Backhandspring on beam

[mwarren]

My daughter recently moved up to level 7. She has been having trouble with her backhandspring on beam. She consistantly gets her hands and front foot on the beam, but her back foot goes off to the side on just about every one. How does she get her back foot on the beam?

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Is she dropping her arms (or one arm) to the side on the way up to a standing position ? This will throw off her balance and likely send her off the side. Her hips may be turning slightly instead of continuing to face forward.

I must say I have seen that a lot when they are first learning that skill. Practice, Practice, Practice. She will get it.

 

[hakunamatata]

She may be twisting her hips a little bit while she is stepping out of the back handspring. This is actually an extremely common issue and I believe it has something to do with getting used to the hand placement as well as starting with one foot in front of the other. She should make sure her feet are pointing directly forward before she begins the move (some gymnasts have acquired a habit of pointing one foot out at an angle, as that is not something that effects most beam skills prior to learning the back handspring), as well as checking to make sure that her hips are in line with the beam when she is in her starting position. The general rule is that if you are square with the beam to begin with, you will end that way, too, as long as you don't drop one arm or something like that. The other thing that might be causing it, as I said, is the hand placement and just adjusting to that. It's typically different from the position you use for handstands and walkovers, and it causes some girls to twist their shoulders a little when they are first getting used to it. I had that issue when I was first learning this skill. Your daughter might want to take it back down to floor beam or just a line on the floor to correct her form before moving back to the high beam. She'll get it, though! It's not an easy skill to learn. It does take some time, but it will come to her. Tell her good luck

 

[MamaofEnS]

Sorry I don't have any advice for you on how to do it. I just wanted to share with you that I'm worried about this skill too for my L7 gymmie. She was slowly getting it, up to high beam, when she broke her hand doing it last spring. She slowly started regaining that skill when she hurt her wrist. She was so excited that she got it back on low beam, when she jammed her finger on that same skill. I am so scared that she will become fearful of that skill.

I hear your concern and wish your DD good luck.

MamaofEnS