Tag: Skill Development

Front Handspring, Skill Development, Training, Tumbling

The Front Handspring Step-Out (Walkover)

scottjohnsonsgymexperience
front hndsprng stepout

The Front Handspring step-out, also known as the Front Walk-over in cheerleading and dance is a common skill and one that is used often in combination tumbling passes. It is also considered an elegant skill, if performed correctly, but difficult to learn properly for many athletes. Here I will share my thoughts and techniques that has worked well in teaching this skill.

As with so many skills, it is important to learn the prerequisites first so the student has the ability to learn the Front Handspring correctly. These prerequisites include, but not limited to, the handstand, bridge, lunge, and hurdle step.

There are several factors that go into play when developing these types of skills. For this particular skill, flexibility certainly is one of the most important factors. This flexibility concerns primarily the legs, back, and shoulders. Arm and body positioning is another factor that must be accomplished for a positive result. And finally, strength and aggression are important.

spotting front limber

The front limber is a skill that should be introduced and learned prior to learning the front handspring. This will prepare the student in understanding the dynamics of the skill. There are several good drills used in learning the front limber. The most effective drill that has worked well for my students is the bridge “rock and stand” motion.  This should be spotted by a qualified coach through the developmental stages.

While the student is in the bridge position, they will rock back and forth and as they rock toward the feet, have them stand upward making sure the student keeps their eyes on the floor and not looking upward or forward. Upon the finish of the skill, the body should be in a slightly arched position.

Limber position

Once the student understands the front limber, they are ready to begin learning the front walkover. The concept is very similar to the front limber, however, the student will keep their legs split throughout the skill and land on one leg. This is where flexibility plays a major roll. The farther the student can split their legs, the easier it is for the student to land with the lead leg under the torso. Shoulder flexibility also plays a roll which will allow the student to place the lead foot close to the hands.

20171006015256

When the student has learned (or trained and understands) the front walkover, they would be ready to perform the skill from a run and hurdle step. It is critical that the student has a proper hurdle step in order to perform the front handspring The Hurdle Step The Key Ingredient. Arms should be straight and extended up above the head and ears throughout the skill.

The arms should reach well in front of the body when placing the hands on the floor. It is important that the shoulders do not rock in front of the hands. The arms should remain straight and should create a blocking action (bounce) off the floor. The block should be felt on the palms of the hands (if the shoulders rock forward upon placing hands on the floor, the pressure would be on the fingers preventing the blocking motion).

finish pos of front walkover

The finish of the skill should be the same as in the standing front walkover. The major difference between the front walkover and front handspring step-out is the blocking motion off the arms.  The stronger the blocking motion, the more momentum created for connecting skills.

If the students follow this  type of training progression, they will learn the skill effectively.  It will take time and consistency but the results should be positive.  It is always important to remember to follow the proper techniques so the students will not develop bad habits.

dsc_40031119621626161690471.jpg

My new Beginner Tumbling Training Guide is published and ready for all to use. This is a great training aid for any and all programs who offer tumbling training. If you would like to order your copy, follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0847D3VQC

Front Cover.Red Lettering

Athletes, Coaching, Injuries, Round-Off, Safety, Skill Development

Tumbling: Wrist and Ankle Pain

scottjohnsonsgymexperience

Does your student or child have consistent wrist and/or ankle pain when training their tumbling skills? This is a very common problem and one that can be be fixed through proper training. In most cases, it is due to poor technique in performing tumbling skills. If the technique is improved, it will result in much less stress on the body and joints.

We often see athletes wearing supports for wrists, ankles, and knees. There is no doubt that the sport if gymnastics and tumbling creates stress on the joints: Injuries: Prevention and Repair. These support braces will help with discomfort and provide added support while performing skills. However, the athlete should not rely on these braces for extended periods of time. The objective should be to heal and strengthen the area. If the braces are worn consistently, the area will not strengthen adequately, thus creating a dependence on the brace.

In the case of wrist discomfort, much of the cause may be poor technique in performing skills. One example is the hand placement on cartwheels and round-offs.

When performing these skills, the student should turn their second hand so the fingers are facing toward the first hand when placing on the floor. Not only will this allow the student to push or block off the floor for an adequate finish of the skill, it is the correct positioning of the hands.

Hand Placement for a Righty
Hand Placement for a Lefty

A very common mistake and one that is often unnoticed is that the second hand is turned in the opposite direction. Not only will this make it almost impossible to block off the floor, it can cause wrist discomfort and possible wrist damage.

Another problem with wrist discomfort could come from the action of performing the back handspring. As a coach, I am sure you have heard of your student complaining of wrist pain when doing their back handspring (I hear this constantly).

