How to get more momentum to do an aerial

[sandisk]

Hello,

I was wondering, as I have been trying 2 learn an aerial recently, it seems that it is very hard to get the additional momentum needed once u move from a 1 handed cartwheel to pull in ur hands. I always fall a little short, just need a little extra to land on my kicking leg square.

Is it more an issue of flexibilty, or strength, or something else. People have been advising me 2 use my toes to push more, but so far not enough. Are there good drills 2 do in order 2 get over the last hump?

Any help would b gr8, thx

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[Aussie_coach]

An aerial is very different to a 1 arm cartwheel and requires very different technique. some things to look at

1. Don't run too much, running gives you a lot of forward momentum. Forwards momentum makes the aerial harder, you need upwards momentum instead.

2. Hurdle high and then quickly put your chest to your leg like you are trying to under cut yourself.

3. Push strongly off your push off leg, bend it enough to get a good push.

4. Kick your other leg hard and fast over the top.

5. Lift your chest quickly at the end.

Flexibility in the side splits is very helpful as is good leg power.

You can work on it on a trampoline, tumble track or something similar first to give you more airtime and help you break the habit of putting your hands down.

Doing it off a raised surface helps too.

 

[sandisk]

An aerial is very different to a 1 arm cartwheel and requires very different technique. some things to look at

1. Don't run too much, running gives you a lot of forward momentum. Forwards momentum makes the aerial harder, you need upwards momentum instead.

2. Hurdle high and then quickly put your chest to your leg like you are trying to under cut yourself.

3. Push strongly off your push off leg, bend it enough to get a good push.

4. Kick your other leg hard and fast over the top.

5. Lift your chest quickly at the end.

Flexibility in the side splits is very helpful as is good leg power.

You can work on it on a trampoline, tumble track or something similar first to give you more airtime and help you break the habit of putting your hands down.

Doing it off a raised surface helps too.

Thanks a lot, I will try those steps, and get back for some more advices.

Any1 else has suggestions, plz LMK

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[pattymello]

Aussiecoach has good tip but I disagree with throwing you chest towards your leg. With the aerial, especially when first learning, you want to get as much height as possible. By dropping your chest you are setting your point of rotation low. Rather I would focus on driving your back leg hard and lifting your chest as you turn over. I could be wrong but for most forward tumbling one of the worst mistakes in dropping your chest in an attempt to increas rotation

 

[Esoteric]

Now, it has been a while since I did a side aerial, but I am pretty sure that when I was learning I did NOT pull my arms in. I used my arms to assist with lift and rotation. I am a "righty," and as I lunged and pushed with right leg, I whipped right arm under torso and left arm up and over to help with rotation. I also used that back leg a lot, too- and I am pretty sure I kept chest up. I have to agree that if you think the side aerial is a progression from a one handed cartwheel- you will have issues. I view it as a progression from a dive cartwheel. I recall really enjoying aerials and incorporating both front and side into my routines. For me it was sort of like a kip- it was all in body position and timing- but once you got it, it became effortless. Good luck!

 

[CoachTodd]

I've seen it coached both with either and under arm swing or a Russian lift. Both seem to work both had chest up.
Use a panel mat and do cartwheels over it until your hands miss the mat. Do this while using the the leg pushed mentioned in one of the posts above.

 

[pattymello]

Coachtodd may I ask what a Russian lift is?

 

[Esoteric]

A Russian lift is when your arms swing backward to provide the lift and rotation. You need quite a bit of shoulder flexibility to do it (successfully) without pain. That is how the mens gymnasts were taught to do front tucks when I was a kiddo back in the 80s.

 

[pattymello]

Ann yeah I have tried that. Glad they made improvements in front sault technique.
I use a Russian lift when I do an Ariel.

 

[sandisk]

Aussiecoach has good tip but I disagree with throwing you chest towards your leg. With the aerial, especially when first learning, you want to get as much height as possible. By dropping your chest you are setting your point of rotation low. Rather I would focus on driving your back leg hard and lifting your chest as you turn over. I could be wrong but for most forward tumbling one of the worst mistakes in dropping your chest in an attempt to increas rotation

Yeah, I've been getting conflicting advices here as well about the height of the upper body. Perhaps that's 1 of those things that diff tech suit diff people. Its quite counter 2 how I do FSP or layouts, so this is completely new set of tech that I have 2 get used to.

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[sandisk]

I've seen it coached both with either and under arm swing or a Russian lift. Both seem to work both had chest up.
Use a panel mat and do cartwheels over it until your hands miss the mat. Do this while using the the leg pushed mentioned in one of the posts above.

