All-Star Standing Back Handsprings

[eliteallstarcheerleading]

This is a skill I have struggled with going on 3 years. I have my round off back handsprings, but my standing back handsprings are terrible.

My legs are bent, my snap down is non existent. I also don't think my arms are quick enough.

I am having private lessons and we are slowly fixing it, but I still don't feel like my arms are quick enough (by that I mean, they don't get to by my ears before I jump).

Any advice? It's incredibly frustrating and it's something I feel I'll never fully get.

 

[Nikaa]

Do you have a video?? It's easier to tell you mistakes if we see a video.

 

[Ren]

This is a skill I have struggled with going on 3 years. I have my round off back handsprings, but my standing back handsprings are terrible.

My legs are bent, my snap down is non existent. I also don't think my arms are quick enough.

I am having private lessons and we are slowly fixing it, but I still don't feel like my arms are quick enough (by that I mean, they don't get to by my ears before I jump).

Any advice? It's incredibly frustrating and it's something I feel I'll never fully get.

This might sound like a silly question, but have you tried actually talking to your coach about it and finding out exactly what you need to do to fix it? Because it's one thing to drill a skill over and over if you've basically got it, but just make the odd mistake here and there, but if you don't quite have the right technique yet then just doing it over and over with a spot probably won't help you as much as sitting down and going over the technique step-by-step with your coach.

There are lots of drills to help with back handsprings on Debbie Love's website Drills | For the "Love" of Tumbling

I don't like giving out advice because I'm not a coach (but I'm going to go ahead and say what helped me, fee free to ignore ) make sure you're off balance before you go for it. As in, you should be "past the point of no return" before you whip your arms up and jump. Also, try to point your toes as you push off- that will make sure you push off your toes not your heels and should also help to keep your legs straight.
Then make sure you reach for the wall behind you, not the ceiling, otherwise you'll go high and come crashing down on your hands, which probably won't hold you up.
As I said, this is only what helped me, I am not a coach of any sort so always make sure you follow what your coach says Best of luck!

 

[eliteallstarcheerleading]

Thanks so much everyone. I don't have a video, as I am normally just with my coach and he is spotting it. Wish I did though.

Could my shoulder flexibility have anything to do with it?

I've spoken to him about it, and he has helped, but I still don't feel like my arms are coming around quick enough, they are very slow and just can't get my hands off the ground afterwards. I do the whole arm crumble, head hits the ground which is what happens without a spot (well used to). Haven't done it without a spot since, as I just don't feel like it's fixed enough to not have a spot. Apparently I will be fine....but I have so much weight on my arms and with the zero snap down, I just feel this will end badly, killing my confidence again.

I do agree though, we just keep doing them over and over again....not breaking down the technique again.

 

[Ren]

Thanks so much everyone. I don't have a video, as I am normally just with my coach and he is spotting it. Wish I did though.

Could my shoulder flexibility have anything to do with it?

I've spoken to him about it, and he has helped, but I still don't feel like my arms are coming around quick enough, they are very slow and just can't get my hands off the ground afterwards. I do the whole arm crumble, head hits the ground which is what happens without a spot (well used to). Haven't done it without a spot since, as I just don't feel like it's fixed enough to not have a spot. Apparently I will be fine....but I have so much weight on my arms and with the zero snap down, I just feel this will end badly, killing my confidence again.

I do agree though, we just keep doing them over and over again....not breaking down the technique again.

Maybe you could ask him to go right back to the beginning and pretend you've never done a back handspring? I know the reason my arms were crumbling was because I went too high so ended up coming straight down on my hands, which clearly puts a lot more strain on your arms than making a nice long shape and kind of "rolling" through your hands (don't really know how to explain it!). So what I was told to do was reach for the back wall when I went for it. That both made my handspring longer and also meant my arms were faster as I had to get them further back so it kind of clicked that they'd have to go faster in order to be in the right place by the time I wanted to put weight on them. (Again, just what worked for me)

If you're not confident that you've got the basic ideas, then I would suggest trying Debbie Love's drills. I think a lot of them can be done at home and hopefully will make you feel more confident too

 

[eliteallstarcheerleading]

Thank you so much. That's been great advice.

