What’s Next?
Thanks for all of the positive feedback on the front handspring articles! I am so glad that they are helping some of you.
I would like to know, though, if any of you have some things that you would like to see me cover next. I am open to suggestions, and eager to get started on another project. Just comment on this post if you have something that you would like to see discussed or disected. It can cover just about anything from events to mental training or whatever, and if I don’t have enough information myself, I will find it through many of you guys.
So, let me know and I will get started right away! Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Explore posts in the same categories: Training
Coaching Gymnastics in the New Millennium 
February 6, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I would love to hear your thoughts on some bar skills — in particular, on kips, freehips, and giants. All are skills which I have successfully taught, yet all are skills that I’m sure I could teach better.
February 8, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I’m with Geoffrey about bars. I’d also like to see some more information, including effective drills, for handspring vaults. Here’s another question regarding a gymnast’s anatomy. What would you do with a highly talented gymnast who’s only apparent physical issue seems to be that her ankles can not touch each other due to her knee anatomy? I have a gymnast who squeezes her legs together, but can not touch her ankles without bending her legs. I taught her to compensate by touching her toes together, thereby turning in her feet in the air like Nastia Liukin iften does. I worry that this will result in technical deductions.
February 9, 2010 at 3:08 pm
It sounds like she has some significant knee “valgus” – where the knees drop inward.
Here’s a little test that you can do – have her standing facing you with her feet straight forward such that the knees are dropping inward. Have her squeeze her butt as hard as she can and see if the knees move away from one another. If they do, then the first line of attack is to work on a lot of isolate glute max strengthening via movements like isometric glute bridge holds, etc.
Remember, from my article on landing mechanics, the glute max helps to control rotation – it’s a outwardly rotates the upper leg bone (femur) as it contracts. So, if her knees move away when she actively contracts it, it would suggest that the muscle is probably weak, inhibited, and a bit lengthened. Most issues with alignment at the knees are reflective of what’s going on at the hips. With that said, is she really flat-footed? Coupled with hip-related issues, foot pronation can also cause a knee drop-in, too.
Keep me posted.
February 10, 2010 at 4:20 am
Website’s great. I love hearing new perspectives. I have a really hard time reading your website because of the colours. The white on black text makes me feel cross eyed!! Just wanted to let you know. Otherwise keep up the great work!
March 5, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Chris,
I finally did your suggested test on my gymnast! It doesn’t look like a strength issue. She squeezes as hard as she can (and she’s strong), but her knees don’t move. I think it’s her bone structure that causes this issue. Her legs are together from hip to knee, but her lower legs pull apart a little so her ankles never touch one another. Any ideas?
March 28, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Chris – I have 3 gymnasts with this issue. They constantly overlap one knee over the other and when the legs are tight the ankles are around 5cm apart.
Two are sisters and also have naturally big oversplits both ways, but with the hips twisted a lot, so I am wondering if the leg is rotated inwards in some way at the hip.
I would love to see womething on the use of trampoline in pre-team to level 6’s. What for, how often, etc?
Thanks for all the great info.