WAG Correcting an Arched Round Off

[agympro]

Any suggestions for correcting an arched round off? My DD competed the old level 3 last year and never had a great round off- slightly crooked hurdle, low chest landing. Currently hurdle is not perfect but much better, chest is a lot better, but now as soon as she puts her hands down and her legs begin to leave the ground she has an arch in her back and continues the arch through the round off (as a former coach I can see this from 40 ft away so its not a little arch). Somehow she manages to get a decent looking round off BHS out of it. Her coaches have tried having her do sort of a cartwheel to side handstand against the wall staying hollow and also doing a RO between mats. She doesn't hit them but those drills don't seem to translate to the floor. Any suggestions?

 

[BlairBob]

Crooked hurdle makes me think she needs to be tumbling on a line and this might be causing the "archy RO." Left foot or right foot on just the side of the line with an appropriate spaced lunge (standing lunge with front shin vertical and if she places her back knee on the floor her hips and knees will be at 90 degrees in both legs).

Her chest being low on the RO makes me think she isn't pushing off her hands well. Which could be she is weak in her upper body or core or her hand placement.

 

[stargazer]

Perhaps she's trying to look over her shoulder as she puts her hands down? Her head should be slightly tucked in, looking under the armpit instead of over. This will help her go straighter as well. A friend of mine tumbled with his head out, and the second he fixed his head position his round-off looked much better and he got significantly more power. Good luck to your DD

 

[AmandaLynn]

Is her cartwheel also arched? What about her cartwheel step in? Personally, I would go back to basics and fix it each step of the way. Make sure the cartwheel is correct, then the cartwheel step in. Add a power hurdle to the cartwheel step in... Once that is correct, then and ONLY then, try a round off (either from a step or a power hurdle... Running will often times cause kids to pay less attention to their form, in my experience). If the round off is still crazy, go backward again. Do drills. I would not let the child continue to do them incorrectly. Round offs are much more important than a lot of people realize and continuing to do them wrong is reinforcing bad habits. The more she does incorrectly, the more difficult it will become to fix them.

ETA: the above posters had great tips about head placement and the crossover in the hurdle being potential culprits. Some kids also just don't keep their core tight when they are upside down.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

on a line and over a barrel.

 

[agympro]

Thanks so much for the replies and suggestions! Looks like we might need to do some privates to get her back to basics.