Developing Ring Swing

1
Developing Ring Swing

• Tom Meadows
• Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
• Houston, Texas

2
What is needed

• Flexibility
• Strength
• Understanding of turnover
• From chest not hips
• HANDSTAND
• HANDSTAND
• HANDSTAND

3
From the Beginning

• Develop the understanding of relaxing shoulders
  through bottom of swing
• Using the entire body as one unit to turn over in
  the front and back
• Done at the very basic level of swings
• MUST BE HANDS ON AT THE BEGINNING STAGES
• By using your hands to manipulate the body into
  the shapes that are desiredthe body will learn
  to adjust

4
First Basic Swing(Backwards)

• Allow body to be loose in back to feel the heels
  leading without using hands
• If your too concerned about formhe will not
  understand how relax the body to turn over
• Do not worry about ring turn at beginning stages
• Head neutral throughout
• As swing gradually begins to pick up you can have
  them turn hands and look down
• This gives them the feeling of going upside down

5
Floor Drills for Ring Swing

• Arch Rocks with Arms Wide
• Do an arch rock that has hands go wide and spot
  gymnast to HandstandInlocate and Front giant
• BACK ROLL TO HOLLOW PUSH UP
• Best drill in gymnastics to simulate turnover for
  every event
• When done with hands out wideDislocate
• Done to FistsGiant
• Wide Arm HandstandGiant to Invert
• Done to push up positiondismount drill
• (see dismount section)

6
Oh by the Way

• Begin developing strength for swing as well
• All kinds of ther-band/bungy exercises to work
  all the muscle groups in the shoulder
• Also be working press and planche strength ASAP.
• Never too early to be developing this strength
• Before you know itit is too late

7
Developing BIG Basic Swing

• Concentrate on one side at a time
• Too much to think about when swinging
• By concentrating on one side at a timemore
  corrections in positions will be made
• By doing so, you can cheat on the opposite side
  to pick up more swing to simulate the amount of
  swing needed coming from handstand.

8
Basic Swing
9
Bails

• Start from shoulder stand
• This will allow gymnast to overcome fear from
  bailing
• If mistakes are made, and they will be made, not
  as much speed and force being put on their backs
• This also makes the gymnast learn to use their
  hands on the bail

10
What to do with Hands and Rings

• 2 THEORIES
• Parallel Bail
• Keep hands parallel entire time down
• VERY VERY HARD and must have great shoulder
  flexibility
• Slight Widening of rings and hands
• You allow hands and rings to open up during bail
  and go wide.
• This allows the tighter gymnast to open up
  shoulder angle completely and use chest more on
  turnover
• Not as much speed and force coming through the
  bottom, so I think this is more controllable for
  the gymnast
• By opening hands, this opens chest a bit more and
  allows more of the chest to be used for a more
  powerful turnover for dismounts in particular.

11
Bail Drills
12
Going to Handstand

• I suggest one of 2 methods
• Go from series of Inlocates or dislocates with
  spot
• Go from handstand bail to series of inlocates or
  dislocates
• When learninggo through handstand
• More than likely the boy is not strong enough to
  control a good handstand anyway
• This will also help alleviate any early finishing
  problems
• i.e. Arching out in front (dislocate)
• hollowing out in back (inlocate)

13
Inlocate Series
14
Front Giant
15
GOOD Front Giant
16
Lock Arm Giants

• Must have a strong Handstand
• Gymnast will not be able to control the swing
  through the handstand without this strength
• By swinging through H.S. gymnast has learned what
  to do to get to a H.S.
• Can use tools like spotting belts and bungee to
  help gymnast find H.S.

