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NRG Foundation Gymnastics - Teaching Progressions
THEHANDSTAND
Youarelookingfor:
ü Tall,straightstartingposition,upontiptoe,armstouchingears.
ü Longlungestep,keepingbodystraightandopen.
ü Widesplitofthelegs,ideallytokeepthestraightlinefromhandtotoe.
ü Rearlegiselevatedandplaced,notdrivenup.
ü Straighttightbodyinhandstand,headtuckedin,armsshoulderwidth.
ü Handswithfingersspreadandslightlybentintoprovidemaximumleverage.
ü Exitinthesameway,comingdowninastraightlinebackintolunge.
DevelopingonfromtheBunnyHop,thenextstagewouldbetoexploretakingtheweightonthehandsinanincreasinglyinvertedshape.Therearelotsofwaystodothis,providingvarietyandchallenges,whileenforcingthemainpointsandbuildingupstrengthandconfidence,readyforthefullHandstand.Ifyouonlyrememberonething..ThelearninggymnastshouldlookattheirfingerswhenattemptingHandstand.Tuckingtheheadunderattheentrystagewillresultinarollingforward.However,oncevertical,theheadcanbetuckedintocreateastraighterline.
Set-ups&Progressions:
● Bunnyhops,keepingshouldersstrong,andtryingtogetthehipshigh.
● SupportedBunnyHopswithCoachholdingatthehips.Maintainthebentkneebalanceforafewseconds,orgetthechildtostraightenthelegstotheceiling.
● Facingawayfromapaddedwall(useacrashmatorsimilar),getthechildtobendoverinapikeandplacehandsonthefloor.Thechildthentakestheweightonthehands,andwalksthefeetupthewalltoideallyastraightheldposition.
● Standingonaspringboard,thechildplacesthehandsonthefloor.Firstattemptsshouldsimplybemovingfromabentkneetoastraightwithouttopplingforward.ThenthechildcantryaBunnyHop.Thiscanbedoneclosetoamattedwall,sothatthechilddoesnottipforward.Askthemtotryandtouchthewalltheirback.
● Lyingstomachdownonaplatformsetathipheight(perhapscreatedwithstackedmatsorusingaBox),thechildslidesoverandplaceshandsonthefloorclosetotheplatformbottom.Thekneesaredrawnintoakneelingposition.Thechildmaythenextendonelegupvertical,keepingtheotherkneestill.Holdingthispositiongivesthechildagoodideaofthefeelingofbeingtotallyupsidedownandtakingtheirbodyweight.
It'sagoodideatointroducethelungestepearlyon,evenifthehandstandisnotyetachieved.Theeasiestwayistoworkagainstapaddedwall.
1. Getthechildtolieontheirtummieswiththeirarmsstraightoutandflatagainstthewall.Usematsagainstthewallsecuredinplace.Placeamarkerundertheirtoesandgetthemtostanduponthemarker.Fromstretchupontiptoe,getthechildtotakeabigstepforwardandplacetheirhandswithfingertipstouchingthewall,whilesimultaneouslyliftingtheleg.
Note:Youmusttrytogetthechildrenintotohabitofliftingthedrivinglegasthehandsgodown.Allowingthegymnasttoplacethehandsbeforekickingthelegcreatesanincorrectdisconnectedsequence,andmakesreachingHandstandimpossible.
2. Repeatseveraltimesthenintroduceahopthroughthestandingleg.3. Askthemiftheycantryandtapthewallwiththeirliftedleg.Continuebytryingtogetlegstogetherat
thetop,andontoholdingtheHandstandforafewseconds.
NBOftenthechildwill‘fall’out,comedownwithlegstogether,orswaplegsinmidairtocomeoutofthehandstand.Getthechildusedtocomingdownoutofthehandstandononeleg,thesamelegthatkickedup.TheexitshouldbeasimportantastheentryintoHandstand.
● Itisalwaysusefultorevisitanearlierprogressionatthismoreadvancedstagetoremindthemhowstraightandtighttheyneedtobeinhandstandbyperformingit,orsomethingveryclosetoit,withtheirwholebodyfacingthewall.Theymayonlyreachpartofthewayup,butitisstillagoodpracticeforHandstands,andachallengeinitself.Thisinvertedshapeiscalleda‘Plank’.
● Moreexperiencedgymnastsshouldbeabletogetalmostcompletelyflatagainstthewall,beforetuckingtheheadinandrollingout.Thisisaverychallengingactivity,buttheeasiestwayofdemonstratingjusthowstraightandtighttheHandstandneedstobe.
