Archy Cast Handstands

[gymfan4ever95]

I need some help with my cast handstands. I can hit the handstand, but I arch and have REALLY bad form getting there. I have tried straddle casts and done drill for it...it just doesn't really work out for me. But does anyone have any advice for me on how to clean up my casts? If I try it without arching, I can't get up all the way. It is really frustrating me and my coaches! :/

 

[All Chalked Up]

Try bigger casts. Or, what helps me, (I love this drill) take one of the p-bars off. Put a box where you took it off and kick up to handstand with your hands on the p-bar. Land in flat back position. Hope it made sense!

 

[wordsmith]

A tight arch that hollows out at the end is ok. (Just ask Geoffrey Taucer.)

How much are you struggling when getting it up to handstand? Aside from arching, any form break with the legs? Bent arms? Do you have a video clip? That would help.

And what have you and your coaches already tried, in terms of fixing it?

You can also probably research through the forums for previous posts on the topic (like this one).

 

[BlairBob]

Well, even if you can arch up to HS, it shows that you have some strength.

Get on a set of PB and swing to HS, you will have to snap to a hollow before you hit vertical or you will over-rotate forward. Same goes with the cast HS.

An even simpler drill is to put a spotting block on top of tumbl-trak or trampoline and bounce to HS and hold at the top. We call it snap-down but again if you stay arched you will over-rotate and end up doing a HS forward roll on the block.

 

[taximom]

From my gymnast daughter Corky: Okay for starters I have almost the same problem. I can get up but I arch a lot!!!! I have some drills that might help. We lay on the trampoline on our tummies with our hands between the springs and bounce from our tummies to handstand but you have to have mats or something on the other side ( you will know if you are arching too much because you will fly over!!!)
( I'm a gymnast on my moms account)

 

[gymfan4ever95]

A tight arch that hollows out at the end is ok. (Just ask Geoffrey Taucer.)

How much are you struggling when getting it up to handstand? Aside from arching, any form break with the legs? Bent arms? Do you have a video clip? That would help.

And what have you and your coaches already tried, in terms of fixing it?

You can also probably research through the forums for previous posts on the topic (like this one).

I don't think I bend my arms, but I seperate my legs and maybe bend them? I will try to take a video of it at practice Monday (all the video's I have are from level 7 comps. and they have gotten better since then).

They haven't tried much, other than to work on straddle cast handstands. One coach has tried spotting me, though, but it doesn't change too much.

And I have been doing the drill that TaxiMom's daughter was saying on my bed, and it seems to help :b

 

[BlairBob]

The point is in a straight body cast, you need a tight arch or straight body that drives the heels but hollows out just before you hit the preferred angle or height requirement (HS, 60 or 30 degrees, horizontal, etc).

Using a banana arch is somewhat exceptable at beginning levels.

If you kill the heel drive, you may never learn how to drive with them and then never get your desired skills.

It's a progression of gross to fine motor control.

So it depends on what level of the gymnast, where they are etc.

Too often, we focus on hollow in the shoulders and chest and this means their heels never rise as they are trying to planche it out. Most are not strong enough in the planche (because they don't work it) and need the extension of their hips and lower back from the cast to get power.