Close to Kip (Forever!)

[Chocoholic]

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new here and seeking advice. My daughter will be competing Level 5 this season. She has been very close on her kip for months now but can't seem to get that last inch needed. She can make it with a finger spot but on her own never seems to get quite enough height up over the bar. Her coaches have tried all sorts of drills but she just can't quite get over the kip hurdle.

Has any gymnast been super close to a kip but never gotten it????

Any suggestions for what she can do to land it???

Thanks!

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I've never seen a gymnast who was motivated to remain in the sport NOT get it!!! A lot of girls will give up right here at this point. Sometimes it takes a lot longer for some girls than other girls to get that kip. Every gymnast progresses at their own rate. I bet when your daughter gets it tho, it's going to look great!!! Just encourage her and don't put any pressure on her (counterproductive!).

 

[emm'sgymmom]

The dreaded kip....I remember those days....it took my daughter 6 months to get her kip and then another month or so to keep her arms straight!! Just hang in there, and keep the attitude about the kip light! She'll get it....Good luck!!

 

[bogwoppit]

My youngest took a long time to get it. She worked it on and off for three years, though only weekly for the last year. She hadvit with the onevfingercspot for ages too. Finally this summer something clicked and now she has it, still not beautiful, but consistent. Meanwhile new girls have got theirs in weeks.

Tell your dd that Shawn Johnson took over a year to get hers. It will come, it just can take time for some gymmies.

 

[MaryA]

Oh, yes. I could have written your email only about 2 months ago. All summer long I kept hearing about how "close" she was to getting her kip. She "almost" had her kip for ages! She was the last one on her level 5 team to get it, and she "scratched" on bars at her first meet. But I have to say that, now that she has it, she looks better doing it than a lot of the girls who have "had" their kip since summer, and even some of the higher level girls. She never did the "flop over" onto the bar just so that she could say that she had it. Now that she has it, legs are straight, arms are straight... her coach told her she went from "zero to hero" practically overnight.

I know that it doesn't feel like it, but she WILL get it. Deep breath. Be encouraging. Try not to let her know that deep inside you're half convinced that she's NEVER going to learn to do this thing! Good luck! I'd send you Kathy's kip fairies, but she's missing 2 weeks of practice to visit her grandparents in Florida, so I'd like to keep them just a bit longer to make sure she still has her kips when she comes back. But as soon as I see that she does, I promise, I'll send them your way!

 

[Chocoholic]

Thanks for all the encouraging words! My daughter is a real trooper and works super hard. It's just painful to watch other girls get the darned kip with much less effort. So glad to hear that she is not alone out there!

 

[gymnut1]

My dd also took a year of being really close before it clicked and then another 6 months to be reliable. If she is doing all the right things it will come eventually. It is so hard to watch but tell her to focus and keep going it will take her by surprise one day!! She is definitely not the only one to take a long time.

 

[LizzieLac]

Your DD is NOT alone!! I have heard and read all sorts of variations on the kip story. My DD being one of them... She was supposed to compete level 5 this season, having moved over from PREP Opt, but the darned kip was not there. Long story short, HC does not believe in kids competing requirements they are not pretty solid on. So, she had to do level 4 until the kip was there. We hope she will moving midseason.

She worked on it during regular practice for about 4 months before she stuck a few, but she still does not make it every time. Every week she gets more and more consistent, but even after 6 months she does not make it every time. It can be frustrating, but she is determined and keeps a tally at home of how many she has made!!

Just keep looking for a little bit of progress each week and realize it may take a while, but I am sure she will get it!!

 

[gymnast1guppy]

That happend to me to... I got it and once she gets it she will probaly lose it and get it back and lose it and get it back. It happends to a lot of gymansts. She will get it finally and it will get better and better. I wish her luck

 

[Supportive_Dad]

My DD was the last in her group to get her KIP. I wondered why they didn't just give her extra kip help. I know it more complicated now.

I'll be rooting for your girl!

She'll get it!

After she does get it, look up that "When will Suzy start kipping" video.
YOu'll enjoy it after the fact.

 

[Chocoholic]

Thanks everyone! I feel better knowing that she is not alone in being close to her kip for a very long time.

 

[Chocoholic]

An update on the kips. My daughter had her first level 5 meet today and she made both her kips! Got her long hang kip on Friday night at practice (once) and then her regular kip before the meet in warm-up (once) and then both in the actual routine! Thanks for all the support and good wishes.

 

[NotAMom]

That's the greatest news. Congrats!

 

[gymnut1]

That is brilliant! Getting it in warm up is cutting it fine lol. Well done to her.

 

[MaryA]

Isn't it wonderful when that happens??? I remember last year... my dd had "gotten" her front hip circle at practice for the first time at a Friday night and then nailed it at her competition the next day.

I'm so happy that your DD finally got her kips! See? We told you it would happen!

 

[HGymnast99]

Hi, my daughter is moving up to level 5 next year as well. But she is and inch away too!!! All her friends keep telling here to throw herself over the bar, and it never works!!!!!!! Her coach and her are very frustrated at how close she is.... :/

 

[Chocoholic]

My daughter was extremely frustrated as well as was her coach. Even after she got it, she did lose it periodically for the first few weeks until it really stuck. We did get a pull-up bar for her at home and she worked to increase her upper body strength but I'm not sure that was the key. I think for some reason one day it just clicks and they get the feel for the timing. Your daughter will get it!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

tell her to go for a front hip circle when she feels her body go up to the bar. let me know how it goes.

 

[Dezi]

lol! My daughter is training level 5 now and every practice she says did you see I almost got it! She has been saying that the past two months We are not even to the one finger support! However she keeps working at it and she has till September, hopefully she will have it by then.

 

[lhmom]

I feel for ya! I told one of the gym moms today that I was glad DD had another year of level 4 because it will take that long (I fear) before she gets the kip. Hopefully, it will click for your girl soon!