- Jun 17, 2012
- 1,506
- 2,112
So besides keeping your eyes on your flyer and keeping your flyer off the floor, I always focused on a few things.
1. Know the counts. You're really like the controller of the group. For me, both in high school and college, backspots always counted for the group. You can really make or break the group.
2. As the controller... Be in control! Grab ankles and lift! Being a backspot really isn't too hard, technically speaking. You toss, catch, grab ankles, and lift up. You don't have a person standing on your hands, so I always tried to make it easier on my bases. You really can control the direction of stunts based on what you do.
3. Don't be afraid to change grips if the stunt needs it. If you feel your flying coming back at you, get a higher grip and push her back up. And on the same topic, if your flyer is falling be sure to let go of ankles and catch her upper body, which can involve taking a few steps back to catch. In my experience, flyers will mostly fall backwards so I was usually able to catch under her arms, as if it were a cradle. But there will be a few times where you just have to grab what you can, but ALWAYS go for the upper body.
Also, I know people are saying "don't be afraid to catch your flyer" but for me, I never had a fear of catching my flyer. It was almost instinctual to catch her, it never really crossed my mind that I could get hurt. However! Trying new skills would make me nervous. So, when trying new skills, always give 100% and don't afraid to ask questions or clarify what you're supposed to do. You should also have spotters when doing new skills, so there won't be so much pressure all on you for catching the flyer if something goes amiss.
1. Know the counts. You're really like the controller of the group. For me, both in high school and college, backspots always counted for the group. You can really make or break the group.
2. As the controller... Be in control! Grab ankles and lift! Being a backspot really isn't too hard, technically speaking. You toss, catch, grab ankles, and lift up. You don't have a person standing on your hands, so I always tried to make it easier on my bases. You really can control the direction of stunts based on what you do.
3. Don't be afraid to change grips if the stunt needs it. If you feel your flying coming back at you, get a higher grip and push her back up. And on the same topic, if your flyer is falling be sure to let go of ankles and catch her upper body, which can involve taking a few steps back to catch. In my experience, flyers will mostly fall backwards so I was usually able to catch under her arms, as if it were a cradle. But there will be a few times where you just have to grab what you can, but ALWAYS go for the upper body.
Also, I know people are saying "don't be afraid to catch your flyer" but for me, I never had a fear of catching my flyer. It was almost instinctual to catch her, it never really crossed my mind that I could get hurt. However! Trying new skills would make me nervous. So, when trying new skills, always give 100% and don't afraid to ask questions or clarify what you're supposed to do. You should also have spotters when doing new skills, so there won't be so much pressure all on you for catching the flyer if something goes amiss.