Parents Region 8 Bars level 6

[GymLife]

We are getting nowhere on bars. In our area only 1 gym has a great bars coach, but then only 3 of their 12 level 6 girls are good or above average for the area.

I know there is no magic bullet for improving bars. It's heavy conditioning,drills, strength and repetition.

What do you do if you are 140 miles to the next closest gym with great bars coaching, technique?

DD has fantastic technique, but it missing skills or just behind. It's not just her. As a whole most of our level 6's are so us going to another local gym isn't going to fix this problem.

We are located near Memphis. No gyms will do private lessons to improve so that isn't an option. I don't think spending money on a camp will help either. It's like she need 2 solid weeks of something different.

Anyone have any suggestions? DD already spends 18-24 hours a week in her gym. Her coach is a fantastic beam and floor coach, but really lacks bars coaching. So having private lessons with her will not work.

 

[Seeker]

What is she lacking? Specific skills or just general/overall being behind?

 

[GymLife]

Clear hip to handstand. We are a year of drills, conditioning and just repetition. Not even started bent leg giants on low bar. She has form on strap bar. But they haven't even started in low bar. Just started work stalders, sole circles, toe on.
I'm seeing in other gyms these skills being worked on way earlier.

 

[GymLife]

Clear hip to handstand. We are a year of drills, conditioning and just repetition. Not even started bent leg giants on low bar. She has great form on strap bar. But they haven't even started in low bar. Just started work stalders, sole circles, toe on.
I'm seeing in other gyms these skills being worked on way earlier.

Clear hip to handstand. We are a year of drills, conditioning and just repetition. Not even started bent leg giants on low bar. She has form on strap bar. But they haven't even started in low bar. Just started work stalders, sole circles, toe on.
I'm seeing in other gyms these skills being worked on way earlier.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I believe it's pretty common to not have a clear hip to handstand for level 6. I only saw one girl all season at meets that had hers to handstand. I saw a handful do giants, not many and mostly in other states.

DD just came from a gym that's weaker on bars at the optional level. Her new gym does bars every time they walk in the door and I do think that she is showing improvements. However, bars are hard and it's not uncommon to be behind on bars. Even at a gym with the best bar coaching, not everyone is going to be great on bars. Some girls excel on bars and some just never do. I think Dd's scores will go up as she repeats L6 next season with the new gym since her bars are coming along nicely but I don't think she will ever be pulling in huge bar scores lol.

How are the other gyms in your area on bars in the higher levels? Do you see any that have Level 7-10's with good bar scores? The reason I say that is b/c L6 is kind of a transitional level from compulsories. I've seen girls with not so great L6 bars go on to do awesome on bars at L7 once they had all of the cast angles and everything down. So looking at a gym based on their bar scores from L6 alone may not always be the best way to tell. Optional bar scores across the board will give you a more accurate picture.

 

[GymLife]

I believe it's pretty common to not have a clear hip to handstand for level 6. I only saw one girl all season at meets that had hers to handstand. I saw a handful do giants, not many and mostly in other states.

DD just came from a gym that's weaker on bars at the optional level. Her new gym does bars every time they walk in the door and I do think that she is showing improvements. However, bars are hard and it's not uncommon to be behind on bars. Even at a gym with the best bar coaching, not everyone is going to be great on bars. Some girls excel on bars and some just never do. I think Dd's scores will go up as she repeats L6 next season with the new gym since her bars are coming along nicely but I don't think she will ever be pulling in huge bar scores lol.

How are the other gyms in your area on bars in the higher levels? Do you see any that have Level 7-10's with good bar scores? The reason I say that is b/c L6 is kind of a transitional level from compulsories. I've seen girls with not so great L6 bars go on to do awesome on bars at L7 once they had all of the cast angles and everything down. So looking at a gym based on their bar scores from L6 alone may not always be the best way to tell. Optional bar scores across the board will give you a more accurate picture.

DD will repeat level 6 so I feel like this is something she can concentrate on since her bars and vault were the only weak aspect of her season. All the girls at level 6 state that made the top scores were hitting to handstand. I've looked at scores around our area for bars and I feel like only 2 or 3 girls stand out in the higher levels so I feel like it's just standard to not be strong on bars.
I do not mind DD staying in 6 to mature. She's only 10 and will be 10 during state this coming season.

I've reached out to 2 gyms and they refuse to have private lessons for outside gymnasts. I get it, but then what do you do?

 

[cadybearsmommy]

DD will repeat level 6 so I feel like this is something she can concentrate on since her bars and vault were the only weak aspect of her season. All the girls at level 6 state that made the top scores were hitting to handstand. I've looked at scores around our area for bars and I feel like only 2 or 3 girls stand out in the higher levels so I feel like it's just standard to not be strong on bars.
I do not mind DD staying in 6 to mature. She's only 10 and will be 10 during state this coming season.

I've reached out to 2 gyms and they refuse to have private lessons for outside gymnasts. I get it, but then what do you do?

I understand. L6 bars and vault weren't kind to my dd either. I think our area is weaker on bars as well and we are probably now at the the best gym in our area for bars. Fingers crossed it helps lol.

I don't think it's uncommon for gyms to not want to give private lessons to outside gymnasts. I don't know if any that actually will (since they would technically be helping the competition.). But even if they did chances are your current gym would find about about it and it might cause problems.

Have you considered discreetly visiting other gyms? Maybe getting an idea of what kind of drills/ coaching they do for bars would help you see if it would make enough difference to be worth a switch for your dd. Bars is probably the hardest part of moving up levels so it might be worth it to get your dd to a gym with good bars coaching especially if you think she has the potential to do well on bars. Since she's already got floor and beam down it seems that bars should be a big focus for her and that your current gym is just not able to provide that.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Sounds like your options are to let it go or move.

