Parents Does anyone know anyone who got their kip quickly?

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

SHELOVESGYM

Proud Parent
I have a friend whose daughter did not struggle for her kip at all -it came a few weeks after she started working on it -just like any skill. Is this extremely unusual or are there other stories like this? I'm just curious -it's a skill with such a huge reputation but my DD hasn't gotten there yet. Interested to hear any stories about this skill.
 
In a word, no.
Does the girl in question still have it?
And if so, is it really there (meaning a beautiful straight armed kip vs a not so nice bent armed one)?
 
Yes, I have had a few kids learn kips right away (same with front hip circles). Some kids cast handstand very quickly as well. Most take a long time and I had one who took over a year.
 
Honestly my DD got it very easily while in preteam so she competed it in L3. Only one to get it. It was straight arm at very first, then a phase where it was either somewhat bent or a miss (while trying to get competable locked arms), but really it was just the usual kinds of clean up that you see on practically any skill. No drama. Hard to speak to the duration of cleaning it up because her group really seldom worked on kips while training and competing L3.

Note, because the (optional) kip for L3 is NOT connected to a cast, I feel like learning and competing the L3 kip-support perhaps hindered my DD a little from moving to kip-cast in L4. That has not been so easily achieved for her as her motor memory was programmed to stop her legs. I don't really know for sure if that's a true hindrance, though.

Her non-kipping L3 buddies from last year are all kipping nicely now in L4 so ultimately (other than maybe some bragging rights that she wouldn't cash in since she's humble), there was no competitive advantage to picking it up so swiftly. Well, other than less frustration of course!

The only other gymmie I have personally seen pick it up right away is her brother :rolleyes:Perhaps they have the kip gene.... Now if we could please have a full-turn-on-beam gene and vault-blocking gene to go with that, I'd be grateful, thanks in advance. :):D
 
My DD had a teammate a few years ago who got her kip on her 2nd try and high bar kip on the first try and never lost them. She also got her BHS and BT on beam, full, and Tsuk within a week or so of first trying them. She just seemed to be a naturally talented gymnast. She also quit after her level 8 season and now is a pretty good volleyball player. Obviously talent doesn't always equal commitment and love of the sport.
 
DD started actively practicing her kip after L3 states in April, she had it in May, and had it consistently and with straight arms by September, so no big drama here. Took her much longer to get her FHC for L3. :)
Our of the 9 girls in her training group, the last girl to get her kip got it a week before the first meet in October. So, all 9 of them had it within 6 months.
 
I've known of a few kids who got their kips quickly - I wouldn't say they were stronger physically than others, but rather just naturals on the timing of bars.

I actually think the trials and tribulations many gymnasts go through to get their kip (which is often the first skill many stuggle with) is a great character builder and teaches the value of hard work and persistence when something doesn't come easy. So I'm actually glad my DD took a while to get hers :).
 
Mine was another that had basically no kip issues. Learned it pretty quickly and had it consistently once learned. Ironically she lost it for about one week after a year of competing it just fine due to a small growth spurt but even that was pretty quickly over.
 
I have one of each - my oldest took over a year to get her kip and my little one got it her second try ever playing around before practice. Similarly, the older one took a year to get Giants and the little one got those her 2nd or third try, too! Some kids are just natural swingers...
 
I have seen kids get them rather quickly, and lose them or keep them. I have seen kids take forever and a day to get them, lose them or keep them. ;) It really is one of those skills that can vary greatly. My kid was somewhere in the middle, got her kip probably about 2 mo after starting to work on them, did them inconsistently for a while and struggled to get them nice with straight arms for a while.
All totally normal and honestly in our little group I haven't seen it be any indicator of how good/bad of a bar worker your kid will be in the end. ;) One of our best bar workers right now had a super ugly kip. One of the last girls to get her kip is still one of the last girls to get every skill. One of our best and earliest kippers is now fearful on bars and most of the other girls have passed her.
 
I've known of a few kids who got their kips quickly - I wouldn't say they were stronger physically than others, but rather just naturals on the timing of bars.

I actually think the trials and tribulations many gymnasts go through to get their kip (which is often the first skill many stuggle with) is a great character builder and teaches the value of hard work and persistence when something doesn't come easy. So I'm actually glad my DD took a while to get hers :).

I do agree with this, with gymnastics in general. My DD is one of those who has had to work hard to obtain skills. She "gets" them somewhat quickly but has to work really hard on things and this doesn't come easy to her. She keeps trucking though (and it has also affected her schoolwork positively!!). In contrast several of the much more talented gymmies who have an easier time in gym in general are struggling with not knowing how to work through some fear issues right now.... There's definitely something to be said for learning to push through and keep trying over and over and over!!!
 
Embarrassingly, I didn't even know getting the kip was a "thing" until much later. My dd seemed to get it without any issue. I was naiive at that point and didn't really know much about the skills needed for what level, etc. Boy have I learned a lot since then!! :eek:
 
Mine got it very quickly. From first trying to having it straight-armed happened in a summer when they really weren't even spending a lot of time working them- so 2-3 months. Her teammates hated her! ;)

This has been her experience so far with everything as a late starter with natural ability and strength. While it sounds all great- I do fear the day she hits that plateau where things don't always come easy. I can't imagine she'll make it through gymnastics without that happening so I'm sure its just a question of "when?" not "if"!

ETA: Ha! I just went back and read all the replies and see you all were thinking the same thing- getting stuff fast isn't always great- they will have to learn perseverance at some point!
 
My DD could do a kip pretty easily. I think physics comes into play and that it's naturally easier for some gymnasts (strength being equal) to get the swing motions down, based on their center of gravity, height etc. Google it and you'll find some interesting analysis out there on the physics of gymnastics, particularly the bars. DD also had a relatively easy time getting cast to handstand and free hip to handstand. But... she still struggles doing 'basics' like a 180 leap, and it takes tremendous effort for her legs straight on even the simplest of tumbling skills :) ...what she wouldn't do to leap effortlessly like some of her teammates!
 
My oldest DD has worked all summer on hers and it is still hit or miss ( more hits these days). The low bar kip looks ok but the high bar kip is on the hot mess express just get it up train. I will say she is always late to get skills but she loves the gym and just keeps doing her best.
 
My dd did, got it on the first couple of times doing it. She has never lost it either. Two years later she is still working on getting straight arms though. :)
 
I have a friend whose daughter did not struggle for her kip at all -it came a few weeks after she started working on it -just like any skill. Is this extremely unusual or are there other stories like this? I'm just curious -it's a skill with such a huge reputation but my DD hasn't gotten there yet. Interested to hear any stories about this skill.
My oldest DD got hers in less than a month.. no lie. My younger DD got hers in about 6 months.
 

New Posts

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Gymnaverse :: Recent Activity

College Gym News

New Posts

Back