Mental Block On Bhs - Any Tips?

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May 13, 2012
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I've had a mental block on my back handspring since my gymnastics days - I fell on my head hard doing one and got a concussion. I know I'm capable of doing one but I don't know what to tell myself to get it back. I've been working on getting my strength up, but what should I be doing next? I've grown four inches and gained about 20 pounds since the last time I did one, so my center of balance is different. Should I be drilling the steps, doing them full out with a spot or on a tramp? I'm kinda lost here...
 
I used to have a mental block on my bhs as well. I hurt my arm doing one at my old gym (I wasn't fully ready to do the skill.) At my new gym, I took privates and they made me relearn it from the first step. The first day, they made me do some drills and some conditioning as well as practicing my bhs on one of those roll things. On the second day, they had me do the same thing then they told me I was ready to try a bhs so I tried it on a mat, starting from like a small trampoline, with a spotter. Then I practiced roundoffs on the tumble track from which I would jump back as far as I could on my back onto a mat. My coach told me I could try roundoff bhs on the tumble track onto the mat and I just did it. The first time it looked like a roundoff whip but the second time it was better. I then did it on the air track. The third private, I got it on the floor.

So basically the point is that as long as you are ready physically and that you also believe that you can do it, you can! Just make sure your coach tells you you're ready. So just practice drills and with a spotter until you feel you are ready. I hope this helped :)
 
I want to add something. The coach at my old gym was a lot less experience with coaching and basically just made me throw my bhs without any guidelines or corrections. This just added to my fear and increased my chances of getting hurt. My present coach tells me what I need to correct or work on. You should make sure to get privates or at least some type of classes with a good coach.
 
Do as many as you can, on a barrel, with a spot, whatever you an do. The more comfortable you are with the feeling of being upside down the less likely you are to feel panicky
 
I want to add something. The coach at my old gym was a lot less experience with coaching and basically just made me throw my bhs without any guidelines or corrections. This just added to my fear and increased my chances of getting hurt. My present coach tells me what I need to correct or work on. You should make sure to get privates or at least some type of classes with a good coach.
That was exactly how my hs coach and gymnastics coaches were... Definitely finding a legit gym to get privates at, I'm not gonna risk it with a subpar coach.
 
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