Compulsory Leaps & Jumps Series – Sissone

This is the fifth post in the Compulsory Leaps & Jumps Series. Click here to view the first post about developing leg strength for leaps and jumps. Click here to view the second post on Split Jumps. Click here to view the third post on Straddle Jumps. And click here to view the fourth post on Split Leaps

Today’s compulsory jump is the sissone. Be your sure your gymnast has a great split jump before she starts sissones. I like to teach sissones by telling my gymnasts that a it is basically a split jump to one leg. Although not entirely true since you do want a slightly forward body tilt on the sissone, it is much easier to learn and develop the timing and leg angle of a sissone when your split starts parallel to the floor, rather than a ridiculously lopsided split where your back leg flies up and your front leg barely moves. Something I see all too often. The latter causes a number of common problems, closed hips, dropped chest, ribs out, bent back leg, etc.

Drills for sissones

In a split jump, your legs move at the same speed, through the same distance, and hit your split at the same time. In a sissone, your legs move at different speeds, through difference distances, but still hit your split at the same time. It’s important to explain this to your gymnasts.  My go-to drill for sissones is doing the up to a panel mat. I also suggest doing sissones on a trampoline to start out.

This is a good one for that slight tilt needed in a sissone.

You can also do a split jump up to a panel, followed by a sissone up to a panel mat–a great way to train the level 5 beam jump series. This drill gives you the ability to train the connection as well as developing amplitude.

This drill is a nice one for getting the front leg to lift. It is very difficult for gymnasts to do it with a straight back leg, but it’s totally worth it once they figure it out.

I also really like having gymnasts do sissones in a row. I find that the connection prevents them from dropping their chests too much. Also, when first learning these I have them start with their bad leg in front. Having their bad foot in front seems to force their brain to think about swinging their back leg harder than they normally would.

 

P.S. – Don’t forget that Swing Big Clinics for Spring and Summer of 2016 are already booking up. If you want to learn hundreds of drills like these and learn what you can do in YOUR gym with YOUR equipment to improve your gymnasts performance, don’t forget to book soon.

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