Dropping Chest

[crazy_country_cheerleader]

So I have a problem with dropping my chest in jumps and back handsprings. When my chest drops in my back handspring i really whip my hands and shoulders back and under cut it. That's basically what's keeping me from getting my bhs alone. Any tips you might have to help keep from dropping my chest in my jumps and bhs would really be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[cheer25mom]

CP had this problem learning hers and still does it to sone extent. Are you dropping at the beginning or the end? For the beginning, coach had CP choose a spot on the gym wall and sight in on that spot as she sits for handspring, she was to keep the spot in sight through the swing and only lose it as she started going back. For dropping the chest at the end: Her coach had her practice doing handstand snap downs with the correct hollow body landing position, arms by ears. She would start with a full panel mat and slowly make it shorter until she was doing them from the floor. Levering handstands, and then adding a block to the lever handstands was another drool to correct this.


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[crazy_country_cheerleader]

CP had this problem learning hers and still does it to sone extent. Are you dropping at the beginning or the end? For the beginning, coach had CP choose a spot on the gym wall and sight in on that spot as she sits for handspring, she was to keep the spot in sight through the swing and only lose it as she started going back. For dropping the chest at the end: Her coach had her practice doing handstand snap downs with the correct hollow body landing position, arms by ears. She would start with a full panel mat and slowly make it shorter until she was doing them from the floor. Levering handstands, and then adding a block to the lever handstands was another drool to correct this.


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It's at the beginning and then i don't sit back far enough. Thanks for the tips though!

 

[cheerforeverever]

Have you videoed yourself to pinpoint the moment you try to drop your chest? It could help with you mentally knowing when the problem usually occurs & the symptoms that contribute. I love to either film & screenshot OR use one of the "rapid burst" photo options that some phones/cameras have, in order to get slide by slide progression of someone attempting a skill, so I can see exactly what the body looks like when it starts to go awry!

This video below is pretty informative about all the body positions you should be hitting throughout the BHS. Might help to understand if you are hitting any of the habits pointed out (such as head looking before arms are at your head, jutting the hips forward rather than falling back into the spring, etc.) that results in the shoulder dropping. From what you are describing, the jump drill in pt. 2 of this video series could theoretically help a lot (jumping UP to the mats and making sure you are hitting them nice and tight and flat (not head/shoulders hitting mat before back/hips). Its hard to know though without seeing a skill first hand. Hope it helps a bit though. BACK HANDSPRING! How-to Guide! PART 1 of 5! - YouTube

 

[kobegirl]

no-swing bhs are great at teaching you to jump through your toes and maintain your shoulders/arms by your ears. Lots of tumblers will swing, sit and throw head before arms and then never achieve the proper body position

 

[crazy_country_cheerleader]

Don't be afraid

Hopefully this link works. But it's a video of my back handspring from last month

 

[cheer25mom]

Seeing the video, Here's what CP's coach would tell her : you need to be more aggressive on the front end. Faster from sit to swing and jump with a bigger explosions and lots more lift. You are dropping you chest trying to compensate for the fact that your arms are not making it all the way up before you start back. A faster, mor aggressive swing and jump along with thinking about lifting your entire body before takeoff will help. I wish I could slo-mo the video because it looks to me like you might not be hitting the correct handstand position before snapping down.

 

[crazy_country_cheerleader]

Seeing the video, Here's what CP's coach would tell her : you need to be more aggressive on the front end. Faster from sit to swing and jump with a bigger explosions and lots more lift. You are dropping you chest trying to compensate for the fact that your arms are not making it all the way up before you start back. A faster, mor aggressive swing and jump along with thinking about lifting your entire body before takeoff will help. I wish I could slo-mo the video because it looks to me like you might not be hitting the correct handstand position before snapping down.

Thanks for the advice! I had a friend tape two more for me. Here are the links.
Don't be afraid
Don't be afraid

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

This is per my CP - who has been getting backhandsprings corrections since age 5 and has pretty much heard them all:

"You're not dropping your chest too badly actually... What is actually happening is that you're going slow. When you go slow it is very hard to get your hands off the ground quickly and get that POP! You need to land straight up and down from your backhandspring. This might just be from getting spotted, because you want to take it slow. When you get it more smoothly and once you get more confident with it try to pop out of your shoulders after your hands hit the ground. I had this same problem with my front handspring vault when I did gymnastics and it caused me to go really slow and not get the pop I needed to land straight up and down. This will also help you when you want to do double handsprings or tucks out of it."

 

[crazy_country_cheerleader]

This is per my CP - who has been getting backhandsprings corrections since age 5 and has pretty much heard them all:

"You're not dropping your chest too badly actually... What is actually happening is that you're going slow. When you go slow it is very hard to get your hands off the ground quickly and get that POP! You need to land straight up and down from your backhandspring. This might just be from getting spotted, because you want to take it slow. When you get it more smoothly and once you get more confident with it try to pop out of your shoulders after your hands hit the ground. I had this same problem with my front handspring vault when I did gymnastics and it caused me to go really slow and not get the pop I needed to land straight up and down. This will also help you when you want to do double handsprings or tucks out of it."

Alright thanks! Ive been getting told the same things over and over, and it really helps to hear it or read it from a different perspective. I have tumbling tomorrow, so ill apply what you guys said and maybe get another vid

 

[cheer25mom]

Thanks for the advice! I had a friend tape two more for me. Here are the links.
Don't be afraid
Don't be afraid

Your chest does look better. I really think that you just need a more aggressive swing that gets your arms up quicker, and to drive your hips over your head faster. Your hips are lagging behind when you hit the handstand position, and that's why you are having trouble landing it. If your hips are not over your hands when they hit the ground, it puts a lot more pressure on your hands and arms, plus you have to pull your hips over before you can snap, so your snap down loses power.

 

[Coach Sara]

Try coming up with some key words to say to yourself to help you execute, like swing-drive-pop-snap, or sit-jump-reach-snap that remind you of what you're trying to do. Say them every time at the pace and timing of executing the skill.

 

[crazy_country_cheerleader]

So next Wednesday is our last tumbling until like June. I really want my back handspring, but I'm on my hands too long. Tips? I have a video at the link because I can't post videos.
Don't be afraid

 

[icantihavecheer]

Try to pop with your shoulders more so you don't have to squat as much at the end. Just be more aggressive and confident with it too. I hate to break it to you though, but even if you just get your back handspring by next Wednesday if you don't do it for four months right after you get it you might not have it when you get back.


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[seein_starz]

If you have "boulders" at your gym (or handspring trainers, they're called different things) definitely use those! I didn't have them when I was learning handsprings but now I do and my coaches have been having me do very basic things since I have a back injury so they're retracting me handsprings and I never realized how bad my technique was until now