Question Home

Position:Home>Dancing> I'm trying to learn how to do a back and front hand spring...?


Question: I'm trying to learn how to do a back and front hand spring!.!.!.!?
But i always get so nervous when I 'm about to go for it!. Like i'll be halfway there and then freak out and ruin it!. Any tips to get courage to just go for it!? Oh, and also how do spring myself up properly!?

Thanks!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
well first off you should have put it in the sports cato!.

back handspring

The first step to do a back handspring properly is starting in the right position!. This position is known as "I Body"!.
The "I Body" position is simply standing up tall on the balls of your feet while having your arms extended as high as they will go (as if you were reaching for the ceiling)!. You will want to keep you fingers together, your arms slightly touching your ears, and your head looking directly forward (NOT UP!)!.
Step2
The next step to doing a back handspring requires you to do two things at the same time!. AT THE SAME TIME you will want to bend your knees and start to lean backwards by pretending to sit in a chair!. By doing so you should force yourself to be falling onto your bottom/back!. Thus, if you were to back out of your back handspring at this point you should not be able to retain your balance!. You should literally be falling backwards!. While you are "sitting in your chair" you need to bring you arms down from "I body" and swing them down near or behind your hips!. This can be complicated at first!. Try swinging your arms from "I body" to near or behind your hips before putting it all together!. This motion needs to be fluent and cannot be choppy!.
Step3
Step three begins while you are in the middle of your back handspring!. You arms should be down, near your hips and you should be in a sitting position while falling backwards!. Now comes the jump!. To jump off the ground can be the scariest part of the back handspring!. There are two basic rules you must follow to be safe when learning your back handspring!. One, you must ALWAYS keep your arms straight - your arms prevent your head from hitting the ground!. Two, you must never look behind you or try to see where you are going - this will not allow you to jump as high as you need to and will result in your head hitting the floor!. Remember these two rules!
Back to the jump; from the sitting position with your arms by your sides you will need to swing your arms back up to where they originally were at the "I body" position!. Do this quickly and with power!. When your arms reach the top of their swing and are by your head (arms should be touching ears), you need to jump off the ground at this point!. Remember from step two that you are not just jumping up, but you are also jumping backwards as well since you are leaning backwards still from "sitting in the chair"!. You cannot just jump backwards or just jump up - this will result in a fall every time!. You must combine the two!. This takes a lot of practice and no one should ever be discouraged if they cannot get it right the first try!.
Step4
Alright!. So you are in the air right now!. What you do in the air is vital to the landing!. Thus, step four is all about what you are doing in the air (when you are in the middle of your jump between your takeoff and landing)!. To use the correct terminology, your body should be in the "bridge" position while you are in the are!. Your body should be tight and all your muscles should be flexed at this point preparing you for landing!. You arms should be touching your ears and should be straight!. You should NOT be looking at the ground, nor should you be trying to find the ground!.
So what's the "bridge" position!? To get into a bridge you first need to lay on your back!. Then slide your feet up near your bottom while bending your knees!. Next put your hands near your head WITH YOUR FINGERS POINTED TOWARDS YOUR FEET!. From here you need to use your legs and arms to lift your body off the ground!. This is a bridge!. You MUST have a bridge perfectly if you plan on doing a back handspring!. A back handspring is a skill that moves through a bridge!. Learn a bridge! Master it!
Step5
You're in the air and in the bridge position!. Now it's time for the landing!. If nothing else, the most important thing for anyone doing a back handspring to remember is to keep your arms straight! If your arms bend you cannot land!. It's as simple as that!.
Naturally, the bridge will arch out and your hands should be the first thing to touch the ground (if you keep them straight and up by your ears)!. When your hands hit the ground do not just place them on the ground!. This is a common mistake!. You must attack the ground when your hands hit!. You must be ready for the ground, it comes as quite a shock as to how hard the ground can "hit" if you're not ready for it!. So as your hands hit the ground tighten up the muscles in your arms and prepare to fight to keep them straight!. You do not want your arms collapsing from under you!
After your hands hit the ground and your arms remain straight, remember to also be keeping the rest of your body tight!. Now your body is in a handstand for the most part (this is basically an upside down I Body)!. Do not try to rush your feet to the ground, they will get there!. Rushing your feet to the ground or trying to get them down as soon as possible ruins the ending of a back handspring and will makWww@QuestionHome@Com

It's really important for you to be confident when tumbling, but you first must be confident in your strength because without that, you could seriously injure yourself!.

One good exercise to do is handstand push-ups: kick up into a handstand against a wall and do some push ups with your feet in the air!.

To strengthen your stomach muscles, do handstand snap downs - same as above, kick into a handstand against a wall and quickly snap your feet down to the ground and swiftly pull your chest upward!. The stronger your stomach muscles are, the better "spring" you will get as well as a stronger landing!.

An alternative excercise for your stomach would be laying on your bed with your head dangling off the side towards the floor!. Put your hands on the floor with straight arms, and using your tummy muscles only, pull both feet (together) with legs straight over your head and you'll follow through a handstand position, then land on your feet

ALWAYS ALWAYS keep your arms straight when first starting handsprings - if you bend your elbows too much, you end up on your head! Doing front handsprings are usually the best way to start because if you mess up, you can always just tuck your chin and roll, or lower your feet to an arched position!.

As far as back handsprings are concerned - you should really have a spot until you feel super comfortable with jumping backwards onto your arms!. Obviously back handsprings are slightly more dangerous and a spot can always be there without touching you (just in case)!.

Good luck, and don't give up!!
-previous gymnastics coach

PS - If you know your own strength - you should have the confidence to go for the handspring because you'll know that even if you mess up, your strength will keep you off your head!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ya, basically you just have to think about looking at the floor when your head is back, as frightening as that may sound!. To do one, you:

1!. "Sit" as though you are sitting in a chair with your arms extended in front of you!.
2!. think about going back not up
3!. Raise them up once, then throw them back, along with your head(making sure to find that spot on the ground)!.
4!.As for your feet, try your best to keep them together!.

I would recommend having a spoter, to help you along the first few times!.

Good luck :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

i had the same problem but my coach just said dont think about it just throw it!. u can perfect it after u have the courage to do it!. dont second guess urself u can do it!. also to spring up push through ur toes!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

you have to keep your body tight and block with your shoulders!. I got the courage by someone telling me that I could not!.Www@QuestionHome@Com