WAG Help with cast handstand and drills

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gymnast-mac

Gymnast
Hi all!
I know that this must be a common topic, but I have looked through many forum threads and just didn't get the answer I am looking for.
I am working on cast handstands at my gym, and my coaches say that I am strong enough to do it, I just don't know how. (I'm doing it in straddle). I cast like it is a regular cast, instead of "sticking my butt" in the air like I am told to do. We have tried various drills and are continuing to work on it. I am trying to figure out what I could do (mainly at home), or at the gym, to improve my form/shape and learn how to "initiate" the cast to handstand. Thank you!
 
My DD coach also tells her to be sure her shoulders are over the bar at the end of the kip. If they are over the bar you just can't get your legs up because you are already falling backwards.
 
At my gym, if you have the cast, they stand on the floor in front of a "ground bar" and jump into a handstand to get the feeling of the handstand. I don't know if this will help, only because I'm watching the people do it because I'm in l4 so we don't do them. But I hope this helped.


From ALV_Gymnast
 
A drill my coach has used with some gymnasts that don't get the timing and shape right on straddle cast handstands, is to get the to do kip cast to above horizontal with your shoulders past the bar, because her theory is if you aren't getting your shoulders past the bar, it could be as simple as a fear of falling, so you do this drill, gradually getting high in your cast and starting to include the straddle action.

Hope this helps
 
I had the same problem and it took me 4 years to learn a cast handstand, but with some drills my coach gave me I was able to finally learn a cast. I copied this from a PM I sent someone:

These are good drills (in my opinion) for anyone learning a cast handstand/kip cast handstand. They help focus on the hollow body position and leaning that is needed to get to handstand. For those doing a straddle cast to handstand they also help with the action of getting the toes down before bringing them around the sides to handstand. Most can be done with an ankle/foot injury. They can be done on either high or low bar and with/without ankle weights.

1. Start with sets of 10 casts with ankle weights on. Cast as high as you can with a hollow body position without straddling.
2. Pull an 8-inch mat or two under one side of the low bar. If you don't have some contraption on your foot, cast and put your toes/feet on the bar in a straddle. Then fall over the bar and land on your back on the mat. Remember to keep your arms straight and to let go of the bar.
3. If not injured or you can push slightly off your foot gradually add a "punch" or "jump" as you go over the bar.
4. Cast and miss the bar with your feet instead of putting them on the bar. The fall over the bar is the same.
5. If you're doing this drill on the low bar and you aren't injured you can practice jumping off a panel mat into the cast. Out of the jump get the feet immediately far on the other side of bar to simulate kipping action into the cast.
6. Add a drop kip in front of the cast. This better simulates a kip cast.
7. A normal kip can then be done into the cast.

I normally did sets of 10-20 of each of the drills. In the beginning I'd do about 5o of what I have labelled as steps 2 and 3 because I couldn't do the other steps. You don't need to do all the steps every time. Once you can do step 4 the only previous step I feel you ever need to do again is step 1.

Doing these drills with ankle weights is helpful because when you take them off your legs feel lighter and easier to move. However, when they're taken off bad shapes may become apparent because your body moves more quickly into bad body positions.

One other thing you can do is bounce straddle handstands on a trampoline. Bounce off your butt forwards and straddle into a handstand. This simulates a lot of the kip cast handstand action. These are fun to do down a tumble track because multiple can be done in a row.

Once you can do a kip cast handstand, even if it's consistent, take time to practice doing single cast to handstands. It helps you maintain good positions, strength, and consistency.

I hope some of this will help because boy did it help me. :)
 

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