High School Loading Into A Stunt Correctly

[rachaelcheers105]

I'm a newish flyer for my Var team and my coach, stunt group, and I have noticed that when I load into a stunt my feet are like ducks (turned out), I put all my weight onto my bases, and I can't execute a hang drill excercise. Can someone please give me some tips and advice? Also ways to practice a hang drill without having to require my stunt group to hang off of. As of now I can't hold one for more than half a second. :(

 

[Jo Mallory]

1. Feet like duck: As simple as it may sound, squeeze your ankles together. If you are stepping into your stunt you should think step in and glue my ankles together. Don't step to your bases, they'll catch your foot. Making sure your ankles are tight together is going to make it easier on them. If you're jumping in start with your feet together, explode from your toes, and once again think glue. One thing you can do is have your coach take a piece of construction paper and cut it into a small square (also trim the edge so they aren't sharp). Before you load in stick it between your feet. Jump off with the paper and for every time it falls out you owe her an extra minute of conditioning! This is going to be a helpful reminder.

2. Hang Drills: If you don't have anything to do hang drills on outside of the gym I always recommend tricep bench pushups to my girls. You're strengthening those back arm muscles, you're pushing off and forcing yourself to pull up with your shoulders and lock out your arms completely which important in a good hang drill. Doing this outside of the gym everyday should help you out. Here's a video I found on Youtube if you're not quite sure on what I mean.

Also, core conditioning. Flyers need to have a strong center to be able to execute anything including the load. So even though hang drills are vital don't neglect your abs. Abs are a flyers best friend!



Good luck!! (:

 

[CEAisstronger]

Before loading in put your feet together so when you "jump" in your feet have a better chance of being together and not like a duck


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[embersglow]

If you have two chairs of the same height you can use those as bases' shoulders to practice your hang drill. Remember to keep your chest over knees over toes in squish, you need to be able to hold your own weight before you should be doing any stunting. Good luck and keep practicing! :)


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[CoachCarissa]

It sounds like you're trying to hold the dangle drill just by using your arms to "put all your weight onto the bases." Try to use your abs to help hold your body weight. And follow the other advice ^^^ (it's great!) definitely squeeze your ankles together and keep your chest (and butt) up during the load in. Good luck!

 

[CoachKelly]

Don't just use your arms to lift and hold you, use your core muscles. Pull your core in and up. Practice this either during or standing, if you do it right you should feel your body/shoulders go upwards. Also upper body exercises. Hold handstands as long as you can, push ups and ones mentioned above. Its not just your bases holding you, it is also you holding you, if your a heavy flyer your bases will get tired too early.

Feet- squeeze. Make sure they're together on the floor. I don't know how you go up but our girls do it this way....1. They raise onto their tippy toes 2. Come back down/bend knees 3. Jump into bases hands. The whole time make sure you are "squeezing the penny" the whole way down through your toes.



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[MHSCheercoach]

Wow! I make my flyers perfect the hang drill and hold it for 10 seconds 10 different times before I allow them to even do thigh stands. But anywho, that's what I do.

All of the above advice is awesome and will help you tons. It's not just about arm muscle but also core. Chair dips and inverted pushups help wonders with the arms, but your core is the most important with cheerleading whether you are a base or flyer.
For your core, work on v-ups, crunches, planks, and hollow outs (front and back). These exercises need to be done daily not just at practice. Best youtube video ever for core is (LOVE IT KYLE, my cheerleaders don't, but I DO).