Gymnasts How do i get over mental blocks easier and quicker?

[Mthegymqueen]

Hi, I am a xcel gold gymnast and I have been struggling on a few mental blocks (even on skills I’ve had for a while)

My top struggle is beam, but recently I have been struggling on floor (I feel like I’ve had a good floor day sometimes I can ever throw a rbh

• Cartwheel on beam (I get scared halfway through and fall. I can do it with a coach spotting on standing there)

• front tuck dismount (foot slipped off and have been scared since. I can do it into a pit (sometimes with a mat)

• back saltos (I don’t get enough height or power. I can’t do them anywhere besides doing in standing on a tumble track)

• front tuck (I was away for a few weeks and it feels like I’ve never attempted them on floor before. I can do or fine on tumble track/air track)

I’ve been so lost and unmotivated to practice because I never feel happy after I practice.

Is there ways to help me get over my mental blocks easier/quicker so I can feel happier and more accomplished in this sport I have loved so much?

Thank you

 

[some_gymnast14]

Hey, I’m an Xcel Platinum gymnast, and I’ve always really struggled with mental blocks/fears as well. For you, my advice is to just work on building your confidence back up. Start with what you’re comfortable with, even if you might have to start from a lower level than you’d like, and increase your difficulty as you get more confident. I like to think of it as a confidence piggy bank, and the more you work on it, the more coins are in your bank. Once you reach the top, it’ll feel like second nature again. The process is definitely discouraging, I’m not going to lie, but the more you stay focused on the goal, and the progress you’ve made, the faster it will go. I personally have a journal where I write all the things I’m proud of myself for doing during a practice, and when you start to write it down, you realize it’s not all bad. Another you could do if you are able is set up a private with your coach. I’ve had a few before, and whenever I do, I make so much progress. Good luck!! I believe in you, and I know you can do it if you haven’t already. <3

 

[gymkid]

I always have my girls, for beam, start on a line on the floor and do the skill 10 times, once they are comfortable, they move up to a floor beam and repeat the skill 10 more times. Each time they complete the skill and are comfortable they move up a beam in height. This has helped a lot of them with getting through their mental block with cartwheels and handstands!

 

[kimberlylovesgym]

Hi, I am a xcel gold gymnast and I have been struggling on a few mental blocks (even on skills I’ve had for a while)

My top struggle is beam, but recently I have been struggling on floor (I feel like I’ve had a good floor day sometimes I can ever throw a rbh

• Cartwheel on beam (I get scared halfway through and fall. I can do it with a coach spotting on standing there)

• front tuck dismount (foot slipped off and have been scared since. I can do it into a pit (sometimes with a mat)

• back saltos (I don’t get enough height or power. I can’t do them anywhere besides doing in standing on a tumble track)

• front tuck (I was away for a few weeks and it feels like I’ve never attempted them on floor before. I can do or fine on tumble track/air track)

I’ve been so lost and unmotivated to practice because I never feel happy after I practice.

Is there ways to help me get over my mental blocks easier/quicker so I can feel happier and more accomplished in this sport I have loved so much?

Thank you

Hey there! My advice would be to do a few private sessions with a coach if possible to really narrow down and work on your fears. Also, look for some drills that will help reassure your form in these skills and practice them before attempting your mental block skills. Also just talking to your coach about it can help! Worst comes to worse, you can always switch skills because you are in xcel! In gold on beam, you may do two handstands to replace a cartwheel or a back or front walkover. Most importantly be patient with yourself and don't get discouraged! It takes time to get over a mental block!

 

[Aussie_coach]

For your cartwheel on beam, make sure your technique is correct. When it is, the skill will feel easier and not natural.

Make sure you are lunging in deeply. If you place your hands too close to your feet, you will have to close your hips to get your legs around and it will be very hard to go straight.

Make sure your hands are in a t shape, and you are turning your hips in your cartwheel, back the way you came.

Lots of side handstands on beam can help you to feel more comfortable in this position. Once you master the side handstand, you can practise stepping down on the other side.

Beam is great for being able to create your own levels and stations. You can use lines on the floor, floor beams, low beams, mid levels beams, mats of varying thickness over the beam, building up mats under the beam, to make it close to beam height and slowly take them away to build the skill. Use anything you have at your disposal.

If you find a station where you can do the cartwheel easily and then create a station in between that and the one you can’t do the cartwheel on.

You can set yourself a challenge to stick a set number on the easiest station and move to the next station when you master that and so on. If you get stuck, go back to the station before and stick a few more.

Practicing cartwheels off the beam to land on a wider surface (like a box) can help, as can cartwheeling from a surface onto the beam.

Sometimes doing a harder skill like round offs on beam, can help the cartwheel to feel easier.

It can also help to have a back up skill of the same value you are also working on, like a back walkover, to take the pressure off the need to get the cartwheel.

 

[Aussie_coach]

For your front tuck dismount, practise a few run steps into a punch jump off the beam, without the front tuck to help get the fitting correct.

Try a standing front tuck off the the beam, try a few run steps into a punch jump, try a soft pieces of equipment up against the beam, so you have something soft to hit if you crash, try the punch front tuck off a wider surface like a box, vault table etc onto a mat.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Your back salto issue may be a strength issue or a technique issue.

Do lots of explosive leg power drills - tuck jumps, tuck hops, straddle jumps, squat jumps, sprints, sprint drills, running drills, lunges, lunge jumps, box jumps, box hops, burpees, candlestick to jumps etc.

Your core strength is also essential for a good back tuck, lots of leg lefts, V ups etc.

If it’s a technique issue, you may need to post a video so we can see where you are going wrong.