Your 5 top tips/exercises for cast to handstand

[marie83]

Hi,

I'm struggling to get my gymnasts to cast to handstand at the moment - they are just beginning however, so I know I have to be patient

I thought it would be helpful for me and others if you could post your top 5 tips for getting that handstand, as I'm currently struggling for ideas!

I've got a few ideas but I'd like to hear others!

 

[JMR132]

Pile up stacks of spotting blocks, have them stand on the blocks with there hands on the bar, then they jump to the handstand. Start with the blocks at almost bar level and then you can start removing them.

Another option with the same set up is they are in a front support on the bar, cast up to put their feet up on the spotting blocks and then jump to the handstand as above.

 

[gymdog]

Presses are pretty good. Also drag presses/pike drag up. From a front support on the bar or spotting block, have them drag their legs up traying to get to stand. You can also spot them from the shoulder and have them drag up to their ankles then press to handstand.

Mostly I just spot cast handstands, and they do casts by themselves. It is usually a bit easier when they are starting to put the bar or put a block so they can jump to front support with their legs in front and then cast off. This gives a little more power than just starting in front support, and is easier than doing a kip into it. They can also do several in a row without needing to have mastered the control to return to front support.

 

[Bobby]

I'm not a coach and my gymmiehood was centuries ago, but the thing I fel helped me most (back in the day) was practising a high cast followed by pitching forward onto my head into the pit (on purpose) just to get over the fear of having to lean so far forward - and discovering it's further forward than you think to have that sort of fall.

 

[MissBear]

I'm not sure I'll think of 5, but I'll have a go.
1. Spot them over and over again. Sometimes spot all the way and let them concentrate on shaping. Sometimes let them cast as high as they can and then lift the rest of the way.

2. Bounce bar, but make sure they have the correct shape. It's very easy to use a bounce bar without leaning the shoulders forwards over the bar. Sometimes I even spot here.

3. Strength in the front support (and with raised feet) and strength in heel drives/tight arch shape.

4. Also the drill gymdog mentioned - jump up casts. Sometimes they have more power doing this but can compormise technique, so I would use this as a coached station (as opposed to side station) at the beginning at least.

4, not quite 5! Let us know what you find effective.

 

[marie83]

Thanks so much for your ideas, will definately try them out!

So far the exercises I've done are all just mimicking the shape and the shoulder opening action of the cast to handstand, but what my girls are lacking I think is the strength - they can all consistently get to horizontal, occasionally they are going above and one is consistently close to handstand but she moves her shoulders back just a fraction too early!

Exercises I've done so far:

1) Supported hundreds - It's all we've done on bars this past fortnight as we only have one set at the moment, so its one person at a time doing bars, the rest are doing side stations which include:

2) Feet on trampette, hands on box top (in front support), shoulders leaning forwards. Bounce to handstand, fall back to front support, moving shoulders forwards and bounce back up to handstand - I REALLY like this one but have to make sure the girls do it properly with the correct shoulder action - We don't have a handstand trainer so I think this is as close as we are going to get!

3) An exercise we call 'knees to handstand' Gymnast starts on their knees with hands just infront of them and has to lift to handstand - again this requires correct shoulder movement

4) "hoovers" - gymnast in front support. Coach or partner lifts feet off floor and gently pushes the gymnast forwards and then pulls them back

5) As 4, but as shoulders move back, partner lifts gymnast into handstand

I think what I need now is something to actually make them strong enough to do the exercise - or is it more about timing like with the kip?

Please keep your ideas coming, I'll definately use them!

 

[BlairBob]

Besides just press HS training, planche training.

Refer to Coach Sommer's article on the planche.

As well, dips and handstand pushups and progressions there of.

 

[YGC4life]

some things that helped me were...

1. If you have a trampoline, have the gymnast do a handstand on it, fall over with legs still pointed to the ceiling while on their back, then bound back up to handstand and go over to bounce their feet on the tramp and do it again continuously. ALot of people have problems with this at first, but it gets easier when you figure out the technique. When they get good a this, if you hold a floor bar on the tramp then they can use that to get the shifting motion along with the drill.
2. let me see if I can explain this. You put a floor bar on the floor, and about a foot behind it (depending on how tall the gymnast) put a movable bar thats a few feet higher. You can put an unfolded panel mat over the higher bar if its more confortable. Then have the gymnast put their hands on the low bar, and hips on the high bar. Then they heal drive to handstand and return to the bar, or go over.

Hope it helps!!

 

[MissBear]

Can they press to handstand? Can they hold tuck planche (on a bench like 14/13 R&C) and raised front support? If you then in my experience they are strong enough and just need more practice with the action and the timing as you say. Casting is a movement they don't have much experience of (as in it's not very similar to any other skill) so it might take longer than you'd think.

 

[marie83]

Can they press to handstand? Can they hold tuck planche (on a bench like 14/13 R&C) and raised front support? If you then in my experience they are strong enough and just need more practice with the action and the timing as you say. Casting is a movement they don't have much experience of (as in it's not very similar to any other skill) so it might take longer than you'd think.

One can press to handstand, the others are close, but not right up there yet - These are part of our every day conditioning though so they should get them soon! They can do the other exercises you mentioned.
Our pit is being installed today so hopefully on Thurs I can get them to try into the pit - the one who is close to handstand will probably do it as at the moment I think she is worried about over rotating (even though I've taught her how to fall safely!)

 

[GetaGrip]

Well, aside from lots and lots of practice you could:

1) Lean, a ton. Make sure to put your thumbs around the bar so you don't peel, and if you are scared, use a spot and have them spot you less and less once you get better at it.

2) Shoulder Hyperflexions. That's what they're called at my gym, but its where you take a bar w/ or w/o weight and lift it over your head with straight arms like in a cast handstands. Another version is to do it sitting on your stomach on a block and lift the bar like that. The second version is better if you arch a lot.

3) I would suggest presses, but I've never been able to figure them out and I have a pretty good straddle cast. But if you can or are close, presses help teach you to planche and lean over enough. It makes it easier to bring it to the bar.

It's not five, but that's what I have so far!

 

[hakunamatata]

Someone else mentioned it (I forgot to check the name before I went to post), but high casts with shoulders leaning so far forward that you eventually just kind of flop over onto your back in the pit.

Also, high casts with ankle weights on, just working on driving the heels as far as possible. As soon as you take them off, it's like there's no resistance whatsoever and getting to handstand is easy.

Try the different press up/jump up from stacked panel mats drills that some others have mentioned, and also just working presses on the floor should help them gain the necessary strength as well.

 

[JAO]

YouTube - Casting and Cast Handstands

 

[shelovestoflip]

The youtube video is great and I'm looking forward to watching the others. Now, for a really dumb question. What level are the girls at who are doing the cast to handstand as shown in the video?? I'm sort of clueless, sorry!

My daughter is Level 6 and struggling with her flyaway, so I know what that looks like...

Any ideas for home to build strength (I assume this is arm strength necessary??) or just leave it to the gym practice (I know they work hard and do a ton of conditioning there)

She's great at all other events....last weekend at their 2nd meet she scored 9.8 on vault, 9.6 on beam, 9.3 on floor and 6.5 on bars! She tries hard but struggles!! Level 5 beam she did improve throughout the year, so it is possible, I know! Mostly, she is dealing with fear and she admits that!

Thanks!

 

[gymnut1]

That girl is probably about 7 or 8. That is a good age to train them but you can train them younger as long as they are strong enough to hold the handstand shape correctly.