The reverse hecht is a complex skill where the gymnast swinging up on the back giant direction suddenly must be able to change this directional motion and release the bar flipping on the opposite direction. Any drill that can help an athlete to begin understanding and reverse it toward a front flipping action is enhancing the approach to eventually master this release.
This tumble track drill is another possible introductory approach to some of the reverse hecht technical actions. The gymnast's goal is to fly back toward the resi-mat at the same time that her body stands up and aims to create forward rotation.
Although the gymnast demonstrating the drill has not mastered all its technical details correctly and is still showing too much pancake position, the final goal is to turn over forward the whole body in one single unit with the straddle legs moving backwards and closing without the gymnast getting stuck or exhibiting a very deep pancake.
These two reverse hechts were performed by a junior elite gymnast still in the process of learning the skill. He misses the first turn and catches the second, and it seems that one of the main differences between both attempts was related to the direction of the arm throw to begin the flying phase.
When athletes miss their reverse hecht releases, if possible, they must aim to land flat and try not to use their arms which can result in an injury to an upper limb bone or joint. Check how this gymnast aims for a proper whole body flat landing.
These are a few video examples of pike reverse hechts performed by junior athletes starting the skill. Regardless of the body position, all great reverse hechts require a sudden stop after the tap kick to a candle stick. Gymnasts should demonstrate high straddle hechts before mastering pike and layout hects.
Besides the larger amount of power required to perform a layout reverse hecht compared to a piked reverse hecht, the main difference between both skills is given by the way the bar is cleared during the flying phase. A true layout hecht clears the bar in a straight or hollow position without exhibiting any obvious hip flex.
The Carballo begins like an in-bar endo. After passing through the bottom with a full deep pike compression, the gymnast performs a strong pull to support. He releases the rail when the shoulders have moved up beyond the horizontal bar. During the flying phase, the athlete travels toward the vertical and performs a straddle cut. He then extends with the aim of grabbing the bar in an undergrip while the body is as close to a handstand as possible.
This skill begins exactly like a regular Carballo would begin. As the athlete grabs the bar and his body swings down, he completes the one arm front pirouette.
For a Gaylord 2, on the last giant before the release instead of a tap over the the bar holding a hollow position, many gymnasts perform a tap, and with the body changing shapes, from the hollow candle stick to tight arch position before reaching the vertical line. One of the goals of this technique is to lift the bar rail up to produce stronger bar reactions while the gymnast also focuses on a powerful and clean sweeping through the bottom tap, and establishing visual contact with the bar.
Coaches and gymnast must always communicate what they plan to do before each training attempt. In this case, a very experienced coach and his elite athlete have agreed that the sting mats will on be slid on the bar if the release timers show signs of trouble.
As the gymnast increases the difficulty of their skills they should also continue developing their air sense to know where they are during many different skills. Another important thing to learn is to bail out safely when making a mistake that causes them to fall off the equipment.