Peach/basket to handstand is a very high level technical skill. The gymnasts who are doing this skill should already have a significant amount of experience, strength, flexibility, and coordination. The gymnast should be knowledgeable and have a clear understanding of swings on the parallel bars. It is especially important that the gymnast is experienced with a piked swing under the bars. The skill can be done from handstand or front support. The gymnast should perform a backward roll to candlestick or reversed pike. At this stage in the skill, it’s important that the hips are away from the gymnast’s hands. Simply said, it has to be a free hip, not a back hip circle. Keeping the hips far away helps the gymnast to obtain a wide circle, which will give them enough speed for the second part of the skill. If the hips are too close to the hands, the circle is cut short and as a consequence the skill will move slower. When the gymnast’s shoulders are at the lower part between the bars, the second part of the skill begins. The gymnast should gradually open the angle of the shoulders, push back on the rails, and open the body from pike to hollow. Pushing on the bars helps to stop the back flipping and transform it into a upwards momentum. This will raise the gymnast’s body to vertical. Opening the body from pike to vertical will help the gymnast accelerate the speed and send the direction up to handstand. The grip is inward and the gymnast should hold the rails for as long as possible. It helps to feel the support position and push on the bars. At the last moment of the skill, the gymnast should switch their hands and finish in a handstand position.
The peach basket is the lesser form of the peach handstand. The skill finishes in support or at horizontal. This skill is essential in order for the gymnast to learn a peach to handstand. The first part of this skill involves a backward roll with hips away from the hands, and second part which involves raising the body to support. The gymnast should emphasize on pushing the bars, opening the body and switching the grip at the last possible moment.
The gymnast’s body should be in a hollow position. This skill should be performed on the floor. The gymnast should turn their hands inward with their fingertips facing one another. They should reach to touch their toes, palms flexed and flat. They should extend to their tippy toes, keep their chin down, and roll backwards with straight legs. From the hollow position on the floor, they should raise their toes to the ceiling and reach their arms behind their head. The gymnast’s arms should stay straight for the entire duration of the skill, catching themselves on their palms. The gymnast should stay hollow and point their toes over their head, landing in a piked / hollow body.
The technique for this drill is the same as a back extension roll. Place a cheese mat on or near a set of parallettes. Have the gymnast lay on their back, placing their hands on the parallettes. They should quickly raise their toes over their head in a piked position, facilitating a turnover motion. This drill should be performed without shifting and hopping their hands.
This drill should start in an underswing position. The gymnast should be at the end of the parallel bars. This makes it much easier for the coach to spot the drill. The gymnast should turn over without shifting their hands, while the coach pushes on their upper back. The coach should have another hand on their arms or shoulders. This drill finishes with the gymnast’s feet straddled on each rail.
This drill starts in an underswing position. The gymnast should be at the end of the bars to make it easier for the coach to spot. Spotting techniques for this drill are similar to other assisted peach drills. The gymnast should not shift their hands. This drill finishes when the gymnast reaches the handstand position.
This drill should start in the support position. Similar to the peach drill on rails, the gymnast should start at the end of the bars to make it easier for the coach to spot. The gymnast should execute the skill, leaning back into underswing while the coach assists them into the handstand position. The gymnast should not shift their hands. This drill finishes in the handstand position.
This drill is similar to the previous peach with assistance drills, except the gymnast should no longer be at the end of the bars. The coach should spot while standing on a block. This drill should be executed once the gymnast is comfortable with the assisted peach handstand at the end of the parallel bars. The gymnast should not shift their hands. This drill finishes when the gymnast reaches the handstand position.
This drill is similar to a back extension roll on parallettes, but with an added hop. Place a cheese mat on the end of a set of parallettes, have the gymnast lay on their back in a hollow position and perform a back extension roll onto the parallettes. They should focus on hopping and shifting their hands.
The technique for this drill is the same as a back extension roll, but with an added hop. The gymnast should perform this exercise in a hollow position. The gymnast should point their toes to the ceiling (without arching), and push from their hands and shoulders to facilitate a hand hop. The skill should finish in a tight body handstand.
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.