{"id":2735,"date":"2017-08-27T22:14:07","date_gmt":"2017-08-27T22:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tumblingcoach.com\/blog\/?p=2735"},"modified":"2025-05-08T15:14:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T15:14:58","slug":"standing-back-handspring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tumblingcoach.com\/blog\/standing-back-handspring\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Do A Standing Back Handspring (Complete Guide With 22 Drills)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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But what fascinates me the most, is the thought of how<\/strong> they coached it back in the day.<\/p>\n

All I can assume, is that there was some serious trial and error resulting in epic fails\u2026 and I would\u2019ve loved to see it.<\/p>\n

#AncientTumblingFails ?<\/p>\n

Luckily, over the past few thousand years those methods have been refined.<\/p>\n

Heck, in just the last 10-15 years the game has completely<\/em> changed.<\/p>\n

Take me for example — I learned mine without fancy pieces of equipment such the Boulder, PacMac or Octagon Barrel.<\/p>\n

I know of many old school gymnasts and tumblers that have a similar story.<\/p>\n

So consider yourself lucky, because what I have for you today is a proven, comprehensive guide designed to help you (or your athlete) learn and master the standing back handspring quickly and safely.<\/p>\n

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But First, Let\u2019s Talk About Prerequisites That You Should Have<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I know what you\u2019re thinking\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen are we getting to the drills?!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The drills are coming. In fact, I have over 20<\/u> to show you. But the stuff in this section is important. So important, that if you fail to follow the advice, the handspring will be a skill that will forever be out of your reach.<\/p>\n

Prerequisite #1: Back Walkover (BWO)<\/h3>\n

For competitive athletes, this is an absolute must<\/u>. There is simply no good reason why you should be skipping this skill (or why coaches should let their athletes skip this skill) before attempting a back handspring.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because aerial awareness and comfort while being upside down needs time to be developed. Athletes that master their BWO before learning the BHS have a significantly reduced risk of suffering from metal blocks. On the flip side, I\u2019ve worked with plenty of athletes who were encouraged to jump into learning their BHS without walkovers and are now scared of going backwards. So take an extra month or two and master that BWO. The rewards are well worth it.<\/p>\n

Prerequisite #2: Knowing Your Body Shapes (Handstand, Superman, Bridge, Front Support & Hollow)<\/h3>\n

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Let\u2019s Talk About That Handstand For A Second<\/strong><\/p>\n

While mastering all 12 shapes is important, you should know that there are two types of handstands I look for. The first is a free holding handstand <\/strong>which lasts 5-7 seconds without any type of walking or movement and second is an assisted handstand<\/strong> (against a wall) which lasts for 60 seconds.<\/p>\n

If an athlete can\u2019t execute either one of these handstands to near perfection, we don\u2019t work handsprings. Ideally, they should be able to do both.<\/p>\n

Prerequisite #3: Handstand Pop (HSPOP)<\/h3>\n

Because I travel for clinics and sometimes work with athletes that haven\u2019t been taught the importance of basics, I don\u2019t always have the luxury to impose my prerequisites on them. But trust me on this\u2026 the difference between those who\u2019ve mastered the HSPOP before learning a BHS versus those who didn\u2019t is night and day. In terms of quality and execution, it\u2019s not even close<\/u>; those with a great HSPOP have a much easier time learning BHS and connected BHS\u2019s.<\/p>\n

So, how do you know you have a great HSPOP? Simple: if you can do it on to a higher surface (such as a panel mat) with good body shapes and lines, you have a great one. Another test I like is to see if athletes can do a double HSPOP.<\/p>\n

Prerequisite #4: Handstand Snapdown<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re working on a BHS and your coach has never made you work a handstand snapdown, there\u2019s a problem (or you\u2019re very new to tumbling and haven\u2019t learned it yet.) Either way, while most call this a \u201cdrill\u201d I like to think of it as a skill.<\/u> That\u2019s because a good HS Snapdown takes time to master. If you know your shapes<\/a>, here\u2019s the order to hit if you want beautiful (and functional) HS Snapdowns:<\/p>\n

HS > Superman > F.Support > Hollow<\/p>\n

The \u201csnap\u201d takes place right after the superman shape as gravity is about to take over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute\u2026 isn\u2019t front support on the floor, like a pushup?\u201d<\/em> You might be thinking.<\/p>\n

While we practice the front support on the floor, it\u2019s still just a specific shape. This means in tumbling, it can (and should) be used in any orientation that\u2019s useful for our purpose. In fact, there\u2019s another very fundamental tumbling skill that\u2019s basically a front support but flipped upside down in the air.<\/p>\n

