How to get confidence in a skill?

[gymnastgets10]

I've competed a bhs on beam for a season and a half, and I'm still not confident in it. I don't think it's really a fear; I just really don't like doing them on the high beam. I have hurt myself pretty badly doing them twice (torn ligament in ankle and twisted knee), and it's always the last skill I get back after an injury. I do use visualization and cue words; sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I will get semi-confident in it but then a few months later for no reason I find myself hating handsprings again. What can I do to finally get confidence in this skill?

 

[cher062]

All you can really do is practice, Practice, practice. Listen to your coaches and make the corrections they ask for. Have the support of your family. Unfortunatly I think every gymnast has that one piece of equipment or move that just gets to them. Remember a little fear is a good thing. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you from thinking like a Diva.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

With a skill like this - a backwards skill that often causes fear problems - I think the main thing is just lots of repetitions. It may never be your favorite skill, but you shouldn't have to go to practice dreading it. Do you have the same problem on the low beam? Either way, a good thing to do would be in your off-season to make ten every day on the high beam, and then start having in-a-row requirements, like make 6 in-a-row or make ten. Then make 8 in-a-row or make ten. Then ten in a row. Just the numbers will help, I think.

If you have some sort of problem with the back handspring, like your hands aren't placed right or you don't get enough height, you should definitely work that out - with a coach, starting on the low beam, etc - because once it is fixed it will make the skill a lot safer.

 

[coachmolly]

I had the same problem as a gymnast, including an injury as a result of a bhs on beam gone awry, so I can really relate to your frustration. My problem was compounded by the fact that my fear also interfered with my ability to complete the skill correctly. I was so uncomfortable with the skill that I would more often than not just "chuck it" to get it over with, relying on sheer luck more than actual skill to land on the beam. This led to more crashes and ultimately more fear. I hope this isn't the problem for you.
Like other posters have said, tons of practice. Getting in solid repetitions can help to build confidence. Go back to the beginning and require yourself to do x number on a line on the floor, when that's completed move to doing x number on a low beam, then a medium sized beam or a high beam with stacked mats, before eventually completing x number on the high beam. Take your time! Rushing through isn't going to help anything and it's not the end of the world if you don't work your way back to the high beam in one practice, it will take time and lots of patience. Besides just getting the numbers in, have a coach stand by to make sure you are completing the repetitions correctly. I'm sure you are capable of performing the skill correctly, but fear has a funny way of getting in the way of a gymnast performing a skill the way he/she knows how. If this is a problem for you, your coach could probably also pick up at what beam height the problem starts, giving some clues as to where you need to spend some more time.
It's a tricky skill and you are not alone in feeling uncomfortable with it!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

HEY BOG & JBW, LOOK UP ^^^ AT MOLLY'S POST. END OF 1ST SENTENCE & BEGINNING OF 2ND. SEE? "FRUSTRATION" TWICE? this is what has been happening to me.


p.s. molly, good post!

 

[gymdog]

I think you need to refine your technique on floor and then wherever you're comfortable. Personally I would be uncomfortable if I had a gymnast who suffered the injuries you describe on a beam BHS within a small timeframe. It might be a coincidence but I think it's important to look at your technique. It sounds like you're turning significantly.

1st - flexibility. Work on your hip flexor and shoulder flexibility. Bridges from a knee stand, elbow bridge to stretch shoulders, kicks fwd/side/back, any exercises you can do to increase your range of motion in this skill.

2nd - work two foot BHS along with step out

3rd - get a springboard and stand on the low end with your heels near the edge (but not hanging off). Do your beam BHS from here. Draw a line and practice proper hand placement. Having your toes pointed up will help you push all the way through and turn over like you should. You may not be able to do what you feel without the aid of the board yet, but what you feel will probably be closer to what you should do. You can also can do sets of two or three BHS with the first coming off the board.

5th - sets of BWO two three beam BHS on the floor. Sets of two step out BHS to two feet, etc, make up some combos but do more than one. Don't hold back, you're on the floor - it should accelerate.

4th - BHS up to a panel mat. BHS up to two panel mats. Handstand step down BHS (feet punch the floor, hands to the panel mat). BHS BHS to the panel mat, etc. This is really important. you need that little extra to be able to get your hands on the beam correctly.

5th - a question - how do you place your hands? It's generally best if the nondominant hand is in front (opposite hand to leading foot). But if you weren't taught this way and don't have the support of the coaches, I understand it's hard to change that. It is okay for the second hand to turn out, though for some people it might not work (I put both my hands straight on the beam). However, your first hand should be straight. If it is turned significantly out or in, that should be corrected.

6th - if you have any wrist problems you can (and probably should, from my point of view, since I don't subscribe to the "omg wrist supports automatically make you weak" school of thought. But that's just me.) tape your wrists while you work on these. sometimes being wary of pain on beam skills causes compensation and turning to one side or the other. obviously if you have back problems the same thing can occur, then you'll need to rest and work back what you can when you can. If you use Tiger Paw type supports that partially cover your thumb I would strongly recommend you get used to something else for beam. Hands free is the way to go on beam - tape or get a commercial wrap or palm free support.

 

[gymnastgets10]

Thanks everyone! I am completely comfortable doing them on a low beam. I get a little nervous on a medium beam and pretty uncomfortable on a high beam, but I still do them on high because I know I can and I don't want to get a mental block. I definately don't jump as much on the high beam.

gymdog, I'm pretty sure my injuries were just flukes that now mess with my head. The first one was about a year ago; I was wobbling and knew I was going to fall so I jumped off and rolled my ankle. The second one, in October, happened when I stepped down a little crooked and I split the beam and hit my knee weird; I've partially dislocated it before so it twisted more easily. But I usually go straight; those were definately off days. I already do a lot of the drills you suggested and they seem to be helping (I used to land really heavy on my hands [which did cause wrist pain]; now they're better but still need to be lighter before my coach will let me work a 'real' series as opposed to bhs swing through cw).

