Teaching Progressions - HANDSTAND

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.