Saving Handstands

Yoga?

This is not the way to save a handstand:


 That was from quite a while ago (note Tia in the background).

I left a comment on this post, "Why Can't Susie Save Her Handstands?" (username:  "wordsmith").

I've posted previously about the importance of using the thumbs around the bar in handstand positions.

One way to try and save a handstand from falling over backward is to drop the chin in and try and push the chest in the other direction.  However, this creates an arch (even if it's just in the shoulders and the stomach muscles are working to keep the lower back from going), and still pushes the feet in the wrong direction (like bad giants, with chest leading instead of toes).

Here's another video on "reverse planching" as a method of handstand-save:



 Coach Amy mentioned to me once how Vanessa Zamarripa nails her bar handstands every single time...even when she doesn't, she still doesn't go over.  Here's a perfect example of her putting into practice the above method of saving a handstand from going over:




When gymnasts sense they are about to fall over on a handstand, what is the common, natural inclination?  To arch even more!  That just makes zero sense.  Creating a bigger arch merely puts more of their center of gravity and leg weight over on the wrong side of the bar. It's not only bad form, but it makes it more likely to go over on the wrong side; not less likely.

I've always tried to tell gymnasts to block through their shoulders and hollow more and keep their stomachs tight (anything to keep the hips and toes to pull weight back over the "right" side of the bar). But never thought of the importance of really emphasizing that roundness in the back to lock and block it.

I've been corresponding with Eddie Umphrey (I shared an apartment with his two older brothers through college), and Eddie shared with me his ideas on what makes for a great handstand on bars, one that insures never falling over on a handstand (it's basically swinging the cast up and locking into the shape, automatically putting the body about 5 degrees just shy of handstand, but looking like it's at vertical).

He singled out Komova as a prime example and gold standard of the type of handstand he is drilling into his gymnasts:


 That is gorgeous shaping and technique!

Pronating the elbows at the peak of the cast (prior to hitting vertical) is another trick that might get the gymnast to stop her body from going over.  It also helps with rounding out the chest and upper back area.

Study the shape Komova is locked into on the giants prior to her dismount:


When it comes to artistic gymnastics, I don't know any coach worth his salt that doesn't think seeing beautiful basics is more impressive than high level skills done with poor shapes and technique.  You can often tell good coaching just by observing the basics of a backward roll, a cartwheel, or the look of a handstand.

At my request, Eddie created the following tutorials to give me an idea of how he is conditioning this type of handstand into his athletes