Very few kids at our L6 meets had casts to handstands. Kids at our gym don't. That's part of why they are 6s not 7s.
Bars are hard. Lots and lots of time.

 

[Gymmommy71]

Most L6 routines in my area have their clear hips maybe at 45 degrees. Kids who can do clear hips to handstands usually are at least in L7. It's a very difficult skill. My DD found giants much easier to get than a free hip to handstand.

 

[amiandjim]

We are at a bars gym. 2 level 9 Eastern National Champions on bars and a level 10 national champion on bars this year (we are not a large gym with a huge optional team either). However, our level 6s last year did not have clear hip to handstand or cast handstand, so I don't think it's that unusual. Now, if your gym cannot teach

 

[Bess]

I would not say we are a super duper bars gym but I would be worried that a gym could not teach a clear hip handstand....that seems to be a very basic optional level skill. Little bit is 8 and has been working on these (drills and actual skill) for a few months now. She's not consistent by any means but I have seen her do some beauties on strap bar as well as a couple of shockers on low bar where she just kind of went for it. I would not however worry about it if 6s have it or not...it would be more telling to look at your 7s/8s and how their clear hips look...if all of theirs are rough then I might worry

 

[raenndrops]

I would not say we are a super duper bars gym but I would be worried that a gym could not teach a clear hip handstand....that seems to be a very basic optional level skill. Little bit is 8 and has been working on these (drills and actual skill) for a few months now. She's not consistent by any means but I have seen her do some beauties on strap bar as well as a couple of shockers on low bar where she just kind of went for it. I would not however worry about it if 6s have it or not...it would be more telling to look at your 7s/8s and how their clear hips look...if all of theirs are rough then I might worry

A clear hip to handstand would not be a BASIC optional level skill or it would only be a B. It is a C skill. A clear hip to 45º would be a basic skill. At level 6, it doesn't have to be to handstand and there is no deduction for not hitting handstand (because it is a C skill and there is a B skill version … i.e. not to handstand).

 

[Texasmomof3]

Clear hip to handstand is tough. I don't remember a single level 6 having that skill when my dd was a 6. Half the level 7s did not have it, and we are in north Texas, where there is great bars competition. I don't remember anyone competing a giant at level 6 either.

If you have a clear hip handstand and giants, you are typically competing 7, not 6.

It takes time to get consistent handstands. My dd had it on strap bar for 6 months before she was hitting it on the regular bar. I will say that according to dd and her coaches, the very best thing you can do for bars outside of practice on bars is core and arms conditioning, specifically press handstands.

 

[Bess]

A clear hip to handstand would not be a BASIC optional level skill or it would only be a B. It is a C skill. A clear hip to 45º would be a basic skill. At level 6, it doesn't have to be to handstand and there is no deduction for not hitting handstand (because it is a C skill and there is a B skill version … i.e. not to handstand).

I stand corrected at the "basic" comment....I meant that as a basic skill for a gym to be able to teach. We are not talking release moves here. I guess in my mind Level 5 requires the 45 degree clear hip (right?, not entirely sure to be honest) so I would think Level 6 would be fairly close to achieving the handstand in prep for 7 (not necessarily competing but in training). Perhaps I am looking at this to simplistically... I also stated I would not worry if a L6 did not have it... I do stand by the comment though if most of your 7s and especially 8s are not coming close to hitting it (practice/or competing for 7s and competing in 8) that may be cause for worry that a gym "cannot" teach the clear hip to handstand which was the OP original concern I believe.

 

[wandrewsjr]

A clear hip to handstand would not be a BASIC optional level skill or it would only be a B. It is a C skill. A clear hip to 45º would be a basic skill. At level 6, it doesn't have to be to handstand and there is no deduction for not hitting handstand (because it is a C skill and there is a B skill version … i.e. not to handstand).

There is an execution deduction of up to 0.4 for a clear hip not hitting handstand at every optional level.

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd competed clear hip HS as a level 7. I didn't see a single clear hip HS at level 6 (we competed 6 all season and this past season 7 all year, so lots of meets). At level 7 I would say 25% to a third had their clear hip to HS. It is hard, hard, hard! My level 9 still doesn't have hers though and likely never will. So what are your other reasons for thinking your gym is behind on bars? The clear hip HS is nice, but it isn't 100% essential at any level.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I think I have seen one L6 clear hip to HS in two years. My DD typically makes it horizontal and only a couple times had an angle that was noteworthy. This year she was state bars champ

 

[munchkin3]

I would tell your dd to focus on clear hips to horizontal, cast handstands, and Giants......all with tight hollow form.....without this, there is no point in thinking of stalders, clear hip handstands.....also, the flyaway must show rise.....condition tons of press handstands, and 3/4 giants....also practice lots of cast handstands, drop kip, back to cast handstand......the more in a row, the better.
Maybe ask the coach if the strap bar Giants can be done with gloves vs. the pvc....the gloves give them the feel for the wrist shift, while the other does not.

 

[raenndrops]

There is an execution deduction of up to 0.4 for a clear hip not hitting handstand at every optional level.

Not at level 6 because there is a B Clear Hip and the C clear hip gets credited as a B and the deduction for insufficient amplitude of “C” circles is NOT applied at Level 6 (or level 7 for that matter), so how could they take off when it is a B clear hip.

 

[MILgymFAM]

There is an execution deduction of up to 0.4 for a clear hip not hitting handstand at every optional level.

I thought that was only for casts not to handstand?