From a handstand the gymnast should start the skill by bailing down to the bottom of the swing. There are two modifications. The first one is to bail with an extended tight body, and around the level of the rails the gymnast should pike their body from the hips with tight legs. This helps to increase the speed, but after that the gymnast should conclude the reverse hecht move much faster. In the front swing, they should also push back on the rails much stronger. The second modification of the move starts with a tight arch bail, it compresses the body for the following whip and pike. In this case it’s easier to perform the skill because the acceleration is relatively moderate. This means that the subsequent push off the rails is not as strong. A potential problem with this method is that the gymnast can develop the wrong habit of “brushing” for the giant swings. At the very bottom of the swing, the gymnast should be in a piked position without touching the ground. They should have extended shoulders with their head in the middle position. Next, the gymnast should open their hips and kick them upward in the final move of the reverse hecht swing. Their arms should push back strongly on the rails. This helps to reverse the swing and to raise the athlete onto the bars in a low rear support position. The stronger the gymnast pushes on the rails, the lower the rear support is.
The most essential skill on the high bar is the swing. Almost every skill on this apparatus consists of a front or back swing. This is why it’s critical for the gymnast’s future career that they can correctly execute this element. The skill starts at the highest point in the backswing. Their body should be in a hollow position with their head neutral. At the bottom of the swing the gymnast should be slightly arched in order to whip and return to the hollow position in the front. There are a few modifications for the tap swing. The first is for flyaway. In this case, the gymnast should rap before reaching suspension. For a giant, the gymnast will need to accelerate the speed of their swing. This can be done by tapping slightly after the suspension. Regardless of the modification, after the tap the gymnast’s body should continue in a hollow position until the top of the front swing. After that follows the back swing. Until the bottom of the back swing the body should be exactly tight. After the suspension the body should begin to hollow to a slight pike, and the athlete shifts over their wrists. This helps them remain on the bar. The back swing finishes at the top of the move in a hollow position.
The long swing starts from the highest point of the backswing. The gymnast’s body should be straight and tight, so should their legs. Their head should be in the middle position. Down to the bottom of the swing, the gymnast should extend their shoulders and try to perform a “long” circle. Taller gymnasts may bend their legs from their knees. As they pass through the bottom of the swing, the athlete should shorten the radius of the circle. This can be done by kicking the knees and piking from the hips. Shortening the angle of the shoulders can help as well. The front swing finishes at the highest point. Next, the gymnast should perform a backswing and finish at the position of the skill.
From a handstand, the gymnast should start the skill by bailing down to the bottom of the swing under the bar. There are two modifications. The first one is to bail with an extended tight body until the bottom of the swing. The second modification is one in which the gymnast begins to arch their body from their shoulders when they are at the level of the rails. In the second case, it’s easier to perform the skill, because the acceleration and speed is relatively moderate, and the subsequent push off the rails is not as strong. The problem however, is that the gymnast can potentially develop an incorrect habit of “brushing” for the giant swings too. At the level of the rails, the gymnast should start to bend their legs from their knees and pass through the bottom with their shoulders and hips extended. Their legs should be bent with their head in the middle position. During the upswing the gymnast should push back strongly on the bars and begin to tighten their legs. Pushing the rails stops the rotation, at this point the gymnast should raise their body above the rails and finish in the rear support position with their arms and legs tight.
This drill starts at the highest point of the backswing. The gymnast should be in a tight arch position. Through the bottom of the front swing they should perform a strong whip and pass through in a piked position. They should gradually extend their body until the end of the uprise. In the back swing, they should pike from their hips and pass the suspension in a piked position. During the last phase of the backswing, the gymnast should open their body into a tight arch position.
This drill is similar to the previous one. At the beginning of the swing, the coach should assist the gymnast to encourage them to arch more and to perform a higher backswing.
This drill is similar to the previous one. In the upward swing, the gymnast should push back strongly on the bars and at the same time, extend their shoulders and arch from their hips. If the push is correct, the gymnast should land on the floor in a support position.
This is the same as the previous drill, but it should be performed without assistance.
This is a modification of the previous drill. The gymnast should put their feet on the edge of block and hang below the bars. They should extend their shoulders significantly, open their hips and then perform the reverse hecht.
From a handstand, have the gymnast perform a “brush” - extend the shoulders and arch the body from the hips. They should land flat on a mat.
This drill helps the gymnast to improve the first part of their skill. Place a mat vertically underneath the parallel bars. This will be used to stop the gymnast through the bottom. When the gymnast performs the bail, they should finish the drill at the very bottom in a piked position, hitting the mat with their feet.
Integral part of gymnastics coaching process are skill drills. They help gymnasts to learn easier and technically correct. With GYM DRILL PRO you will find variety of ideas for the most the basic gymnastics skills. There are plenty of images with skill drill progressions. It is intended to support explicitly the qualified coaches in their daily coaching business. DO NOT practice without the guidance of proper professionals.