[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”26px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
A<\/span>ttaining confidence in tumbling skills is very different to attaining confidence in skills from other \u201ctraditional\u201d sports.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s use the golf swing as an example.\u00a0Not to knock on golf \u2014 as I know full well how challenging it can be \u2014 but if we\u2019re being honest, I haven’t come across many people are afraid<\/em> to hit a little ball with a club in their hand.<\/p>\n The only real fear I can think of is the feeling of embarrassment — especially as a newbie. Ever seen someone swing for their life, only to miss the ball and look like a dork?<\/p>\n I know I never have \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n I think you get where I’m going with this \u2014 the consequences in sports like golf, basketball, etc. aren\u2019t as dire as they are in tumbling.<\/p>\n This fact allows the athletes in most traditional sports to have something I like to call a skill baseline<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A skill baseline says: once you attain a skill at a high enough level, there is a standard of execution which you most likely won\u2019t fall under, unless something extreme happens to you physically.<\/p>\n Steph Curry is a great example here.<\/p>\n I\u2019d bet my own hard-earned money that when he becomes 50 years old, he will still be able to shoot three-pointers at a better accuracy rate than 99.9% of everyone on planet Earth that plays basketball.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because his skill of shooting 3-pointers has achieved a certain baseline. And the only thing that will reduce this baseline drastically, is if he ends up with a major physical injury.<\/p>\n Tumbling skills however, don\u2019t really have a strict baseline.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t believe me? Just ask Simone Biles (for those that don\u2019t know, I\u2019m referring to the mental block she suffered, which she valiantly worked through to get back on top)<\/em><\/p>\n Worst of all, tumbling can trick an athlete into thinking<\/em> they have achieved a baseline.<\/p>\n I always believed that I\u2019d never lose my standing tuck. I firmly believed this skill was mine forever.<\/p>\n Not so.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not that I\u2019ve lost it, but I\u2019ve lost the baseline of being able to throw it anywhere, anytime.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t say this to scare all the coaches and athletes reading this into thinking they\u2019ll randomly lose all their skills overnight. But to help everyone (especially Coaches) realize that there are strategies you can implement which will not only help keep an athlete\u2019s baseline intact, but maybe even excel past it.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look…<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Strategy 1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ header_2_font=”|600|||||||” custom_margin=”20px||||false|false” custom_padding=”35px||||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”26px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Do your athletes know where they should be looking during the start and end of a back handspring?<\/p>\n What about a back tuck?<\/p>\n Heck, what about a back walkover?<\/p>\n If not, then you\u2019re leaving their confidence up to chance.<\/p>\n One of the most common questions I ask athletes when their execution looks off is: \u201cwhat did you see during [insert phase of a skill]<\/strong> \u201d<\/p>\n An example for the back tuck can be: \u201cWhat did you see during the take off?\u201d<\/p>\n If their answer is any one of these variations:<\/p>\n Then oh boy… we\u2019ve got some real work to do! However, if they give a specific answer which happens to be incorrect, then that\u2019s actually a win because we are half way there!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how:<\/strong> In the case of the back tuck if they say, \u201cthe ceiling\u201d — then you know this needs fixing. The correct answer is whatever is directly in front of them OR something closer to the floor.<\/p>\n Some coaches advocate looking for their feet… I\u2019m not sold on this unless you’re really hitting insane negative block angles. Still, I’ve seen it to be successful, so if that\u2019s your jam, then so be it.<\/p>\n The point is, if an athlete is looking but just in the wrong direction, all coach has to do is now bridge the gap<\/span> between what the athlete is currently seeing and where they should<\/em> be seeing. This can be done using tools at their disposal such as drills, technique changes, spotting etc.<\/p>\n But can you see how it would be a problem if the athlete\u2019s answer was \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d?<\/p>\n Because now we have to re-train them to open their eyes while tumbling, and this is like taking 3 steps back, before we can move forward again.<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> Make sure you know where<\/em> athletes should be looking during the entry and exit of each skill that you coach. Better yet, if you tumble yourself then make sure you know where you should be looking, as it\u2019ll be much easier to coach and pass on this knowledge. And if you\u2019re completely lost about the visuals, ask a more experienced tumbling coach about their answers. If you ever attend any of my Coach\u2019s Training Clinics, then you can bet we will be touching on this topic.