How to keep straight legs during back handspring?

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Athenas1

My daughter just learned how to do a back handspring but she is having a real hard time keeping her legs straight and together. Any suggestions? Thank you
 
This is a stage that just about every gymnast goes through when learning a BHS, she will learn to stighten her legs and keep them together with more practice. Her coach will have taught this skill a million times and they know exactly what she needs to do.

Congrats on this big skill, in six months time you will hardly remeber the bent leg, froggy, stage.
 
I'm sure that'll be sorted.Straight legs is not just a matter of looking pretty but also of good technique - with the correct jump off the floor (powerful jump backwards) she will inevitably have to straighten her legs. part of it is also feeling comfortable with the backwards motion and generating speed. it'll come - give her some time to feel the skill and the coaches will do the rest.
 
Without further adieu have your daughter place a piece of foam between her knees and squeeze it in order to keep it from flying out as she flips over. Then have her put it between her feet. The goal is to make it all the way over without letting the foam escape.

Hand stand pike downs are a good drill to help get the feeling of straight legs but make sure she bends the knees after the balls of the feet touch the floor. The pike down should be to the balls of the feet with straight legs at which point she bends the knees slightly to stand up simulating the back handspring.

High back handsprings that dive back on trampoline are good for drills. The long dive back gives you time and distance so that you can really concentrate on fully pushing the legs out until they are straight.
 

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