Hey guys!

I've been having a lot of trouble with my aerials.... I tried searching through the forums to find the answer to my question, but I haven't really found anything that really fits exactly.

Regardless of how hard I try, I keep putting my hands down at the last second. I tried to get more height, I tried to kick off harder with my front leg, and I even tried whipping my other leg around as fast as I can... I just don't know what I'm doing wrong!

Is it just a mental thing? Or maybe is there something else that I'm missing?? This is getting frustrating!

Thanks in advance for any help/tips!

What is your coach telling you? Have you practiced doing it off a panel or block mat for a little extra height? Do you still reach for the ground when you do that? It very well could be a mental a thing. It does seem very strange to do a cartwheel with no hands at first, especially since you see the ground before your feet hit. You're going to have to tell yourself that no matter what don't put your hands down, even if they means falling on your butt a few times. You need to prove to yourself that you can do it without putting your hands down. My only other question is do you have an ankle problems? I always found landing side aerials painful to my ankles But of course putting my hands down took that pressure off. Again it's a mental thing, but maybe ankle strengthening will make you more confident.