Split Leap vs Switch Leap?

[Mack_the_Ripper]

Hi, I just finished competing USAG L5 and will compete L6 (although competing L7 also is not out of the picture) next year. My problem is that my split leap sucks. I can't get my legs to "pop" to split. I thought I was feeling the "pop" for a while, but actually I was just pushing off the ground harder than before. My split hasn't actually gotten larger. I am down in my good and bad leg splits and my good leg oversplits, sometimes.

We do plenty of split leap drills, kicks, split jumps on tramp, etc but the only thing that seems to improve my split leap is doing leaps with ankle weights - when I take them off, my leap seems to be much wider than before. But in an hour, the effect will be gone and my leap will be back to normal...I think. We don't have mirrors, but that's how I percieve it.

This confuses me, because my switch leap is almost a perfect 180. What's going on? I thought switch leaps were supposed to be harder than split leaps! My coach is excited for optionals when I can stop incurring all those leap deductions...she's hoping for me to do a stag leap on beam in L7, which is not as good as my switch leap but not as bad as my split leap.

 

[CreateMagic]

I was going to suggest leaps with weights... Another drill I saw once was to hang on the high bar and quickly lift to a split position then snap your legs back together. I remember the presenter saying something about training the muscles that lift without being able to push. Or something like that. It was a long time ago.

 

[gymdog]

My switch leap is better than my split leap. I don't have the greatest hip flexor flexibility, but I have fast muscles and the way I do a switch leap (as in entrance to the leap) gives me more momentum than say the "curved run" into the compulsory leap. That said when I was a compulsory and had to do those types of leaps everyday, I was much better at them. We used to do leap, step, leap, chasse though (anyone remember that? WHO ELSE HERE IS IN MY GENERATION?) In L4 there was some ridiculous step leap, two steps to bad leg leap. My video review of this era confirms that was indeed performed about as poorly as you might imagine.

I would try to look up some ballet drills for this stuff. They have a lot of great exercises for strength and flexibility in hip flexors (along the lines of the lifting, etc like CreateMagic said).

 

[gymnut1]

We do the hang on the bar thing too. Also lie on your back and raise your leg over into split shape (no hands). Try and hold it for 20 using your leg muscles to pull the leg into as wide a split as you can. Try not to twist. Rather than leg kicks try doing standing leg raises (battements) Do them starting with your foot on the floor and also with the foot on a bench or block so you improve the muscle bit that does the higher part of the lift. You should do them to the front and back and why not the side while you are at it Side switches are nice too.

I notice alot of our bouncy but less flexible gymnasts have a better switch leap than split leap. I think it is because the leg has a longer swing with more force into the split position, and because they are bouncy they get the height needed for the extra time the change leg needs

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Change your thinking... A split leap is a split jump off one foot.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

Change your thinking... A split leap is a split jump off one foot.

My split-jumps-off-one-foot also suck, coincidentially. Normal split jumps are fine, if not the greatest, for me, but I can't get the one-legged take-off to "pop" in the middle at all.

To everyone: Thanks for your input. We do the hanging split things on the bar and I'm pretty good at those. I guess I've isolated my problem as being in the take-off phase, due to the one-legged split jump dilemma...which I pretty much could have guessed from the switch vs split situation.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to work on these until the 2-inch gash on the bottom of my toe heals. (springboard miscalculation)

 

[gymnut1]

ooh that sounds nasty! hope you are healing soon.
If it is your take off lots of hopping across the floor lol.

 

[CoachTodd]

My switch leap is better than my split leap. I don't have the greatest hip flexor flexibility, but I have fast muscles and the way I do a switch leap (as in entrance to the leap) gives me more momentum than say the "curved run" into the compulsory leap. That said when I was a compulsory and had to do those types of leaps everyday, I was much better at them. We used to do leap, step, leap, chasse though (anyone remember that? WHO ELSE HERE IS IN MY GENERATION?) In L4 there was some ridiculous step leap, two steps to bad leg leap. My video review of this era confirms that was indeed performed about as poorly as you might imagine.

I would try to look up some ballet drills for this stuff. They have a lot of great exercises for strength and flexibility in hip flexors (along the lines of the lifting, etc like CreateMagic said).

The switch leap allows you to wind up into the split. It sounds like you have good active flexibility like quite a few of my girls. I have one that can't do a middle split but her switch side is beautiful.

 

[tweeters]

My switch leap is better than my split leap. I don't have the greatest hip flexor flexibility, but I have fast muscles and the way I do a switch leap (as in entrance to the leap) gives me more momentum than say the "curved run" into the compulsory leap. That said when I was a compulsory and had to do those types of leaps everyday, I was much better at them. We used to do leap, step, leap, chasse though (anyone remember that? WHO ELSE HERE IS IN MY GENERATION?) In L4 there was some ridiculous step leap, two steps to bad leg leap. My video review of this era confirms that was indeed performed about as poorly as you might imagine.

I would try to look up some ballet drills for this stuff. They have a lot of great exercises for strength and flexibility in hip flexors (along the lines of the lifting, etc like CreateMagic said).

I don't have anything to add, I just think this post is hilarious. Thanks for making me laugh.

PS: I didn't do L4, but I remember that routine. What the heck were they thinking?

 

[gymdog]

PS: I didn't do L4, but I remember that routine. What the heck were they thinking?

Backwards chasse? IT DIDN'T END THERE.

I'm pretty sure I still can't do a backwards chasse with any measure of competance.

Ummm, we were creating a library of movement.

It took me HOURS to learn the hoppy thing into the dive roll/aerial.

 

[GetaGrip]

My switch leaps are better than my split jumps too! I go higher and hit 180 MUCH easier.
The reason we gymnasts sometimes do this is because in split leaps you need to be pretty flexible AND be able to kick both of your legs up at the same time very hard.
In switch leaps, once you get your bad leg to switch back, if you are flexible you are almost put to exactly 180.
Usually because we have strong leg muscles that kick our back leg back, and when our back leg is back, usually our front leg does the same.

To help your split leaps, I'd do these things:

~Practice oversplits until they hurt! That way you KNOW that you're stretching!!!
~As soon as you jump off the ground, watch your front leg come up high into the air
~Also, as soon as you kick off the ground, very very quickly lift your back leg as high as you can with your front leg
~You should feel like you have time to float out of it, and that you barely have time before you go into the leap
~Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

I hope this helps!

-Lauren