● Anothermoreadvanceddrilltochallengehowtightandstraightthegymnastcanbe,istokicktoHandstandagainstawall,butplacethehandsalittlewayfromthebaseofthewallsotheyendinanarchedshape.Fromthere,theaimistodolittletapsawayfromthewallwiththeirfeettoacompletelystraightshapeforaslongaspossible,beforereturnthetoestothewall.TheCoachmayaidbodyshaping.Thisisanextremelychallengingexercise,butveryusefulinemphasisingwhata‘straight’Handstandreallyis,asitdemandsthegymnasttopullinandalignthecore,bottomandshoulders.
Ifnowallsareavailable,thenpractisecantakeplaceonthefloor.● WhentakingtheHandstandtothefloor,theCoachneedstoencouragetheGymnasttocontinueto
stretchandreachforward.Oftenthechildwillreverttoashortstep,andastrongkickingactiontogetuptotheHandstand.Thisisincorrect,andoftencausesthegymnasttofalloutintoBridge,orworse,tolandflatontheirback.
● Use3spotsorhoopsinalineasmarkersfortheirfeetandhandsasshownhere.Thegymnaststepsfrommarker1(green),placesthefootonmarker2(purple),andhandsonmarker3(turquoise)intoHandstand.Thencomingdown,thegymnastdoesthereverse,withthehandson3,firstfootcomesdownon2,andthenextfooton1tofinishinlunge.
● Toreiteratehowtightthebodyneedstobe,theCoachcantrytopullthelegsapartwhilethegymnastisinHandstand.Thegymnastmustfighttokeepsqueezingthemtogether.
CommonFaults:
● Notsomuchafault,butahindranceispoorflexibilityinthelegs.Anarrowsplitofthelegsonentrywillrequireaconsiderablekicktogettovertical,andthereforewillbeuncontrolled.
● Perhapsthemostimportantaspectinthehandstandistheactionoftheshoulders.ArmsmustbekeptbackbytheearsthroughoutfortheHandstandtobesuccessful.Watchoutforacollapsing,orbringingforwardoftheshoulders.Thisisoftenaccompaniedbyatuckinginofthehead,ratherthanlookingatthehands.Itlookslikethis:-
● Itisreasonablyeasytospot,asthehandstandalmostimmediatelyfallsoverintoarollwiththegymnastgettingnowherenearvertical.Beawarewhenperformedagainstawall,asitmaynotbeimmediatelyobvious,butlookfortheheadandshoulderstouchingthewallfirst,andyouwillseethesamebendintheshoulderangleifyoulookatthegymnastfromtheside.
● ThegymnastgoesuptoHandstandbutimmediatelyfallsoutofintobridgeorflatontheirback.Thiscanbecausedbyashortstepinandacompensatinghardkicktogetthelegsupandoverhead.Itcanalsobeduetoaparticularlyflexible,butnotparticularlystrongback.Thiscanbecorrectedbyaskingthemtotakealongerstepin,andawidesplitofthelegsasittakessomeofthepoweroutofthekick,andalsostraightenstheupperbodybeforethefeetreachvertical.
ALittleTip:ArtisticgymnasticCoacheswouldshudderatthis,butyoumightbesurprisedattheresult.IfyourgymnastsaretryingtoholdHandstandandarestruggling,insteadofhavingthemstartwiththeirarmsupbytheirears,getthemtostartwiththeirarmsbytheirsides,andsimplyswingthemgentlyforwardtoplacetheirhandsastheyswingthebacklegup.Becausetheshouldersocketsaremorerelaxedasthebodyweightgoesoverthetopofthem,ratherthanrigidlylockedinplacebytheears,thegymnastcanfeelmoreeasilyhowtheyneedtoadjustthetensionwithlittlemovementstostayinverted.
SupportingHandstand
Dependingonthesizeandabilityofthegymnast,theCoachcaneitherholdatthehipsorattheankles.
• Forsmaller,lessablegymnasts,itispreferabletokneeldownfacingthem,andaidthekicktoverticalbyholdingatthehips.Forbiggergymnasts,theCoachwouldstilltakethehips,butbestandingup.
• Formoreablegymnasts,whoneedlesshelp,orwhoarestilllearninghowtokeepthecoreandlegstight,theCoachcanstandtooneside,slightlyinfrontofthegymnast,andcatchthefrontandbackofthecalves.
N.BItshouldbenotedthatveryyoungchildrenuptoapproximately4yearsmaystrugglewithafullyinvertedHandstandposition.Thisissimplyduetophysicaldevelopment.Atthisstagetheheadisstillrelativelylargeinrelationtothelimbs,andthereforeevenwiththearmsstraight,thetopoftheheadmaystillbetouchingthefloor.