The problem occurs when the student isn’t getting their arms and hands in front of the shoulders upon impact of the floor. A simple explanation is to have the student get in a push up position – put them in a position where the shoulders are behind the hands. There should be no discomfort (if there is, the problem may be more serious).

If the shoulders are on front of the hands upon impact of the floor, this is where the stress and discomfort on the wrist occurs.

This is why it is so important that proper technique is followed when training these skills. It is a sure sign that when students are complaining of pain in a certain area, it could be the result of improper skill technique.

I am in the process of publishing my first training manual: “Beginner Tumbling Training” .  This will be a useful tool in training for all and any needing to learn proper technique and safety. Great for gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, martial arts, and more. I will keep you posted on that progress.

In addition, if you would like a personal training session or consultation with me, we can Skype a lesson. Private message me or email me at: scottjohnsongymnastics@gmail.com

Coaching, Confidence, Gymnastics, Preparation, Skill Development, Tumbling

Skill Development: Why Can’t I Get It?

scottjohnsonsgymexperience

There is no doubt that gymnastics and tumbling skills are difficult to achieve. Those that are familiar with the sport, understand the dynamics and the time it takes to achieve skills. It is a sport where it may take months and even years for a student to achieve a particular skill. But why can’t a student achieve a skill that they have been working on for so long? There may be many reasons but the most common are fear factors or technical errors. Both of which can be fixed and overcome.

It is essential that students build a strong foundation of basic elements when they start their tumbling training. Skills build upon one another as the sport progresses so having good technique with basic skills will allow faster and more positive progression. 

For example, if a student has a great round-off, connecting a back handspring will be easier to accomplish. However, if the round-off is done poorly, the student would not be in a position to connect a successful back handspring. In fact, it is very common that when you see a student bust on a round-off,  back handspring, it is not the back handspring that is the problem – it is the round-off.

When a student is struggling with achieving a skill, the coach needs to determine “why”. If it is a fear problem, the coach should take the time to continue drill training and spotting to help the student gain confidence. This should eliminate the fear over time.  If the student is forced to attempt the skill when they are terrified, there is a good chance of an accident – and this would certainly increase the fear and prolong the accomplishment.

With more complex and difficult skills such as the back full twist or double full twist, the problem becomes more common in students struggling to achieve them.  The most common problem here is the lack of proper technique.  It becomes very frustrating for the student when they are not able to get the skill.

When learning these types of skills, there are prerequisites that need to be accomplished first – and accomplished correctly.  To learn a back full twist, the student must first learn a proper back layout -which is not an easy skill to accomplish properly. To learn a good back layout, the student must have a great round-off and back handspring.

If these prerequisites are not accomplished with good technique,  the student may never learn their desired skill.  I’ve worked with many students who fall into this category and the last thing they want to do is take a step back and work to perfect the basics. However, this is what must be done if they are going to learn the more difficult skills.

The bottom line in this scenario is that steps should not be skipped in skill development. Why can’t they get it?  More than likely, too many steps were skipped early in their development.

Scott Johnson – 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist

My training manuals: “Beginner Tumbling Training” and “The Round-Off and Back Handspring”.  These are useful tools in training for all and any athletes needing to learn proper technique and safety. Great for gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, martial arts, and more.

Coaching, Confidence, Losing, Mental Training, Skill Development, Uncategorized

Learning then Losing Skills – A Common Issue

scottjohnsonsgymexperience

It is so exciting to see students accomplish new skills. Skills that have been a focus for months or years and trained consistently. Then the moment comes when it is finally accomplished. Then, within a day or two, the skill is lost. How frustrating and depressing. Motivation is lost and the feeling of wanting to quit takes control.

This happens often, even with the most advanced athletes. Due to the high complexity of skills and the risk factors involved, it may take a long time to develop confidence in completing a skill. We have discussed the manner in which skills are learned safely and properly. This includes drill training and spotting on a consistent basis. Many times it is necessary to re-learn the skill from the beginning.  Through time, the athlete should gain the confidence needed to perform the skill.

However, if the athlete attempts to perform the skill when they’re not ready emotionally or physically, there could be an accident. This could erase any confidence gained and the skill lost. It may take awhile to get it back. For some, it may never come back (.  There are many circumstances that may cause an athlete to lose or struggle with confidence.  Some of these may be experiencing an accident or injury or watching someone else have an accident or injury.  In most cases, it is simply having negative thoughts of crashing and getting hurt.  The student may often say “I’m Scared”Confidence and the Mental Block .  The coach should always encourage in a positive manner and provide that needed support to reduce and eventually eliminate the fear factor.

