Coaches Shoot Thru Help!

[2gymbratz]

I have 2 level 4's that cannot do shoot thru's. We are mid way thru the season. I've tried a block under the bar that they stand on and then jump up and shoot thru. Even when I spot them it takes them forever to get their foot thru. They just keep doing the same thing over and over. They cast pull their leg and then pull it back. They both take their knee to the side no matter how many times I tell them it has to come to their chest. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Any other drills that I can have them do?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes. start them in support. make certain that their wrists line up with their shoulders. you DON"T want their hands at left and right angles to their shoulders.

next, stand on a block alongside them so you can spot. hold their upper arm and lift just a bit so that they understand that they must 'elevate' their shoulders.

then, have them 'press' up slowly while you balance them. they slowly lift their knee then 'press' their foot between their arms. this is done in slow motion by pressing up not by casting.

perform it this way 5 times in a row. then, have them perform 1 from a cast. then 5. then 1 from a cast and so forth. you should see them understand what they didn't understand before and do what they're supposed to do.

keep me posted...

 

[2gymbratz]

Thank you! I will try this tonight at practice with them!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well? how did it go?

 

[2gymbratz]

Well, I tried it with them. However, they won't physically let me put them into the correct position for it. They won't stay tight and just let themselves flop. I have the same problem with them on beam with handstands, and side handstand dismount. I've spoken to the director and head coach and parents. They are those kids that no matter what you correct they say "ok", or "I know" and continue to do the same thing over and over with no correction. The head coach is coming in to our practice next week. We have another meet coming up next weekend and well if they don't show at least the willingness to try then they will be scratched on those events (which I hate doing) but maybe they will get the point. I can see being scared of something, however, when I'm standing there spotting them and they refuse to help me help them, we have issues! I've been coaching level 4 for three years and have never had this problem this far into the season. Yes, sometimes we have girls that are moved onto team without having all of their skills (move ups are done at the end of may begininng of June) but they almost always have the skills by the end of summer. Do to the fact that we do nothing but drills all summer. I'm just stressed over this and they are upset because they are not doing any better.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well then, YOU should not be stressed & THEY SHOULD BE UPSET. level 0 may be best suited for them.

 

[2gymbratz]

Good news!! One of the girls got her shoot thru on Monday. We were both thrilled! Better yet, she could still do it at practice last night. Now if I could just get the other girl to get hers.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

did the drill help?

 

[2gymbratz]

Yes! Just getting her to understand that she had to lift while keeping her shoulders over the bar was the biggest issue. Thank you!

 

[flip4u]

How are you spotting this skill?

I like to put one hand on their upper arm/shoulder to keep that over the bar, then I use the other hand to lift the back leg of the shoot through up (not back, and they must keep this leg straight or it won't work) as they press down on the bar and lift their front leg up and through.

I will also spot this skill from the front, holding on to both of the gymnast's shoulders/upper arms (on a short or extremely well matted bar, i.e. take height out of the picture). No matter what, I would hold her shoulders in place not let my gymnast drop her shoulders behind the bar. She would even balance there for a bit before putting her leg through. But eventually she got that her shoulders had to stay over/in front of the bar.

Also, you can do squat ons, as this too demands that the shoulders remain in front of the bar with the lifting motion of the hips/chest and pushing down on the bar. We often start them by putting a mini tramp in front of a preschool bar, jump on mini tramp a few times, squat on, and jump off onto a block about the same height of the bar. Make sure the block is big enough that they don't go flying forward and fall off if they goof up.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Yes! Just getting her to understand that she had to lift while keeping her shoulders over the bar was the biggest issue. Thank you!

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