The answer to your question is kinda confusing. I'm a lefty, and I learned my beam bhs with my left hand in front of my right, both hands grabbing the beam and turned out a little (but sometimes my left hand turns inward and grabs the right side of the beam), so I had the same foot and hand infront. I don't know if you remember my whole series dilemma at the beginning of the summer, but my coach wanted me to switch the foot I step down with so the swing through cartwheel would be on my good leg, but I convinced her to let me try doing a bad leg cartwheel instead. Well, I can't do the bad leg cartwheel very well, so a few weeks ago she changed it back to stepping out with my bad leg in my handspring, which has made me more uncomfortable with the skill. So now I do have the opposite hand and foot in front. 3 coaches have told me that they can't see a difference and that my series looks a lot better with the good leg cw, but I feel like I have no split stepping down and sometimes like I'm stepping down crooked. I also land heavier on my hands then I have been on the good leg but not as much as I used to, so I guess that's kinda good. I know I definately need more reps to get comfortable with the bad leg step out; it just doesn't help that I don't have much confidence in good leg step outs after almost 2 years of doing them on high.

Thanks again and any more suggestions you can give would be helpful!

 

[gymdog]

Wait - so you are doing a back handspring on beam with your non-dominant leg in front? I am pretty sure this would terrify anyone. I have never been particularly scared of BHS on beam but you couldn't pay me to do it on my left leg (I'm a righty). I personally think it is a good idea to do most things (practice) on both legs (such as in floor drills) but I can't see the point of a competitive series that is done on the non-dominant leg. You will essentially need to "relearn" the BHS from that leg. Personally I wouldn't recommend this. It would be far more logical to me to just work on your BHS and do an unconnected BHS series and take the deduction while you work on it, than to do a bad leg BHS on the beam. But that is up to you and your coach I guess, I'm just not sure I understand why.

Also, if both hands turn out, that can cause problems particularly if you are using the same hand and leg in front. What you are doing is turning your entire body to that direction (to the left). If your hands sometimes turn in that would indicate you aren't consistent on your hand placement yet. When you do a BHS up to a panel mat, can you get your hands in a line with a fair hand placement?

 

[Gymnasticgrandkids]

My grandaughter is having major problems with her BHS's on beam as well...total fear because she displaced 2 fingers last year doing it...she cannot seem to overcome that fear and stands on beam in position for an extremely long time before even attempting them...she has gone back totally to the basics and it doesn't seem to be helping as she can do them one time and then can't the next time...her first meet is in 1 week. My question is, has anyone tried hypnosis and has anyone had any success?

 

[tflipz]

watch videos and do drills

 

[gymdog]

My grandaughter is having major problems with her BHS's on beam as well...total fear because she displaced 2 fingers last year doing it...she cannot seem to overcome that fear and stands on beam in position for an extremely long time before even attempting them...she has gone back totally to the basics and it doesn't seem to be helping as she can do them one time and then can't the next time...her first meet is in 1 week. My question is, has anyone tried hypnosis and has anyone had any success?

I think time is the only way to get confidence back. I don't think there are any shortcuts. If I was going to seek anything out, sports psychology would probably be more useful than hypnotism.

She just needs to do it where she can and move up where she's ready. I don't think moving up too soon just to balk is ever a good solution. Even if it means scratching beam at the meet or subbing a different skill or missing a move, it's better to move up steadily at the pace she needs for confidence than to push too hard and end up in the "one step forward, two steps backward" pattern.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My grandaughter is having major problems with her BHS's on beam as well...total fear because she displaced 2 fingers last year doing it...she cannot seem to overcome that fear and stands on beam in position for an extremely long time before even attempting them...she has gone back totally to the basics and it doesn't seem to be helping as she can do them one time and then can't the next time...her first meet is in 1 week. My question is, has anyone tried hypnosis and has anyone had any success?

doesn't work...

 

[Aussie_coach]

Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write a list of every possible stage to doing the back handspring on the beam at you can. Start with something very easy like do a back handspring on the tramp, to doing it on the floor, to doing it on a line on the floor, to on a low beam with mats over the beam and mats stacked up to the height of the beam with a spot, to progressively taking away mats and spot, to higher beams and so on until you get to doing it on high beam on your own. You should end up with about 20-30 different steps.

The next step is to look at your list and find where you feel totally comfortable and at home and do that, then move onto the next step and so on. Until you get to the point where you feel scared, then go back to where you last felt comfortable and work up.

Its important to trust that you will get your confidence, think about when you learned your first back handspring on the floor, at the time you needed so much help and spot, now no doubt you could do it in your sleep. With time your back handspring on the high beam will come back and you will feel the same way about that. And it will be onto the next challenge.

What ever you do don't allow stress to take over. It is just one skill and just one apparatus. You can do everything fine on your three other apparatus, and your BHS is one skill in your beam routine, if you do your other skills well it wont totally destroy your scores. Once you get to worked up about a skill more problems arise. It can help to have a back up plan too, why not be working another skill on beam at the same time like a round off or a front handspring, they will fill your requirements as well. This will allow you to approach the skill more relaxed because everything is not riding on getting it right.

 

[gymnastgets10]

Thanks again for all the replies. There's been a rather interesting development to this whole thing - I dislocated my knee warming up and handspring on beam at a meet last Friday. So I guess I won't be doing them for a while!