Sorry, could u describe a russian lift 2 me, and how its diff from an aerial?

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[sandisk]

Now, it has been a while since I did a side aerial, but I am pretty sure that when I was learning I did NOT pull my arms in. I used my arms to assist with lift and rotation. I am a "righty," and as I lunged and pushed with right leg, I whipped right arm under torso and left arm up and over to help with rotation. I also used that back leg a lot, too- and I am pretty sure I kept chest up. I have to agree that if you think the side aerial is a progression from a one handed cartwheel- you will have issues. I view it as a progression from a dive cartwheel. I recall really enjoying aerials and incorporating both front and side into my routines. For me it was sort of like a kip- it was all in body position and timing- but once you got it, it became effortless. Good luck!

That's another thing that I get differing advices on, some say that I should let my arms follow the arc of my feet in the air, more or less. Other have encouraged me to pull them into the chet tight to increase the rotation.

I think this skill is by far the most confusing of any that I have learned so far.

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[sandisk]

A Russian lift is when your arms swing backward to provide the lift and rotation. You need quite a bit of shoulder flexibility to do it (successfully) without pain. That is how the mens gymnasts were taught to do front tucks when I was a kiddo back in the 80s.

Whoops, nevermind, u already gave the answer.

Sorry, do u mean when u take off on front tuck, u have to swing the arms backwards instead of throwing them upward?

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[Esoteric]

Yes. I did a quick youtube search and this popped up first. It shows the Russian lift technique.
Standing Russian front flip - YouTube

 

[pattymello]

Just wanted to say Russian lift isn't how you should learn front saults! As for arms in/out. Having them out will slow your rotation. When i do an aerial i throw my inside arm (arm starting on the inside of the flip) back like a russian lift to get height. my other arm goes up and over my head as if i where ding a bent arm punch (couldn't think of another way to describe it) to aid in my rotation.

I am extremely inflexible so i have to rely on a hard kick with my back leg, strong thrust with my support leg and keeping my chest up to maintain height.

Check out this page: Tricks Tutorials.com It is for people learning tricking a slightly different sport to gymnastics but with similar techniques.

 

[CoachTodd]

Yes. I did a quick youtube search and this popped up first. It shows the Russian lift technique.
Standing Russian front flip - YouTube

Yep, that's it. I find the timing very difficult but I'm not a gymnast. Basically the drill over the folded panel mats seems to work for everyone I've seen work the skill.

As far as the Russian lift not being how one should learn a front salto, I sure as heck wouldn't use it for a backward one .
The Russian lift works for some, I'm personally not a big fan of it. Some people actually do get more lift out of it though.

 

[GetaGrip]

Russian lift or not, I would DEFINITELY recommend using your arms. Although it can be scary to pull your arms away from the floor, I can almost guarantee that you wont make the aerial if you leave them hovering above the ground.

Also, doing them off of panel mats or wedges can help a lot. I've also found that doing them on the trampoline or tumble track can help you get used to the feeling of how you take off and land.

 

[sandisk]

Russian lift or not, I would DEFINITELY recommend using your arms. Although it can be scary to pull your arms away from the floor, I can almost guarantee that you wont make the aerial if you leave them hovering above the ground.

Also, doing them off of panel mats or wedges can help a lot. I've also found that doing them on the trampoline or tumble track can help you get used to the feeling of how you take off and land.

Sounds good, ill have 2 work toward that then. Its 1 of those things ig guessnu just have 2 go 4 one of these days, hopefully ill gather up the courage. Also I guess the earlier mentioned dive cartwwheels would b good 2 practice in preparation 4 that....

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[ivyagogo]

I used to do aerials really well back in the day. My arms always go out to the sides. I use that motion to help lift my chest so I get more height. That said, it's really the legs that matter most. Push hard with your take off leg and lift fast with your back leg. I remember trying to learn these. I never had a coach, so I am pretty much self-taught. I had a mattress on the floor in my basement and I kept putting my hands down. I tried tying my arms together so I couldn't put my hands down, but that didn't work It's one of those things that takes some time. In our gym, we do them at the end of the tumbltrak with a panel mat to step on.

 

[henrik541]

I learned how to do an aerial a month ago or so, and now I almost do it from standing, so you'll see it's pretty easy.
I started doing dive cartwheels, dive 1 handed cartwheels (both hands, but specially the one that's further away from the legs).

Start jumping higher and higher into your cartwheels and don't dive into them.

Try to NOT put your hands down as long as you can, and if you put them down, take them as quickly as you can.

If you can do this, try ding the same with a reuther (springboard?). It will come quite naturally, i believe.