This is Common!! Even at the highest levels of participation, athletes will have the same problem. Coaches and parents need to be supportive and encourage the student to keep at it and don’t give up. They will get it back but they need that positive support.

This is why we stress the importance of learning the basics and building a strong foundation Tumbling: Importance of Building a Strong Foundation.   It is the stepping stone of learning all skills and is needed in the event a student struggles with skill development.  Most all athletes will experience this issue of learning a skill and losing it.  Sometimes it is immediate and other times it just occurs after years of having a particular skill.  Taking that step back and resorting to the basics is a positive and necessary  procedure to fix this issue.

Remain positive and be encouraging is the key.  Coaches and parents should not treat this scenario in a negative manner.  The student will most likely be very upset and emotional over the loss of skills.  We need to pick them up and help them through the process and get them moving in a positive direction.

Benefits, Coaching, Communication, Evaluation, Skill Development, Training

A Coaches Guide to Seeking Help on Skill Development: How Do I Fix That?

scottjohnsonsgymexperience

 

Back arch flip anim

There are many articles, videos, pics and more that are designed to help athletes in skill development. The “how to’s” are posted everywhere on social media and other publications. These methods of training can be effective and is useful for many. However, what is needed more in training that is difficult to publish and define, is fixing the problem areas that athletes are challenged with.

The objective of the coach is to train the athlete in all areas of skill development. This starts with training each student from the ground up, so they can develop a strong foundation of basic elements to build upon. We see, in many cases, athletes who have missed learning the basics which results in many challenges in developing more advanced elements.  Without a strong foundation of basic elements, the student will have challenges learning more advanced skills.

A common problem we see in many gyms is that there may be several members of the coaching staff that do not have the experience and knowledge to teach skills with proper technique or fix a problem area that a student is struggling with.  We see this most in recreational programs where competitive gymnastics is not the major focus of the program.  However, many of the students who participate in these types of programs may have a desire to move up in the sport and try a competitive program.  When this occurs, the student will have challenges if they have not learned the proper basics with good technique.

I have seen many video clips posted to social media networks where coaches are requesting help in fixing a technical issue a student may be having.  I have seen clips of round-offs, back handsprings, front handsprings, and many more in tumbling.  There are also many clips requesting help for skills on the bars and balance beams.  These video clips are a great tool to assist the coach in fixing problem areas.

51546198_s-300x200

I have found that on-line training is becoming more and more popular.  I have begun doing lessons via Skype and they have been extremely successful.  However, it does have limitations.  Although Skyping a training session is beneficial in helping with teaching proper technique, it will never be as good as the “hands-on” approach.  Especially if the student needs spotting to help improve the skill.

One of the biggest issues I have seen with posting video for corrective comments on group posts, is that the recipient may receive many comments from many different coaches.  Although it is great that so many are responding and attempting to assist with the problem, it can be somewhat overwhelming for the coach posting the video.  For example, if there are 30 responding comments on how to fix the problem, there may be 20 comments that have different views on how to fix the problem (i.e.: “too many chefs in the kitchen”).

Another concern is that many coaches have different opinions on how skills should be learned.  It’s not that different opinions are wrong, but what may work for one athlete may not work for another athlete (The Technique Controversy).  It is good to have several opinions to work with, but not to get overloaded.

An alternative to consider when looking for help with teaching or correcting a skill is to post and send to only a select few that you may have collaborated with previously or know has the knowledge you are seeking.  There are many experts out there that can be of great assistance.  Much depends on the skill you are needing help with.  Is it a tumbling skill?  Or a bars or beam skill?  You may even want to ask for referrals.

group training seminar

The ultimate fix is for the coaches to become knowledgeable in the skills they are teaching.  For those programs that are lacking in this knowledge, it is beneficial to participate in local clinics and seminars.  If these are difficult to locate or not available in your area, you may consider bringing in a professional to run a coach’s clinic at your facility or program.

When coaches have the proper knowledge of skill development, not only will their athletes be more productive and successful, the entire program will benefit and be successful.

img_09426787057562810544815.jpg

I hope this article is helpful for those seeking training information.  I will soon be releasing a series of manuals and video’s that will be beneficial for many.  These will include skill development, safety and spotting, program development, training atmospheres, and many more subjects to enhance the development of coaches and athletes.

If you have concerns or need assistance with your training program, do not hesitate to contact me.  If you would like an on-line training session via Skype, please contact me for scheduling.

Email:   scottjohnsongymnastics@gmail.com