Cool tip you've learned

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GikiGirl

Proud Parent
Gymnast
Let's post some tips we've gotten on skills that helped a lot.

**These tips may not apply to you, so try at your own discretion**

Vault: Front handspring. Make sure to hit the board, then touch the table--no piking on the board.

Bars: Casts. Keep shoulders shrugged up (up by ears) when leaning and piking to cast, then push hard thru the shoulders as you cast. A lot of people try to push from the shoulders too early.

Beam: In general--after landing any skill, bend, bend bend the knees and squeeze the butt to stabilize. Landing straight legged=hard to stick with no wobble, or stick period. Bending knees brings your center of gravity closer to the beam and allows you to use your leg muscles to balance.

Floor: Hurdling for roundoffs or front handspring. Try hurdling w/ the arms in front just below eye level rather than way up by the ears. If you raise the arms as you hurdle but stop them at eye level or just below it pulls your power forward for more rapid, powerful tumbling. Try from a power hurdle before trying from a run to make sure you can stay in control.
 
On vault- put the spring board farther away from the table! We're adults, we are tall. If you put the springboard too close you are pretty much going to pike to try and hit the table. Putting it farther away forces you to reach, which you can't do unless you are nice and straight! I used to be scared to have the board farther away, it's scary at first. Now I compulsively move it away, away, away, especially when doing drills over a block.

~Katy
 
In general for most skills/apparatus: Adjust your speed, timing and positioning to your own size. We still have to be really strong but physics plays a big part in gymnastics too. And the same physics that work for little kids won't work for us. We need to do what'll give us the best leverage in a movement. Like Katy said, we're adults and we're tall. Because of our size we just can't speedily whip ourselves around like a little kid can. On the plus side, we can achieve longer lines and "slower", more visible (I don't know how else to describe it) tumbling. Or as some people like to call it, elegant gymnastics.
 
This might be quite obvious but When vaulting, make sure your jump onto the board is long and low rather than short and high. Long, low jumps will give a better reaction from the springboard (Newton's 3rd law)
 
No tips are 'too obvious'! Remember, we have some brand new adult gymnasts here who have just taken their first class. Also, I know I learn new things every day I go to the gym and am instructed, and I've been doing gymnastics for 14 years! Thanks for your tip.

This might be quite obvious but When vaulting, make sure your jump onto the board is long and low rather than short and high. Long, low jumps will give a better reaction from the springboard (Newton's 3rd law)
 
Bars: When swinging, try to keep shoulders RELAXED as you swing thru the bottom. In the same vein, make sure your body is in a tight arch during the 'tap'.

Beam: Always look at the beam while you are doing jumps (I like to look at the end of the beam). If you let your gaze wander you are more likely to fall. You can lift your chin up for nice presentation, but still look down at the beam with your eyes.
 
If you are at the stage where you are learning kips, really think about what your head is doing. In the piking stage, your head should remain in neutral, rather than tipping backwards (common mistake). As soon as you can, look at the high bar.
 
Beam: For double (or triple; more than one) turns, look for the beam quickly after you complete the turn. Helps prevent the wobbles and leaning too far down that can happen if you spot your focal point for each revolution. Also helps for sheep jumps and anything else where your eyes will momentary leave the beam.
 
these tips are great, thanks everyone! will be storing them for future use, and probably coming back to this thread often!! great idea gina!

something i'm constantly being told about FHS and FHS vaults: look at your hands when they make contact with the table or floor.
 
I know a lot of us work out in open workouts or situations with minimal coaching, so I am sure any tip will be useful to somebody...
 
I know a lot of us work out in open workouts or situations with minimal coaching, so I am sure any tip will be useful to somebody...
Yes, all the tips in this thread do come in handy. So thanks so much for starting it, Gina! :)

Stretching: In the splits: If you have trouble achieving a satisfactory stretch in the rear leg's hip flexor, it is probabaly your quadriceps causing the trouble. The quads have four heads and it's a big muslce group. So that's four areas on your body that can pull on surrounding muscles and lock them into irritating stiffness! It's a good idea to stretch your quads out by pulling your back foot to your butt (of the floor if you can) when you sit in the splits.
 
Beam: For double (or triple; more than one) turns, look for the beam quickly after you complete the turn. Helps prevent the wobbles and leaning too far down that can happen if you spot your focal point for each revolution. Also helps for sheep jumps and anything else where your eyes will momentary leave the beam.

Have any tips for single full turn on beam? Quite often I either stop too soon and fall off, or overspin by mistake and do 1 1/4 which, although I usually stay on, looks sloppy...
 
Have any tips for single full turn on beam? Quite often I either stop too soon and fall off, or overspin by mistake and do 1 1/4 which, although I usually stay on, looks sloppy...
Beam: For a single, you only have that one revolution so you can just whip your eyes around to the end of the beam. Also make sure your heel is raised nice and high and that your keeping a straight, tall posture. Try not to drop your chin too much. Remember, you're only doing half as many turns as a double so you only need half the force to turn.
That sure helps me. Hope it helps you too.
 
For single full turns on beam I have found that they are far easier for me when I do them slowly! I have more control and are better able to stop where you intend to stop, and keep your balance more easily.

~Katy
 
I was having that same problem with single turns on beam. Stopping too soon or over rotating. Slowing it down was really the key. Spotting the end of the beam helps too but I noticed if I don't try to force it and go too quick I have better posture and am straighter over top of my leg which really helps me have more control and land without wobbling so I suggest just slowing it down.
 
i'd say the same thing! i always have more success will full turns when i go slower
 
Another tip I learned for turns: Flexibility! If your ankles are flexible enough to hit a hiiigh releve every time, it'll be easier to get your body aligned and centered. Then you don't have to think too hard about any special turning techniques!
 

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