help them to release at the right point of the swing, and is not a heavy spotting drill.

I think the problem with most girls and the tucked position is that they pull everything in before releasing. The laid out position does encourage stretching the toes and bosy away from the bar.

Hope it helps a little bit.
 
Thanks for the advice! im going to try that, but the only problem with it is that these girls only train 2 hours each week, and only get a 20 minute session on bars. The only mats in our gym hard enough for this drill would be the biscuit mat underneath the vault, which is at the opposite side of the gym!! we'd have to set it up and clear it away for the next group coming to bars, by the time this is done there will be no time left!!

anyone else got other drills?

thanks!
 
If you have any spotting blocks or taller mats that you can stand on, you could spot them. Just kind of guide them through it by grabbing their hips and helping them keep their shoulders open. The problem isn't them pulling their knees in (tucking) it's them closing their shoulder angle (pulling in); which is a very common problem with flyaways. Try having them do dead cows in the tuck position (swing up, tuck knees, keep shoulders open, and land on their back).

Another drill:
You could also give them a target to aim for when swinging up--hold a foam block up at bar height where they can swing up and touch it (with shoulders open) before letting go.
 
I read somewhere that as they release have them put their arms out to side middle and that will help them to keep their shoulder angle open so they don't pull back to the bar. I have told a couple of girls to do that & it helped them. I have one that it hasn't helped though:(. For that girl I am spotting her off the low bar. She swings with her knees bent (not tucked - keep the hip angle open - like she's kicking her tush) and everytime she gets to the point that she would let go I tap her back. On the third swing I catch her with her hands still on the bar (one reason for that is so she can feel her shoulder angle at the time of release & the other reason is for safety since it's a low bar!) then I carry her through the flip part. I've done this with a couple of other girls and it helped them. If I spot on the girls left side (I'm facing sideways to her) I tap her back with my left hand. On the third swing I can grab her right side with my left hand & put my left upper arm and shoulder under her to help me with the weight and my right hand on her left side. Boy, I hope that makes sense! Let me know how it goes! Good luck & Happy New Year!
 
What about a tumbling belt? We had a coach come into the gym that actually taught flyaways - in 1 day - to our girls without ever actually spotting them using a kind of a rig that belted around the gymnast and was controlled by a rope.
 
at our gym, we have the level 6's do flyaways on the low bar first. basically they swing with their arms bent and thne when they are supposed to let go you kind of guide them through it. i hope thats helps with the height problem!
 
I am only 5'3 and most of the girls I coach are bigger than I am. I always spot on low bar first. straight arms tap swings with their knees bent. Tap one, two, and on three support back and middle and guide them through the release. after a few times on this I see if I can move them to pit bar. I can sit beside ours and spot a few there. I have them reach their toes out toward a noodle (soft stick) to get them extended and releasing at the right point! GOod Luck!
 
Thanks for all the advise, im sure it will help when the time comes, however the head coach at my gym has decided not to put them forwards for grades at this moment, but perhaps later in the year! I guess im just so used to supporting little people!!

thanks anyway!
 
I am a little concerned that they are expected to be performing flyaways when they only spend twenty minutes on bars each week. That is the sort of skill usually taught to level 5's and 6's who train generally 10-20 hours a week.
 
I can understand your concerns Aussie_coach, however in reality the flyaway is probably the easiest skill to do on bars. If you have 1/2 a decent swing, and are not scared and understand that during swing you are not pulling on the bar but rather stretch and kick through the bottom, let go, and then tuck, the anyone can pull of a flyaway. It is really reciculously easy really.
10-20min a week is more then enough to get a safe flyaway (might not develop into double any time in the near or eventual future, but a safe single is really not a problem.
However i do agree with the head coaches decision, as rec kids there is no need to rush, or push of it. It is in cases that is when it can turn scary and dangerous.

I would rather teach a rec kid a flyaway (tucked no layout) then a bail, or cast to layaway
 
Teaching a flyaway in rec would be a lot easier than teaching a bail. For one, it would be a lot easier to spot into a pit or even off a low bar. I could spot a lot of little ones just for kicks if I wanted to.

My basic pre-requisite is they how to do something of a back flip. I really like for them to be able to do a back pullover on tramp before I will realistically let them try for a flyaway. A decent swing would be nice too.

Teaching a giant in rec would be much more challenging, but I've done it before in straps if there swing was ready and they were.
 
I agree, a flyaway is not difficult to learn, if you let go at the right moment and can feel the timing its very easy, and these girls are 11-13 years old, so they are mature enough to understand the timing. Ive not really taught the tucked flyaway before though, i taught my little ones layout flyaways first, it encourages them to fly up and away from the bar, rather than tucking and pulling themselves close to the bar, its much easier! i must say though, its much easiter to lift a seven year old than it is to lift a 13 year old! especially at 4'11!!
 
Well, yes I guess you are right, the flyaway is not the most difficult skill to learn and with a strong swing they should be able to do it. I guess my concern was more the type of skills that tend to be learned at the same time as the flyaway. How do you find they cope with skills like kips and cast to handstands with such a short amount of time on bars each week?
 
they can all kip, but none are good enough to cast to handstand, these girls used to train twice a week, 2 hours each time, but i guess that still isn't very much. I am teaching them the skills that are in their next grade bar routine, the routine is :

kip
free hip to below 45degrees
kip
squat on catch high bar
kip
tucked flyaway

the routine is based for recreational gymnasts as it is the basic grading system, and not the elite system, it is grade 3 they are doing, and it only goes up to grade one, so the skills don't get too difficult. Don't worry they are not learning giants or double backs or anything like that!! :) they are not physically prepared to be attempting any moves like that, and they, and myself know that, so you don't have to worry! :)
 
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