17
Yamawaki

• Inlocate to kip
• Must perform inlocate with low shoulders and use
  arms as in a kipping action
• SPOT,SPOT,SPOT,SPOT
• First thing gymnast wants to do is to push
  shoulders up to get into supportopposite
  actually has to happen

18
Where to begin?

• Homna (whip-it) to support
• Spot from swing and do not let them tuck
• Tucking early promotes ducking of the shoulders,
  lifting of hips and and hence the lifting of the
  shoulders too early
• Force shoulders very low before kipping action
  begins
• Arms will remain out to side during very wide
  during turnover phase

19
Tuck / Pike Yamawaki

• Begin with Whip-it roll out
• Go through support before doing a forward roll
• Whip-it roll out without support
• Mist have a good amount of turnover to continue
  the flipping action without pressure through the
  support
• Keep rings wide during the support phase
• If this is accomplishedyamawaki has been achieved

20
Tuck Pike Yamawaki
21
Layout Yamawaki

• VERY VERY HARD
• Similar in difficulty to Layout Guzhoghy, only
  more difficult to establish rotation forwards
• Must have a tremendous amount of turnover from
  bottom
• Have yet to see a TRUE layout yamawaki
• Every attempt I have seen shows a slight support
  phase thus no judge giving them credit for
  LAYOUT

22
LAYOUT YAMAWAKI attempt
23
Forward Dismounts

• Not Very Popular
• Very hard to land
• Difficult to develop rotation forwards
• Similar to P.Barsvery hard at end of routine
• Taught similar to Yamawaki
• Same drills as Yamawaki with pushing of rings at
  release point
• NO VIDEOcould not find any from the last 3 years
  and have nobody doing any of significance

24
Backwards Swing From the Beginning

• Develop the understanding of relaxing shoulders
  through bottom of swing
• Using the entire body as one unit to turn over in
  the front and back
• Done at the very basic level of swings
• MUST BE HANDS ON AT THE BEGINNING STAGES
• By using your hands to manipulate the body into
  the shapes that are desiredthe body will learn
  to adjust

25
First Basic Swing(Forwards)

• NO PIKING
• Even if they keep a straight body, do not allow
  them to pike
• Keep hands parallel in front of swing
• By turning rings out, this naturally picks chest
  up in the front
• By allowing the rings to stay parallel, you can
  put the boy in a more chest hollow position
• When beginning to develop swing higher, allow
  them to go to inverted hang
• By allowing them to do this, the learn the
  feeling of getting upside down
• DO NOT allow them to push the rings backthis
  lifts the chest up rather than keeping it down

26
Floor Drills for Ring Swing

• BACK ROLL TO HOLLOW PUSH UP
• Best drill in gymnastics to simulate turnover for
  every event
• When done with hands out wideDislocate
• Done to FistsGiant
• Wide Arm HandstandGiant to Invert
• Done to push up positiondismount drill
• (see dismount presentation)
• Arch Rocks with Arms Wide
• Do an arch rock that has hands go wide and spot
  gymnast to HandstandInlocate and Front giant

27
Bails

• Start from shoulder stand
• This will allow gymnast to overcome fear from
  bailing
• If mistakes are made, and they will be made, not
  as much speed and force being put on their backs
• This also makes the gymnast learn to use their
  hands on the bail

28
Basic Swing
29
What to do with Hands and Rings

• 2 THEORIES
• Parallel Bail
• Keep hands parallel entire time down
• VERY VERY HARD and must have great shoulder
  flexibility
• Slight Widening of rings and hands
• You allow hands and rings to open up during bail
  and go wide.
• This allows the tighter gymnast to open up
  shoulder angle completely and use chest more on
  turnover
• Not as much speed and force coming through the
  bottom, so I think this is more controllable for
  the gymnast
• By opening hands, this opens chest a bit more and
  allows more of the chest to be used for a more
  powerful turnover for dismounts in particular.

30
Bail Drills
31
Going to Handstand

• I suggest one of 2 methods
• Go from series of Inlocates or dislocates with
  spot
• Go from handstand bail to series of inlocates or
  dislocates
• When learninggo through handstand
• More than likely the boy is not strong enough to
  control a good handstand anyway
• This will also help alleviate any early finishing
  problems
• i.e. Arching out in front (dislocate)
• hollowing out in back (inlocate)

32
Dislocate Series
33
Back Giant
34
GOOD Back Giant
35
What are High Level Backwards Dismounts?

• Depends on the level of the gymnast
• Most basic high level dismounts
• ½ in ½ out
• Double layout
• To develop any higher level dismounts, these 2
  should be developed first.
• From these 2 dismountsany dismount can be taught
  and learned

