Twisting Drill from Rebecca Syked

This looks fun:

Also more at Gym Momentum.

Adding a Little Twist

This drill from Rebecca Sykes interests me because the twisting method is one Wade introduced me to where you set and instead of pulling both arms down on the thighs (or rather, pull the hips up toward the hands), you pull both hands down over one thigh.


I think I might have mentioned the story before about how we had one level 5 gymnast bouncing layouts well enough on trampoline that Wade asked me to teach her the twisting method he described to make sure I understood it well enough to teach.  So I told the kid what to do.  We didn't tell her she would be twisting.  I just basically told her how I wanted her to pull her arms down, and to keep them there tightly.  The kid landed a full and then asked, "What did I just do?"

It's a great way to introduce twisting, in my opinion, because it's simple.  No complexity with one-arm dropping first, starting out wide set, or anything else (not to say I don't like other techniques and styles).  Just simplicity.

The hands go over one thigh, like you're sticking your gluing your hands to your pocket.  From there, you can also just flex the arms and bend at the elbows if you're ready for more.

Tony Retrosi also recently posted these series of trampoline drills:

Handspring Full Drill

Nice drill:



This would be great for even lower level compulsory kids to do as part of a complex series across the tumbletrak.

I believe there should always be drills and conditioning built in that are uptraining the athletes, even when it's not the off-season for uptraining skills.  Start building the foundations early on and constantly.

Layout and Twisting Drills

This is a bit long but worth a few minutes of viewing for the drill and one-arm drop to the side in an "L" for twisting:

Strengthening the Adductors

This is important to take the time and do, so as to avoid problems like this:

Progressions for Twisting

There are a number of methods to teaching twists.





Here is another series of progressions:



Thank the Creator for the mute button.






And one more:


The easiest, quickest, and simplest technique I've ever experienced in teaching back twisting is Wade's recommendation:  Set, pull the arms down and pin them over one thigh.  You don't even have to drop one arm ahead of the other or pull it off to the side first. 

Further tutes:
Twist direction with Glenn Vaugn
Layout and twist drill with Neil Resnick
Back with full on trampoline
Twisting progression with Doug Byrnes
Twisting progressions part II
Twisting drill with Kip Reed
Full Twisting Layout Drills with Paul Ruggeri
Full twisting layout tips with Paul Ruggeri

Looking over the shoulder

A Justin Laury video:


Notice the twisting drill where the athlete looks over the shoulder to spot the floor?



I updated the "Your coach doesn't push you?" post with a video.

Twisting Drill

Neil Resnick: Twisting the Yurchenko

At last year's National Congress:

Is this layout half full or half empty?

This isn't her first time doing this; maybe her second day trying (I don't remember if the previous time was earlier this week or last week).  But the first one she tried today was her best one.

Orientation Drill for "little ones"

Manzanet's drill reminded me of this one:

E's floor routine with a twist

Kort got "E" to do her full on floor; then stick it into her routine:

"Wanna tumble? Well...there's just a slight twist..."

I was sooo looking forward to this workshop, counting down the days...

Morgan's never twisted her back saltos before....until today.

We started out on trampoline.  After doing some layouts, I had her try a simple method that Coach Wade taught me.  It is so simple, you don't even have to tell the gymnast to twist- the technique does the turn/twist for you, whether you're trying to twist or not.

It's a simple beginning way to introduce twisting right away without going through all the lumbering drill steps and prep work, commonly used.

 I told her not to try and twist but to simply set and pull the arms the way I showed her (tight onto her left thigh), similar to how she'd pull the arms down on a regular layout (hands onto both thighs). 

I missed filming Morgan's first attempt, but her body turned in the air.  She crumpled to the trampoline, surprised and delighted and shouted, "IT WORKS!"

 She did some more; then we took it over to the tumbletrak.  First 1/2 "twist" attempt:

This one could qualify for a blooper reel:

I'm so grateful I had the foresight to put that cheese mat there for her to tack on an impromptu backward roll at the end.

She looked to me like she could easily pull around a full twist- not next month...not next week....not 20 turns of prep later...but within the next turn.  Because she was getting enough airtime, all she needed to do was stay tight and "stay in" (the twist).  As if reading my mind, she does the following on the next turn (which was going to be her last 1/2-turn before I was going to have her try a full-twist):

So we then did a sequence of layout, 1/2, and full. 

Great job, Morgan!