Backhandspring

[whatstheTEA]

okay so i know there are alot of forums about backhandsprings, but i looked through alot and this is alittle different. well i have my backhandspring -ive been throwing it for 3 years- and its not good. i need some advice! whenever i do it with a spot (barely even a spot, someone just holding their hand on my back) its great! then i do it on my own and my arms are all bent and my head almost hits the floor... every time. it really bothers me and i know that if i want to advance my tumbling skills i have to fix this problem because i want to be on level 3 next year. yet whenever i do it on the tumbling track its fine and i can do multiple handsprings as well as tucks. Any ideas/advice/tips ???? its greatly appreciated!! Also, my legs are always crazy so any tips on things to maybe strengthen or conditioning to solve the problem, thanks! :)

 

[CrossoverMom]

My Cp is going through something very similar to this. She got her sbh over summer and ro bhs in Nov. Somewhere in between she started having pains in her lower back. Now when she does her standing it almost looks like her head is hitting the mat, it's so close. But with a spot who barely touches her, it's great. On the tumble track it's great. I think it's mental. She has stopped doing them at dance all together and said it's because she doesn't want to get hurt. But having that security of the spot or the pit is the difference. Could yours also be mental?

When they do corners, she makes sure she is at the end of the line and the coach always goes over to say something to her after her pass. I can't hear, just see. But she also does handstands against the wall, so maybe try that?

Hope you get it figured out!

 

[Deleted member 24224]

I used to have the same problem, I could do series standing BHS with a coack/spotter nest to me, but when they left I could only do one standing and it went like straight up and straight down, killing all of my power. Start on a tumble track and warm up a few good ones and then, What I had to do was go onto a whale mat (i'm not sure what other people call them at different gyms) I think its a porta pit or something like this

one http://stuntphil.homestead.com/porta_pits_and_mat_-_landscape.jpg

except not in the middle of the wilderness lol. Then do a couple on their if you have one at your gym. It should be a lot harder to land but concentrate on technique, it doesn't matter if you land on your knees. Keep your arms by your ears, hands in and block. FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE!!! Hopefully this will help get you over the fear of falling/getting hurt. Once you are comfortable doing it there. Try in on a rod floor into a foam pit. At my gym we have a pit, and we put a mat on top and a panel on top of that. Like this mat, with a panel mat on top.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CR6d1GH70QQ/S_6zEMRQClI/AAAAAAAAAKs/CiWcV3Xwb_A/s1600/excel1.jpg

except for the small child and slide lol, im just having to much fun. Start on the rod floor and do your BHS onto the mat, it is a little harder than the whale mat but should still give you cushion. If it makes you more comfortable do it with a spot the first couple times. Try to land on your feet on here, it will be kinda hard but its possible.

Then get on a big cheese mat with a panel mat on top if its a super squishy, and do it on there, If you want a spot for comfort the first couple times, go for it. Once you are consistent on the cheese mat try it on the floor. Do it with a spot a couple times and then go for it.

A couple tips:

1. Don't over think it, just sit, and go, you have the technique don't psych yourself out of it
2. Tell yourself you can do it. It might sound cheesy but it should really help. If you have a positive attitude it makes a huge difference.
3. Dont rush the steps. You wont be able to do all this in one day, just take it one step at a time and only move on when you are ready. if you rush though it it won't help at all.
4. FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE, I can't stress this enough. It is all about muscle memory. Do it right when it's not on the floor, practice with the correct technique otherwise you will have to fix your technique later along down the road, It may not seem like a problem to do it sloppy a couple times on a whale mat, but you are only cheating yourself
5. And most importantly don't get frustrated. This won't happen over night. You will have to put in the work. And one of my favorite pieces of advise, that I tell myself all the time, "you want it, you do it." Only you can make the change "nobody can want this for you"

And Most Importantly good luck to you:) I know you can do it, and I have faith you can make that level 3 team next year, just dont EVER give up on yourself or your ability. I hope this helped!!

