MAG arm position on front handspring

[sjm2b3]

Please end the debate between my two kiddos. DD is L5 girls and DS is L6 boys so they do the same floor front handspring step out, front handspring pass. DD watched DS at his meet this weekend and they are arguing about where his arms should be--she says they must be right by his ears, and he says that's only for girls--that for boys they can be wider at the finish, his are way out). Now I am curious too!

 

[iwannacoach]

Girls go to college to get more knowledge.........

Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider.............

So who do you think is right???

DD wins!

 

[profmom]

I think my son hears "arms up by your EARS!" only a little less frequently than "point your FEET!"

 

[gracyomalley]

Oh YEAH....last weekend DDs L7 meet was right next to a boys L6...she found herself pointing out to her friends that "not all boys have such terrible form".....HEEHEE....and I decided I wish they'd just skip vault for the boys until L6...all I see is bad habits from my boys when they aren't using the table...but that could be MY boys (especially DS the youngest who managed a vault THREE POINTS lower than last meet - fully admitting he had stopped thinking about the meet by that event and was wondering if we'd stop at toys r us for legos.....girls just don't DO that!!!! It really was an impressively BAD vault!)

 

[skschlag]

Oh man..D hears up by your ears ALL THE TIME!!!

 

[sjm2b3]

So interesting! DS had convinced me that the boys just did it differently.

 

[kandkfunk]

....and I decided I wish they'd just skip vault for the boys until L6...all I see is bad habits from my boys when they aren't using the table...but that could be MY boys (especially DS the youngest who managed a vault THREE POINTS lower than last meet - fully admitting he had stopped thinking about the meet by that event and was wondering if we'd stop at toys r us for legos.....girls just don't DO that!!!! It really was an impressively BAD vault!)

After seeing vaults at a level 8-10 boys session this weekend, I almost wish they would skip vault for boys at those levels too! I caught myself gasping way more watching the boys than the girls. Before this season, I heard how scary the level 8 girls vault could be, but I haven't seen anything half as scary as the boys. Don't get me wrong, there were some good vaults, but there were some extremely scary ones too. I saw one kid land on his head on the table in his Yurchenko and then almost pull the flip out of it. He landed on his knees, which looked painful, but the entire thing was freaky! There were lots of face, rear and knee landings throughout the session. I ached just watching.

 

[samuel310]

My ds does level 5 artistic as well as power team gym level 4. I am sure most have never heard of PTG but in it he is mixed with boys and girls and they have to do a fhs-so-fhs in their pass. I read him the question and he said your dd is absolutely correct, the hands are by the ears.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Each skill is progressive. They don't stop at handspring - handspring. They will work towards front handspring - front tuck, so the arms need to be by the ears ready for the next skill.

 

[krc]

There isn't a "correct" answer here. It depends on what you're trying to do. If you are wanting to go from a ft hs to a bounder, flaring the arms (Y position) during the flight phase will shorten the body and allow the feet to undercut and then punch fwd into the bounder. To set the bounder into a flipping skill keep the arms (and body) longer to land more upright and punch up into the salto. For the salto itself, arms closer for flips and a wider set for twists (lose a little height but gain rotational speed).

We have to be flexible in how we approach skills. If I have a very tall kid, I may tell him to set his arms much wider than a shorter (or faster) tumbler. Techniques often need to be adjusted to the athlete in order to produce the best result. So, DD and DS are both correct (assuming that they were listing to their coaches correctly ). In my gym there are only two hard and fast rules: Listen and follow your coaches directions, and don't clap the chalk!

 

[profmom]

Oh YEAH....last weekend DDs L7 meet was right next to a boys L6...she found herself pointing out to her friends that "not all boys have such terrible form".....HEEHEE....and I decided I wish they'd just skip vault for the boys until L6...all I see is bad habits from my boys when they aren't using the table...but that could be MY boys (especially DS the youngest who managed a vault THREE POINTS lower than last meet - fully admitting he had stopped thinking about the meet by that event and was wondering if we'd stop at toys r us for legos.....girls just don't DO that!!!! It really was an impressively BAD vault!)

Hey, at least they got rid of the stupid straight jump at L4! But oh my do I hear you, especially after watching a recent L9 boys' session.

While the thought of watching another year of FHS vaults makes me want to scream, DS does have a little teammate who will do a better FHS vault next year than most of DD's current L7 teammates. His FHS reminds me of those competed at L7 by her one L8 teammate who is currently competing a piked tsuk and her other teammate who, before a back injury, was preparing to compete L8 and working a full twisting Yurchenko into the pit (off a mini tramp rather than a springboard, but still!). So they don't all stink!

 

[BlairBob]

I liked the straight jump actually. A lot. Boring but better than dive to handstands or dive rolls.

Id prefer to see L3 do straight jump, then front tuck, front layout, front handspring or handspring to feet on stacked mats behind table.

And no Yami.

 

[BlairBob]

Besides legos and ice cream are real important to young boys. Just got my friends kid his first duplos.

Then tinker toys and erector sets and the advanced legos on day!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

There isn't a "correct" answer here. It depends on what you're trying to do. If you are wanting to go from a ft hs to a bounder, flaring the arms (Y position) during the flight phase will shorten the body and allow the feet to undercut and then punch fwd into the bounder. To set the bounder into a flipping skill keep the arms (and body) longer to land more upright and punch up into the salto. For the salto itself, arms closer for flips and a wider set for twists (lose a little height but gain rotational speed).

We have to be flexible in how we approach skills. If I have a very tall kid, I may tell him to set his arms much wider than a shorter (or faster) tumbler. Techniques often need to be adjusted to the athlete in order to produce the best result. So, DD and DS are both correct (assuming that they were listing to their coaches correctly ). In my gym there are only two hard and fast rules: Listen and follow your coaches directions, and don't clap the chalk!

this is more correct ^^^. and because i was at the 96 Games, you'll have to trust me that Lilia's 1st 2 passes looked exactly the same as the 3rd at :37 seconds. pay close attention. where i was sitting at this time i was able to see the corners. her Y technique is flawless. and so is the flyspring acting as a slingshot. simply amazing.

 

[iwannacoach]

I'm reading one thing and seeing another, and have heard a third thing from a russian m.o.s..

I read that the arms in a "Y" shape during the flight from the hands is great for shortening the body to promote the undercut going into the flyspring, and that makes sense.... with a few reservations.

I saw the "Y" in the support and block/snap though phase, and that makes sense as well, but with fewer reservations. When watching as her hands are coming off the floor, it looks like she's got a tremendous amount of shoulder flexibility that allows he arms to function similar to the way arms work in a back tumble block/snap down, or through.

So what's the deal? Is she able to forego the flight "Y" because her shoulders are a pleasant freak of nature, or does she skip the flight "y" because she wants to have her arms ready to add to the total mass (with her torso) as she's working over the top and down into the next one.

What the russian mos told me was to make a shorter body with a slight "Y" to make it easier to get the legs over the top of the block and into the snap through. He also emphasized the use of bent legs to reach back to help direct the sling shot forward.

Maybe I'll just teach all three variations and see what sticks best to whomever I'm working with.