Bridging the Gap of Gymnastics Lingo
Skills, Drills, Progressions, Conditioning, & At Home Training
Roundoff Progressions & Drills
Handstand Snap Down
The handstand snap down drill is an important drill for learning a roundoff because it is the second half of the skill. To do this drill, do a handstand on the edge of a panel mat. Then bring our legs down together fast while pulling your chest up. The goal is to quickly get your legs down at the same time you are pulling your chest up.
Hurdle
Start practicing a hurdle doing it with straight legs, and then if you need to you can bend your front leg a little.
Cartwheel Step In
Try slow and controlled cartwheels. Once your first foot hits the floor, pull in and bring the other foot next to it. Each foot will land separately. It will teach control, and at the end your body will be tight, long, and tucked-teaching the shaping for adding tumbling to the roundoff.
Round Off On Stacked Mat
This drill helps gymnasts kick the legs with more force and it allows even the weakest gymnast to stand up from the round-off.
• Stand on the mat stack/Fat mats.
• Place hands in round-off position on the stacked mat.
• Lift back leg and push with lunge leg to do a round-off.
• Turn the shoulders and then the hips and bring the legs together as quickly as possible.
• Land on both feet on the floor facing the direction of takeoff.
• Ensure correct hand placement, joining of legs and correct arm push from floor to stand up at the end [arms go ” forwards and up”].