AboutJack Leonard Expertise Former 5 time Natl. Tumbling Champ, 3 time Natl. Vaulting Champ, Natl. Floor
Exercise Champ; Ass`t coach of Dominique Dawes for 6 years; Owner/Director/Head coach of Kauai Gymnastics Academy on the island of Kauai in Hawaii; Retired Physical Ed teacher; Childrens Fitness Expert; Expert Consultant for gymnastics litigation; Retired Mens & Womens HS Gymnastics coach for 32 years. National coaching honors for Men in 1981 & Women in 2001.
Experience I value the following awards because they were given by acknowlegement through my peers: The Nissen/Grissold Award given to the outstanding Tumbling and Tramp Athlete(1972), National High School coach of the year in 1981 for men and 2001 for women, 10 time County Coach of the Year. Medal Award given at the first World Tumbling Championships in London, England for dedication to the sport. Lastly, having the opportunity to coach Wes Suter(1988 Olympian)in his intermediate years and Dominique Dawes(1992 & 1996)
Question My squad went to camp to learn a cheer routine and it has back hand sprinds in it. Not one of us can do one so we have tew got to tumbling classes. I almost have mine but i was looking for something tew help me do with out a spot like a trainer but not the high price. What should i get to help?
Answer Hello Savannah,
I am glad to help you. I would high suggest the Boulder made by Norberts. You can see a video by clicking on the web address below. I have also given you some back handspring tips. I wish you the very best and take care – Jack Leonard
The backhandspring is not that hard to do, it is hard to do well! First, understand that the best tumblers are those who tumble from point A to point B with the fastest mph(miles per hour). That speed in turn(when technique is refined) is transferred to valuable height. As a result, the backhandspring will be quite long. There used to be USAIGC testing measuring the speed of the gymnasts backhandsprings using a stopwatch. The gymnast would start by doing a handstand on a spring board placed in the corner of the Floor Exercise mat. The gymnast would then snap
down and proceed to do Flip Flops(FF) /(backhandsprings) down the diagonal as quickly as possible to a pre measured finish line. As the gymnasts time became lower through practice, the FF became longer. This is a great drill.
Technique on the Back Handspring or Flip Flop (FF)
1. To begin a FF, sit with a straight back till the weight transfers from the balls of your feet to your heels.
2. ...anticipation of this moment (the weight transfer from the balls of the feet to heels), apply the pressure back to the balls of the feet and push with the arms extending and reaching backwards.
3. Do not let the head look back before the arms are by your ears. If your head goes early because of nervousness, this is called having your brains on your back. As your arms are extending, they should also be making a little bit of a circle motion...not very much or you will look like a slinky.
4. The position as the hands touch the mat will be similar to the following. The hands will be lets say like the numbers on a clock, 6 o=clock and the body extending from the hips should be between 10 10:30.
5. The body will be in a stretched position and moving. As the hips pass over the shoulders, the gymnast should uncoil the body by giving a quick shrug of the shoulders and raising the chest up with as little a pike as possible from the waist. This action is much more easily accomplished (for awareness) on the trampoline.
6. The head should still be between the arms and the finishing is a stand in a slight hollow position around the waist area.
7. Using a cheese mat(tumbling wedge) helps when you have the tendency not to fall off balance...but don=t get addicted to it!
8. Remember...when someone is spotting or assisting you, they should be very experienced in that skill, not only in knowledge but also in the technique of spotting.
The best of luck to you! and remember...Gymnastics is an amusement park and the tricks are rides!