 

[whatstheTEA]

I used to have the same problem, I could do series standing BHS with a coack/spotter nest to me, but when they left I could only do one standing and it went like straight up and straight down, killing all of my power. Start on a tumble track and warm up a few good ones and then, What I had to do was go onto a whale mat (i'm not sure what other people call them at different gyms) I think its a porta pit or something like this

one http://stuntphil.homestead.com/porta_pits_and_mat_-_landscape.jpg

except not in the middle of the wilderness lol. Then do a couple on their if you have one at your gym. It should be a lot harder to land but concentrate on technique, it doesn't matter if you land on your knees. Keep your arms by your ears, hands in and block. FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE!!! Hopefully this will help get you over the fear of falling/getting hurt. Once you are comfortable doing it there. Try in on a rod floor into a foam pit. At my gym we have a pit, and we put a mat on top and a panel on top of that. Like this mat, with a panel mat on top.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CR6d1GH70QQ/S_6zEMRQClI/AAAAAAAAAKs/CiWcV3Xwb_A/s1600/excel1.jpg

except for the small child and slide lol, im just having to much fun. Start on the rod floor and do your BHS onto the mat, it is a little harder than the whale mat but should still give you cushion. If it makes you more comfortable do it with a spot the first couple times. Try to land on your feet on here, it will be kinda hard but its possible.

Then get on a big cheese mat with a panel mat on top if its a super squishy, and do it on there, If you want a spot for comfort the first couple times, go for it. Once you are consistent on the cheese mat try it on the floor. Do it with a spot a couple times and then go for it.

A couple tips:

1. Don't over think it, just sit, and go, you have the technique don't psych yourself out of it
2. Tell yourself you can do it. It might sound cheesy but it should really help. If you have a positive attitude it makes a huge difference.
3. Dont rush the steps. You wont be able to do all this in one day, just take it one step at a time and only move on when you are ready. if you rush though it it won't help at all.
4. FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE, I can't stress this enough. It is all about muscle memory. Do it right when it's not on the floor, practice with the correct technique otherwise you will have to fix your technique later along down the road, It may not seem like a problem to do it sloppy a couple times on a whale mat, but you are only cheating yourself
5. And most importantly don't get frustrated. This won't happen over night. You will have to put in the work. And one of my favorite pieces of advise, that I tell myself all the time, "you want it, you do it." Only you can make the change "nobody can want this for you"

And Most Importantly good luck to you:) I know you can do it, and I have faith you can make that level 3 team next year, just dont EVER give up on yourself or your ability. I hope this helped!!

I cant thank you enough for the advice! Im deffiantly going to try this next ptactice!!

 

[Deleted member 24224]

I cant thank you enough for the advice! Im deffiantly going to try this next ptactice!!

I'm really glad I could help:) if you need anything else just let me know!

 

[Paying4College]

Practice doing back walk overs (think that's that term) and once you master that, just make it faster and you got a back hand spring.
Keep your abs tight and finger tips vertical. Once you turn your hands, your arms will bend.

 

[WinstonsGirl]

I used to always bend my arms, and it came from dropping them below my ears (almost ending as if in a push-up position). Push harder through your toes and keep your hips up to ensure you have some height to it. You do need to go back, nut if you're too low as I sometimes was, you can't land on your hands properly. Get more power from your legs. Lots of condition there so you can get a faster push through them. Finally, rep, rep, rep. Mine were ugly for several years before they started to look prettier. The more you do, the more comfortable you'll get with them. And I mean repping hundreds at least

 

[NCMom]

I fully understand all of this. My cp has had her bh without a spot for almost a year but still lands with her hands down and on her toes. She has worked with so many coaches and heard everything from faster arms to faster jump to too fast jump causing her to over jump her hands and even that her legs have outgrown her torso and it makes it harder. I can't even remember it all. She can do tucks, whips, layouts and beautiful handsprings on a tramp tho. I just keep hoping it will fix itself. She continues to throw, it just doesn't land properly. :(

 

[CheerlyHere]

Sounds like it's mental. Maybe you should condition more and see if you can practice with a gymnastics coach? I find that cheerleading coaches don't care about form as much. When I was a cheerleader, all of the skills that I learned from when I was a gymnast were beautiful and powerful. All of the tumbling skills I learned as a cheerleader were sloppy. Looking back, I think this was because cheerleading just wants it fast and good enough and there's very little drills or conditioning comparatively.