He is saying that I lean back to much, so has altered that, but I've always been taught to lean to the point where I am about to fall over and then go. He is a gymnastics coach and a damn good one at that, so I presume its correct and follow his advice.

It's just frustrating me so much!!! It's been too long of almost having it!

 

[Ren]

Thank you so much. That's been great advice.

He is saying that I lean back to much, so has altered that, but I've always been taught to lean to the point where I am about to fall over and then go. He is a gymnastics coach and a damn good one at that, so I presume its correct and follow his advice.

It's just frustrating me so much!!! It's been too long of almost having it!

I'm sure he knows the best way for you to progress But if you're feeling a bit stuck, you could always try a private somewhere else where they don't know you, and ask them to start you from scratch?

I think there are a couple of ways to do a back handspring, but I'm not sure so I won't bother writing about it!

If not, maybe you just need a break? You could work on a new running tumbling skill in your next private maybe, just to take your mind off it? I'm sure you'll get there

 

[eliteallstarcheerleading]

Thank you. Hopefully! I feel like I am progressing everywhere else except for the damn back handsprings. They look like such an easy skill.

 

[ilikebigbows]

Thank you. Hopefully! I feel like I am progressing everywhere else except for the damn back handsprings. They look like such an easy skill.

Back handsprings were HARD for me. It took me three years to get one where I didn't land in a push up or bounce off of my head. And now I'm on a level 5 team, and my standing tumbling is still pretty lacking, but my body just seems to adjust to running tumbling better (like you, I presume!). Tumbling just doesn't really come natural to me lol. So all I have to say is to keep working hard!! If you can dream it, you can do it! I finally got my back handsprings down when I put my whole heart and soul into it. Just try to make each one 2% better. Change one thing every time instead of trying to change it all at once. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone because your coaches know what they're doing. Good luck!!

 

[kickdblcj]

Its sounds like you exactly what to fix to make them better, you just have to do it now. Its all about repetition, do your drills until it becomes muscle memory. If you throw a bhs and it doesnt go so well then go back to your drills. Really work on throwing your arms back as fast and hard as you can and extend through your toes. Work snap down and blocking drills. Really think about what youre doing with your body when your doing a bhs.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

My advice is just for a class or 2, try another instructor. A different voice helps and sometimes it is what you need.

Great tumblers have a pile of instructors. I used to coach a lot of tumbling and at times, I would ask one of the other instructors or coaches to spot someone and they would fix it right away, or vice versa.

If you do try someone else, my advice is tell the person where you struggle and then don't tell them anything else. Explain once what is wrong, let the other coach fix it w/o thinking everything everyone else is telling you

I wish I could see it or be under it!

 

[TinyBlondie15]

I have been having trouble with mine too. It always helps going to different people to get different opinions and help. I've been working on mine for a while now and I'm always close but then my mom won't let me continue classes.

 

[UEAcheerchick]

What helped me is learning how to open my shoulders and actually reach my arms past my head. I couldn't tuck out of my bhs to save my life and seem to just land hard instead of get the momentum to keep going like my teammates. After I worked on reaching back and my shoulder flexibility, I can do multiple speciality passes that I wasn't able to do before

 

[canz]

Thanks so much everyone. I don't have a video, as I am normally just with my coach and he is spotting it. Wish I did though.

Could my shoulder flexibility have anything to do with it?

I've spoken to him about it, and he has helped, but I still don't feel like my arms are coming around quick enough, they are very slow and just can't get my hands off the ground afterwards. I do the whole arm crumble, head hits the ground which is what happens without a spot (well used to). Haven't done it without a spot since, as I just don't feel like it's fixed enough to not have a spot. Apparently I will be fine....but I have so much weight on my arms and with the zero snap down, I just feel this will end badly, killing my confidence again.

I do agree though, we just keep doing them over and over again....not breaking down the technique again.

If you are thinking it may be due to lack of shoulder flexibility there are lots of things you can do to correct this but two easy exercises- 1. Do bridged with your hands on a line and try to push through your shoulders over the line 2. Get a rod/stick or a rope, hold wider than shoulder width in front of you and try to lift the stick over your head behind you and back again keeping your arms straight. Initially if you are inflexible this will be hard and you will need to bend your arms until you get better