Using front headsprings to teach front handsprings

Hi All,

Today I’m going to talk a little about headsprings, specifically in the context of teaching front handsprings. There are a lot of different views on using front headsprings, whether or not it’s a good route to go etc. Personally, I think it is. I think that it makes it easier to teach open hips, I think it decreases the time it takes to teach a good front handspring, and I think that at the end if drills have been done soundly it results in a good front handspring most of the time. So today I’m going to show you a couple videos of them.

This first one has two different set-ups of front headsprings. While both good, I prefer the first one. The fall on the second one is too long for my taste. When they are little, spot, spot, spot for shapes.

This second video also has two ways of doing front headsprings, one off a mat and the second on the floor. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had my gymnasts do it on the floor. I just haven’t felt it necessary. By the time they have a good one off the mat generally their front handsprings on floor (or TT, or into the pit) are pretty good.

Train hard!