Uneven Bars B Skills

B SKILLS

A lot of giants are not made because a gymnasts casts are sloppy. Work tight casts trying to finish the cast hollow with extended shoulders. A handstand is not necessary (though desired) to make good giants, but if the gymnast leads with their chest after the cast the giant will be difficult and excecuted improperly.
Work handstand hollow fall to a mat on a floor bar. Set up a floor bar over an 8" mat. Kick to handstand in an overgrip and fall to the mat. Body position should be hollow and extended. The gymnast should push be pushing away from the bar as much as possible, as this will enhance swing on the high bar.
Back extension rolls while watching the toes. The gymnast should work back extension rolls keeping their head in and lead with their toes so they can see their toes throughout. This will help develop a feel for leading with toes to handstand.
A very common error is to through the chest over the bar and arch. This is caused by a loose body and an early tap. The tap should occur after passing vertical and the toes should lead to the handstand. Work tap swings and focus on a late tap that goes towards the ceiling not forward.
Lie on your back on a mat grasping a floor bar over your head. Have one or two coaches grab your legs and lift you to handstand on the rail. Be sure you keep tight and hollow, and lead with your toes.

Be sure the gymnast leans well over the bar. Most gymnasts have a tendency to cast back and not up.
Work a lot of casts. With spots, without spots. Work casts with good form. Be sure to also work cast handstand and lower back to the bar, because the negative motion will strengthen the cast.
Swing handstand on P-bars with good technique will help improve cast handstands. (For both male and female gymnasts).
Wrap a therapy band or surgical tubing around the base of very sturdy equipment, such as beam, vault, or bar base. Lie on back and grasp the band or surgical tubing. The feet should be closer to the base than the head. Bend knees. Holding the band very tight, while keeping the arms straight and close to body, pull band from the thighs toward the ceiling and then up toward the head. Return the band slowly using the same direction, toward the ceiling then down toward the base/thighs. This should simulate the uppoer body while performing a cast to hanstand.
Lay stomach down on a sixty centimetre block or two resi-mats with a floor bar infront of the block/resi-mats, get gymnast to place hands on bar with shoulders in front with open hip postition heel drive to handstand position then fall to flatback this drill can be spotted at first to give gymnast impression of leading with their feet.
Click here to view an article on the cast handstand.

The first thing a gymnast needs to work a front giant is a cast hanstand in undergrip.
The tendency is to dump the shoulders forward and basically do a forward roll over the bar.
Work cast handstand lower back to the bar with a spot A LOT!
From the handstand the gymnast must think about extending as far from the bar as possible on the downward swing.
The gymnast should stay fully extended until just before passing under the bar.
As the swing begins to rise a pull down on the bar is initiated as the heels are driven upward.

Use a single high bar with stacked mats to simulate the low bar. Swing facing the stacked mats and release in the front swing. Do a half twist and land in a prone on the stacked mats. As the gymnast gets comfortable with this drill they can work towards catching higher, eventually in handstand.

The gymnast should understand how to stretch forward in the front swing to generate a strong rearward swing.
For a timing exersize, work swings in which the gymnast straddles in the rearward swing, lifts their hips, and looks down to the low bar. The straddle should occur after the vertical phase of the swing.
With a single rail a stack of mats with a wedge on the top can be used to simulate the low bar. On this setup work straddle back to straddle stand. The gymnast should be encouraged to land in a straddle stand and not a seated straddle position.
Use either a bar pad, or sting mat drapped on the bar and work straddle backs. Focus should be on lifting the hips on the rearward swing.