I know these are one of the basic moves you have to get down to progress to harder skills. I am best at front-back skills not side-side skills e.g. I can do walkovers, front handsprings with a spotter onto a crash mat and back handsprings from standing with a spotter.

My acro teacher tells me the problem with my roundoffs is that I go diagonally, but no matter how much I think about putting my hands and feet in a straight line (even with one on the mat) it doesn't help. I hurdle with my left leg up, and tend to put it slightly to the right of me (my first step wrong), then my hands tend to go slightly too far to the left on the ground, so I end up in a piked position. Snapping my legs together in the air through handstand is also an issue.

If anyone has any tips, drills to practice, ways to break down the skill, or different ways of thinking about the "straight line" then I would love to hear them.

Thanks
Em

You need to work your roundoffs on a low beam to correct your problems. What happens with what you are describing is that your dominant side is pushing harder than your non dominant side. In order to correct it you need to practice on a beam, also for getting your legs together, putting a bungee around your wrists and ankles will help. If you have any other questions feel free to ask me. Good luck!

That was a great tip, I might also recommend working on your cartwheels. Chances are you cartwheels have the same issue as your roundoffs. I have a student with a similar problem, and she also has to stretch her splits (hamstrings) in order to get her hands in line with her feet. Her inflexibility prevents her from aligning her hands and feet in her cartwheel and her roundoff.

Hope it helps, keep working at it!

Thanks guys.
I don't have access to a beam so is there any similar drill I can use that will have the same effect? I definitely think there is a problem with unbalanced working sides, I'm constantly having problems with injuries caused by one side over working etc and everything is slightly crooked.

I don't think my hamstrings are a problem as I have right and left oversplits and am almost flat in middle splits.

Any more advice is appreciated! I'm improving, but still way better at front-back skills. I can do backflips on a crash mat from standing on my own now so I am improving in some skills.

If you don't have access to a floor beam any straight line will do, but on a carpetted surface you could fold up a blanket for a straight(ish) line, beams are 10cm wide. Start with cartwheels then work to roundoffs. I'm guessing it doesn't matter for you if you don't land dead on the line, like it would on a beam, just pretty close.
It might help practising some cartwheels and roundoffs on your weaker side to get it used to working a bit more, or trying one handed cartwheels on you worse side (you'll probably need a spotter unless you can already do it).
Hope this helps =)
~BackFlic~