Expert: Elle Boyce - 1/28/2005

Question
back walkovers: i can do the bridge and everything its just that i cant kick over, i  can do it at an elevation but when i come off the elevation i can't do it anymore...any suggestions?

back handspring: how can i learn to do this @ home? i have a gymnastics class but i want to practice at home. i have just learned to do it on the tumble track and i can do a roundoff/back handspring pretty well on it. i want to try it at home. do have any suggestions? also, how can i get my body stronger for my back walkover/back handspring?
thank u so much!


Answer
Julie:

First, let me say that it's wonderful that you're so interested in gymnastics!  It's a wonderful sport, and if you treat your body right when you're involved with it, it will help you in so many ways!

I will also tell you that it is very dangerous to do full-blown coaching online.  Meaning... I can give you tips to improve, but I will not walk you through the movements step by step.

BACKBEND KICKOVERS...
  Before you do a Back walkover, you need to have a backbend kickover first.  A back walkover starts with one leg in the air, and it is very dangerous to attempt unless you've first mastered the easier skills of a backbend kickover.
TIPS
1- With your arms straight, and directly next to your ears, practice going from your feet to your hands, then standing up again.  This will be easiest if you stand up leading with your hips (push them forward while standing up).
2- Once you can do this several times in a row, stand and lower to your hands, then try to push your chest past your hands by gluing your feet to the ground and straightening your legs.  Rock back and forth in your bridge, pushing first your chest past your hands, then hips forward; do this about 10 times.
3- When you go to kick over, you must lead with your chest.  Push your chest past your hands as  you kick off the ground.  The reason you are able to do this off of an elevated surface is the elevation causes you to push your chest past your hands naturally.  This will take some practice, but you can have a coach spot you.
4- Make sure you watch your hands!  Keeping your eyes focused on both of your hands as you go over will help your body stay centered where it needs to be for this skill.
5- Straighten your legs!  Often times, the girls who are having the most trouble kicking over in my classes are the ones with bent legs.  This is because their bent leg acts as dead weight on the opposite side of where you are trying to get them to.  For this, picture a seesaw.  If all the weight is on one side of the seesaw, what happens?  Now, picture your hands as the middle of the seesaw and your legs as the board you are riding on.  If they are both on one side, what will happen?  But, if you're in a split position in the air, there is even weight on both sides and it is easier to flip over.

BACK HANDSPRINGS-
 The best way to learn these is to find a qualified instructor at your gym to give you a private lesson.  However, I can give you some basic drills that will be safe for home use.  Do not try your back handspring by yourself until you have been cleared by an instructor.
1- Handstand Snap Downs; On an elevated surface, kick up into a handstand, then snap your legs down quickly, pushing off of your hands so that when your feet hit the ground your hands are still straight and glued to your ears.
2- With your feet on a panel mat (or other elevated surface), push up into a bridge.  Watching your hands, bring BOTH feet over at the same time... this is like a bridge kickover, but using both feet.  You may need to push off of your legs a little in order to rotate them around.  Make sure to land with both feet together, and arms next to your ears.

I will not give you any more on the back handspring.  Keep practicing at gymnastics, and try to find a coach to give you a private lesson.  PL's usually run from 25 to 45 dollars per hour, depending on your club's prices, the area in which you live, and the instructor who is teaching it.  Handsprings are such a dangerous skill to learn by yourself, that I can not in good conscience tell you how to learn it on your own.  That's what coaches are for.  They can teach you how to learn safely.

By the way, if you can already do a round off back handspring on the tumble track, you are well on your way to having the skill.

I hope this helps!  Please be safe, and talk to your coaches.  Believe it or not, we are around to help you!