Can you guess what it is? Click here<\/a> for the answer if you can\u2019t stand the suspense.<\/p>\n

Prerequisite #5: Round Off Back Handspring<\/h3>\n

Bet you weren\u2019t expecting that, were ya? (Unless you\u2019ve taken my clinics in the past\u2026 then you probably saw this coming.)<\/p>\n

Allow me to explain.<\/p>\n

Forget tumbling for a second and let\u2019s consider a simpler activity; Let\u2019s say you and I found a ball and wanted to kill some time playing catch.<\/p>\n

Great.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s assume that for 30 minutes, all I ever did was lob the ball, nice and easy<\/strong> right into your hands. Then let\u2019s say that out of the blue, I got bored of these easy throws, and decided to whip a fast one<\/em> your way as if I\u2019m in the Major Leagues.<\/p>\n

What do you suppose would happen?<\/p>\n

Nothing good, that\u2019s for sure. This is because I allowed your brain to adjust and become comfortable doing an action (catching a lobbed ball) at a certain rate of speed. So when I suddenly cranked up the velocity and reduced the required reaction time, your brain couldn\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

And now you probably have a bloody nose. Sorry about that.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s consider a gentler scenario. Suppose in our game of fantasy catch, all we ever did was whip the ball at each other as if we\u2019re trying to drill a hole through the other person\u2019s hands. Then suddenly, out of the blue, I decided to throw a slow lob your way.<\/p>\n

What do you suppose would happen this time?<\/p>\n

It would feel like you\u2019re waiting for the grass to grow and you\u2019d most certainly be able to adjust your reaction times and catch it.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because going from FAST to SLOW suddenly, is easy.<\/p>\n

But suddenly going from SLOW to FAST? That\u2019s some scary stuff!<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s get back to tumbling. Answer me this:<\/strong> What do you suppose is faster, a RO BHS or a Standing BHS?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t guess! Think about it for a second…<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you said RO BHS, then congratulations! You\u2019ve been paying attention.<\/p>\n

About 90% of athletes that book a private lesson with the aim of wanting to learn a RO BHS already have their standing BHS. This is just what I\u2019ve experienced over the years.<\/p>\n

But oddly enough, almost all of those athletes suffer from an exaggerated amount of fear when it comes to connecting the BHS to a RO because it simply feels too fast. (Note: I say \u201cexaggerated\u201d because having SOME fear is normal.)<\/p>\n

In their brain, strong neurological connections have been built which say \u201cTHIS is how fast a BHS should be!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

So when we speed things up, their body simply freezes. (More specifically, their subconscious brain says \u201chell no!\u201d)<\/p>\n

Another reason you want to learn a RO BHS first, is because it\u2019s vastly easier. One of the big bottlenecks to any standing skill (be it BHS, Tuck or Full) is leg strength and jumping power.<\/p>\n

This means you can have the best shapes, the best shoes, the best coach, the best parents and the best everything\u2026 but if you lack jumping power, you\u2019ll never be able to do a Standing BHS.<\/p>\n

But anyone<\/u> can learn how to hurdle (or run) into a tight, clean RO that will help them generate and preserve momentum which will carry into a BHS. And I really do mean anyone (assuming they\u2019re trained properly.)<\/p>\n

Some Final Thoughts For Coaches (And Smart Athletes<\/span>)<\/h4>\n

Note that while the mastery of a RO BHS is highly recommended before a Standing BHS, this does NOT mean standing BHS Drills are to be ignored. Of course, you never want a new athlete to just throw a RO BHS with full power when learning, and there are definite benefits to slowing down motor patterns before speeding them up.<\/p>\n

Athletes of mine that are working their RO BHS will definitely do standing BHS type drills. In fact, to the inexperienced eye it won\u2019t seem vastly different. But if you watch closely, every drill they do is designed and geared towards improving their running pass first, not standing. What I\u2019m referring to is the end goal. Do what it takes to teach a good RO BHS first. Then the ST BHS not only comes easier, but they\u2019ll mentally be better off. My complete guide on RO BHS and connecting multiple BHS is coming\u2026 so stay tuned.<\/p>\n

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Please keep in mind to watch the drill animations for their theory<\/u> and mechanics<\/u>, NOT execution. Most of my videos are captured during an athlete\u2019s learning phase. Also, please do not perform these drills unless you\u2019re in the company of a certified coach and have their permission to do so. The information on this website is presented purely for entertainment purposes only. You are solely liable for any injuries that may occur. Basically, don\u2019t be an idiot<\/u>. And if you’re planning on being an idiot, don\u2019t blame anyone else but yourself for the consequences.<\/h5><\/div><\/div>\n
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