I'm a gymnastics/acro coach--have been for over 20 years--but there's always new stuff to learn. Here are some common problems I have with my gymnasts. Usually my drills help, but there are always the ones that leave me thinking "I wish I knew something else to do to get through to this gymnast" Is there anything you or your coaches do that might help?

Back handsprings/flip flops: common problems: squat is too low/doesn't lean back/pushes chest forward prior to jump. We do shoot/push backs and a lot of slow-motion spotting. Sometimes I put my hands under the gymnast's feet to show them how to 'throw'. Any other ideas? Also on this, if the gymnast just bends her knees, so hshe lands on her shins. I've never seen anyone do this, but I currenlty have a gymnast who does, and it's driving me nuts.

Setting a tuck or layout. That's something I have trouble communicating. Some of the gymnasts get it, although I think it's just that they do-not that I've done anything tho help them get it. I tell them and I try to teach them up, then tuck, but some still don't get it.

Snapping down a roundoff. Handstand blocks is what we do. Is there anything else?

Kips on the bar. I do a number of drills. again, some get it; some don't.

Stride circles with the front leg straight/bar doesn't catch the knee.

Aeiral cartwheel. I can get the gymnasts to do the skill, but they come down thud, thud, with their chest still low and their knees bent--ugly. Not all of them. Some have very nice ones. I try to run drills of keeping their legs apart, but soem don't get that, and they look thunky and ugly; not light.

Aerial front walkover/stepout. Again. Got the skill, but chunky and ugly. Again. Some of them have it nice, but others I can't seem to communicate with.

Oh, and I have one girl trying to learn a back walkover who has been stuck on it for a year! She can do a good backbend, and can hold her weight on one leg. She spenta while trying to jump-like bend her knees and jump from the bridge position, which we cured-but now she doesn't give any thrust at all, and I just look at her and think, this shouldn't be so hard for you.

Okay. There you have it. Any fresh ideas and I would be so grateful. These skills are so frustrating to teach.

It's like I can't communicate. Thanks in advance!

Great ideas!

I can't help you with anything really but with the gymnast struggling with back walkover-can she do a kickover? Cuase if she can't, I think it really helps to start progressively working down with the feet on an object till you get to the floor.

Back handsprings - I make them remember that on take off knee's have to be behind feet, hips behind knee's and shoulders behind hips, they need to check this and feel it before take off. Another way is to have them sit back and feel like they are going to fall over, and just before falling over is when they go for it. It can help to put one hand on their back when you spot them and have them jump into your hands. It can be expensive but it may be worth investing in some pac man mats for teaching back handsprings. You will teach this skill a lot and kids can do the drills on the pac man mat while you are spotting other kids.

For the set for tuck or layout I do the drill where they do a straight jump and I lift them onto my shoulder. For the larger kids have them do a standing back tuck and lift them up with your hand on their back to give them the idea of height. I do this with kids a foot and half taller than me. The same can be done out of a round off back handspring, put your hand on their back as they rebound and push them up to feel the height.

Round off snap down have them try it over a box or a barrel. hands on one side and feet on the other. make sure they are joining their legs early enough ie before hitting vertical.

Thanks all. I will try this.