Barrell rock drill
Rocking back and forth lying down on a barrel may help gymnasts to experience the single arch-body unit with open hips and shoulders required for the back handspring flying phase.
Barrell handsprings
Gymnasts showing improvement on simpler drills and spotted back handsprings may be introduced to barrel back handsprings. Coaches must make sure that the gymnast does not start so close to the barrel as it forces them to undercut their jumps.
Backhandspring drill for distance
Gymnasts may use a panel mat to train for distance during the first flying phase. With their toes at the beginning of a panel they perfom back handsprings trying to reach far into a different panel. Since the gymnasts know the exact place they are begining each turn they can check how much they are flying back from feet to hands.
Standing Back Handspring
To begin the backhandspring the gymnast leans back off balance while slightly bending the legs and moving the trunk forward with a straight or hollow chest. From this position the gymnast can make a powerful jump backwards. Back handsprings have two important flying phases.
Standing Back Handspring Example
This talented young gymnast is making a nice effort to emphasize a chest hollow position at the beginning of the skill. The objective of this action is to create a feeling about the shape of the body on the second flying phase. Nowadays she still has some troubles to hold a hollow position on the turn over from hands to feet and pikes down instead.
Standing Back Handspring Spot
Back handsprings can be spotted with one hand on the lower back and the other hand on the closer hamstring. If the spotter stands on the left of the gymnast the right hand goes on the back and the left hand on the nearer hamstring. During the second flying phase the hands switch the left to the abdominal area and the right to the lower back to assist with any problems during the landing.
Back Handspring Squat and Undercut Mistakes
A short first flying phase from feet to hands makes it difficult to create an effective second flying phase from hands to feet. Short undercut first flying phases cause the hands to touch the floor with poor body angles to make a quick arms repulsion into a powerful turn over to the feet. Before bad technical habits get too engrained it is wise to spend time reviewing basic drills.
Standing Back Handspring Mistakes
On the next few clips a different gymnast offers examples of some of those basic back handspring mistakes already mentioned. /Undercut with poor blocking repulsion and pike turn over. /A much longer and nice back handspring example with good hands to feet turn over. /Second flying phase example with an incorrect pike turnover.
Back Handspring Spot and Stop
If the gymnast is having problems showing a tight arch and the coach is confident of being able to handle the gymnast's weight he places a hand on the upper back reaching toward the further shoulder area while keeping the other hand on the hamstring. When the gymnast jumps back the coach stops the motion in mid air to allow the athlete to position her body into the correct shape.
Back Handspring Spot No Arm Swings
Starting to teach back handsprings without arm swings may help the gymnasts to get used to keeping the arms closer to the head in the early learning stages plus it can save the coach a couple of face slaps. Place the gymnast on a position as if they were coming from a round off or another back handspring.
Open Arms Back Handspring Mistake
When spotting new gymnasts on backhandsprings we must keep our head further back away from them to avoid getting hit if they open the arms too much.
Back Handspring Spot with Arm Swing
Once we are relatively sure that the gymnast is not going to throw the arms out too open we can add the arms swing to their spotted back handsprings. This gymnast is trying to master a hollow turn over second flying phase instead of just piking it down. Coaches may use every training opportunity to help establish good posture habits like standing up with stomach area in and buttocks tucked in too.