Two circling drills you should be doing

Hi All,

Today I thought I would share a few more drills for helping develop circles. Circles are one of those things that need lots and lots of drills in order for gymnasts to start to understand the correct timing and not just do clear hip after clear hip (or any other circle) hoping that one day it will get better. Both of these drills are from R-Athletics coach Daniel McCarty.

I really like this first drill, and have done similar things without the circle at the end. That I haven’t tried. What I like about this drill is a few things 1) the shaping/insistence that pressure on the bar is necessary at all times 2) it gets gymnasts more comfortable with dropping their shoulders back which can be one of the hardest parts of clear hips to teach.

This second drill can be modified in a lot of different ways. You can use a mini tramp, or even have your gymnasts jump off a block. I personally really like this method. Or using something like an Air Floor Pro with a strap bar. There are a couple keys to this 1) the gymnast can focus on the technique of the drop in rather than the height of the cast 2) your gymnasts can do SO MANY. This gets so many more turns in than the normal route.

Photo Credit: Gymfan.de