36
Pre-Requisites

• Gymnast should have good air awareness
• Use the trampoline to develop the air awareness
• I have found that rings is the best place to
  develop air awareness without the use of tramp
• All other elements of fear do not exist at rings
• No Bar to worry about
• No worries about going off of tramp
• Have a pit to go into
• Good Open Tuck Double Back

37
First thing to be learned

• Open Tuck Double Back
• No grabbing of knees
• Should establish rotation off of rings around
  hips and upper chest
• Height is not of concernRotation is most
  important
• As long as gymnast is within or a bit higher of
  ring levelheight should not be a concern
• First flip should try to be finished within the
  rings

38
Open Tuck Double Back
39
Arabian Drill

• To begin twisting I suggest starting with the
  Arabian drill
• Be sure gymnast can differentiate between the
  first and second flip
• After first flip, Arabian out to front to pit
• Be sure there is not an opening of hips and chest
  in flip
• Arms stay inside of body during twist
• No grabbing of knees or legs

40
Arabian Drill
41
½ in ½ out

• After Arabian drill has been made
  confidentadding a front ½ is easy
• Finish Arabian and ½ twist toward end of 2nd flip
• Using this techniquethe gymnast should be able
  to focus on ground throughout the entire twist

42
Turnover Drills

• Used to develop rotation needed for high level
  dismounts
• Can be started as early as possiblebut require a
  certain amount of strength and good basic swing
  to learn properly
• If starting at an early agespotting may be
  necessary and very useful
• Will help in developing the rotation needed for
  dismounts above the ½ in ½ out

43
Technical Aspects of Drill

• Chest should remain down low through the bottom
  of swing
• If chest lifts off of bottom, the dismount will
  rise without rotation
• Hands should bring rings to hips rather than
  keeping rings behind the head
• Toes should not be directed in an upward motion,
  rather trying to direct them back toward the
  ground
• Back extension roll to hollow is a great drill to
  begin at an early age to develop the direction of
  toes
• Emphasize chest position while trying to get feet
  back on the ground as quickly as possible

44
What should it look like?
45
Double Layout
46
Tuck Double-Double

• JUST DO IT!!!
• If drills were done properly when learning ½ in ½
  outthe next step is easy
• Arabian drill plus rudi
• Gymnast should be able to see the ground the
  whole time again
• Do not be afraid to go back to the Arabian drill
  to prepare for double-double

47
Double-Double
48
1/1 twisting Double Layout

• Same as Tucked
• Use same drills as when learning tucked
• Layout Arabian drill
• Bad early twisting habits can be formed with
  twisting early if this step is not taken
• Arabian to ½ out
• Late twist should be emphasized

49
Layout Full Out
50
Double Twisting Double Layout

• SAME AS TUCKED

51
Layout Double-Double
52
What is needed for the Triple Back

• Height or rotation?
• I believe the best triples have been done with a
  little less height and emphasis on rotation
• This is what I see as the biggest mistake when
  people are beginning triples.
• If all the effort of the gymnast is put into
  heightrotation is often sacrificed
• The result is usually a very high dismount that
  drops like a rock(NOT GOOD FOR A TRIPLE)

53
How do we establish this rotation?

• Establish a bit longer drag through the bottom
  to create a snapping action into rotation
• Snapping action should then occur from chest
• Tucking action should happen simultaneously with
  snap
• Establish this rotation from chest

54
Establishing Rotation contd

• DO NOT THROW RINGS BEHIND
• Snap hands and rings to side of body towards hips
• This does 2 things
• Creates rotation around hips and chest
• Gets hands closer to legs to grab knees for
  second and third flip

55
Establishing rotation contd

• Throw rings in a forward direction upon release
• This will give a bit of extra rotation
• This will also get the rings out of the way

56
Triple Back Drill
57
The Triple Back
58
Triple Back
59
When to put the triple back into routine

• When using Triple Back for first time in
  competition, BE SAFE!!!
• Suggestion
• Do minimum amount of routine before dismount
• Do not be afraid to do nothing in routine except
  triple back the first time on the competition
  floor
• Be willing to sacrifice score for the experience
  of doing the skill
• No matter how good the gymnast isbe safe in that
  first competitive experience

60
Questions and Comments

• If you ever have any questions or concerns,
  please contact me at
• TnAgymrats_at_sbcglobal.net
• Or
• Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
• 281-469-4599