Tips For Tucking Tighter?

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May 25, 2012
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I have my roundoff tuck, ro hs tuck, and my layout (all he does is stand there), but they all three look the same because I don't tuck! And I have gotten better but it literally looks like I am trying to do a layout when I am doing a tuck. :( And I need help! I have osgood schlatters in my left knee and I think I don't tuck as much because I am afraid I am going to hurt my knee if I tuck to hard. Because my knee hurts a lot. Any tips? I'm desperate! I am working on my standing tuck and the set is fine, I just don't tuck! :(
 
Maybe grab the back of your thighs when you are in the air? I know this helped my CP. Hers was no where near a layout but this helped her rotate tighter and faster.
 
practice backward rolls. If done correctly, it's close to the same tuck position you should do in the air. In the roll, stay in a tucked position and don't let your knees touch the ground or your knees come apart. You should be able to get the feeling of the tuck position in a more controlled and safer environment.
 
Do your knees hurt when you bend them or when you land on them?
usually when I bend them too far. But when I only bend them for a second or so, like in a tuck, it doesn't hurt. I think I am psyching myself out! :/ haha. but also especially if I land straight on my knees (mainly my left one though) when they're bent, that hurts like CRAZY!
 
practice backward rolls. If done correctly, it's close to the same tuck position you should do in the air. In the roll, stay in a tucked position and don't let your knees touch the ground or your knees come apart. You should be able to get the feeling of the tuck position in a more controlled and safer environment.
thank you thank you!
 
Grab the back of your thighs, pull them into your chest and bend your legs... Meanwhile I have the opposite problem, I tuck but don't set >.<
 
I have known many girls that do tucks with semi straight legs, If it hurts your knees to bend them far then focus on what your HIPS are doing. when in a tucked position your hips should be curled in driving up towards the ceiling allowing your body to fold in half for the rotation. make sure you are engaging your ab muscles to drive your hips up. if your hips are "open" then you'll be in more of a straight body position. hope this helps.
 
Ok so no offense to anyone who has posted before me but for the love of everyone out there pulling your legs in tight to your chest does not help you rotate!!!!! If you want to tuck tighter you have got to use your ABS. I teach my kids to pull there toes, using there ab muscles to do this. If you think about not letting your hip angle get any smaller then 90 degrees (preferably keeping them at exactly 90) and bring your toes to the top keeping them in front of your knees you should be in a perfect tuck position. A good drill I like to give my kids is just to lay on your back tuck drill, but I give them goals, like laying on your back with your head towards your couch and using your abs to pull your toes you lift your knees to the top of the couch cousin. I like to think of having maybe a volleyball sized space in between your chest and thighs. Using that idea of keeping distance between your chest and thighs (with your feet still in front of your knees) you will feel a natural rotation that when done right will create rotation no matter what. The key is having the ab strength to create that pull fast enough to get your feet around. A bonus to this technique is that you are leading with your feet in front and in a good safe position to land(knees bent, chest over knees, not legs straight chest on knees) I've added some pics to show different tuck possitions


images
Notice that her feet are in front of her knees making her feet the first thing to the the floor( and yes I know she is on a trampoline but it's just a image of good tuck position. Now lets compare it to some not so good positions.


282415_10150258300463596_534868595_7696787_6424132_n_thumb.jpg
So in this image it is clear that she didn't set but what you notice is that her feet are way behind so if she wants to land she is going to have to either keep flipping until she over rotates or when she gets her upper body around and finally gets her hips over her head she is going to have to figure out how to pull her feet to the gound.


tumblr_lj5to9mozM1qfnhf0o1_400_thumb.jpg
This is my favorite!! For all those grab your legs and pull them to your chest people out there, this is what I call the grab and pray. Her legs are almost straight, her chest is pinned to her knees and she is just squeezing everything into herself. Now even if she does land it she is going to have her chest still pinned to her knees and be praying that she doesn't fall to her face.


images
I added this one because it made me laugh! PULL how in the world are you going to pull from this position?? Please, if anyone can explain this feel free to let me know! I challenge you to lay on the ground and pull this position and if you rotate I will give up my cheering days and find a new profession!!

So that is my advice/rant on how to tuck tighter in a back tuck but it's more of a how to ROTATE FASTER!!!!


P.S if anyone is offended or think that I am wrong I am sorry but this is just plan and simple physics
 
Ok so no offense to anyone who has posted before me but for the love of everyone out there pulling your legs in tight to your chest does not help you rotate!!!!! If you want to tuck tighter you have got to use your ABS. I teach my kids to pull there toes, using there ab muscles to do this. If you think about not letting your hip angle get any smaller then 90 degrees (preferably keeping them at exactly 90) and bring your toes to the top keeping them in front of your knees you should be in a perfect tuck position. A good drill I like to give my kids is just to lay on your back tuck drill, but I give them goals, like laying on your back with your head towards your couch and using your abs to pull your toes you lift your knees to the top of the couch cousin. I like to think of having maybe a volleyball sized space in between your chest and thighs. Using that idea of keeping distance between your chest and thighs (with your feet still in front of your knees) you will feel a natural rotation that when done right will create rotation no matter what. The key is having the ab strength to create that pull fast enough to get your feet around. A bonus to this technique is that you are leading with your feet in front and in a good safe position to land(knees bent, chest over knees, not legs straight chest on knees) I've added some pics to show different tuck possitions


images
Notice that her feet are in front of her knees making her feet the first thing to the the floor( and yes I know she is on a trampoline but it's just a image of good tuck position. Now lets compare it to some not so good positions.


282415_10150258300463596_534868595_7696787_6424132_n_thumb.jpg
So in this image it is clear that she didn't set but what you notice is that her feet are way behind so if she wants to land she is going to have to either keep flipping until she over rotates or when she gets her upper body around and finally gets her hips over her head she is going to have to figure out how to pull her feet to the gound.


tumblr_lj5to9mozM1qfnhf0o1_400_thumb.jpg
This is my favorite!! For all those grab your legs and pull them to your chest people out there, this is what I call the grab and pray. Her legs are almost straight, her chest is pinned to her knees and she is just squeezing everything into herself. Now even if she does land it she is going to have her chest still pinned to her knees and be praying that she doesn't fall to her face.


images
I added this one because it made me laugh! PULL how in the world are you going to pull from this position?? Please, if anyone can explain this feel free to let me know! I challenge you to lay on the ground and pull this position and if you rotate I will give up my cheering days and find a new profession!!

So that is my advice/rant on how to tuck tighter in a back tuck but it's more of a how to ROTATE FASTER!!!!


P.S if anyone is offended or think that I am wrong I am sorry but this is just plan and simple physics

Lol well you just made my day. I always thought my daughter tucked wrong. Me and another mom were having a discussion about this the other day. I always say it looks like my daughter is sitting in a chair. To where everyone else is in a ball. I was about to post a video and then I realized the only videos I have from a side view was when she first got her tuck. All the ones from the last several months are from the back view so it's harder to tell lol.
 
Ive always had that problem. Back when I tumbled, my gymnastics instructor told me it was going to be harder for me to get into the tucked position because my quads were much more stronger than the back leg muscle. (hamstring, right? I'm having a brain fart at the moment, sorry.) but it does have a lot to do with your abs, I agree. Once you get your core strong enough, your tucks will become a lot tighter and your layouts will be a lot straighter.
 
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