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Strategy 2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”35px||||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”26px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If you didn\u2019t know this was coming, you\u2019re either new to coaching tumbling (welcome, by the way<\/em>) or you need to up your game.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never met a confident tumbler that wasn\u2019t physically strong to some degree.<\/p>\n \u201cOk but how do I know they\u2019re strong enough? I get my athletes to condition all the time\u201d, you might be wondering. The only way to confirm that your athletes are strong, is to have certain benchmarks in place.<\/p>\n For example, if an athlete cannot hold a handstand against a wall for at least 30 seconds with excellent technique, there\u2019s a very small chance that I\u2019m going to let them throw a back handspring on floor by themselves.<\/p>\n Sixty seconds would actually be preferred if we\u2019re training back handsprings.<\/p>\n And this is just one benchmark for one area of the body \u2014 upper.<\/p>\n You \u2014 or better yet, your gym \u2014 should have many benchmarks in place which target all the major areas of the body (upper, lower, mid\/core etc.) Once you have a set of benchmarks in place, here\u2019s the most important bit: hold your athletes accountable to them!<\/strong><\/p>\n This means mommy and daddy don\u2019t get to have a say in things if their little Suzy is failing to meet them. If they want little Suzy to throw a BHS on the floor, but you know she doesn\u2019t have the strength to pull it off, calmly explain to them the risks to her safety. And you know what? I was right almost every time. Plus I sleep better at night. And to me, my sleep is precious.<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> Do. Not. Compromise when it comes to strength standards (parents, if you\u2019re reading this then please don\u2019t become part of the problem. Encourage your kids to listen to their coaches)<\/em>. With that said, coaches, please don\u2019t be a hard-nosed drill sergeant about it either, because then athletes will simply think you dislike them.<\/p>\n A coach\u2019s job is to sell<\/strong> the idea of being strong, so that at the very least, the parent & the athlete won\u2019t feel like it\u2019s a waste of their time. Best case scenario? Everyone believes in your strength standards, and are actually enthusiastic about it.<\/p>\n If you’re looking for exercises to help your athletes become strong, I have over 50 of them on my Exercise Page<\/span><\/a>. Feel free to use them to come up with a plan for your athletes, or feel free to get in touch<\/span><\/a> and I can help create a specific<\/em> plan for your entire program based on the equipment available to you.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta title=”Show Your Support” button_url=”https:\/\/donate.stripe.com\/fZe5lrfot1Fy9yMeVY” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Donate Now” admin_label=”Donate Support” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Jost||||||||” header_letter_spacing=”1px” body_font=”Jost|300|||||||” body_letter_spacing=”1px” background_color=”rgba(18,0,51,0.85)” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_bg_color=”#3e25aa” button_border_width=”3px” button_border_color=”#5400ff” button_border_radius=”6px” button_letter_spacing=”1px” button_font=”Jost||||||||” button_icon=”||fa||900″ button_on_hover=”off” button_alignment=”center” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”86%” max_width_phone=”90%” max_width_last_edited=”on|phone” module_alignment=”center” max_height=”100%” custom_margin=”43px||0px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”|16px||16px|false|true” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”23px|20px|38px|20px|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”|23px||23px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”|11px||11px|false|true” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#4328B7″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=”-3px” box_shadow_spread=”9px” box_shadow_color=”rgba(55,0,158,0.58)” global_module=”4647″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If you find the content on this page helpful and want to support future updates and run-time costs, please consider a small donation. You can also help out by visiting the Store if you wish. Every little bit helps \ud83e\udd17<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_cta][et_pb_text admin_label=”Strategy 3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”35px||||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”26px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I\u2019ve lost count as to how many emails I get from Coaches stating something like this: \u201cI\u2019ve got X athlete to do a million reps of Y drill, but she still hasn\u2019t made progress\u201d<\/p>\n Or even something like this: \u201cI\u2019ve got X athlete doing a million reps using the [insert equipment], but she still can\u2019t do it on floor!\u201d<\/p>\n Then when I finally see a video of this athlete, I can tell within the first 10 seconds that they focused on the quantity or reps, not the quality.<\/p>\n Technically speaking, both are important.<\/p>\n Realistically speaking though, only quality<\/strong> is important.<\/p>\n If you see me run classes, clinics or private lessons, you\u2019ll most likely hear me tell athletes the exact amount of reps I want them to do; but it has to be quality reps.<\/p>\n This means if I want 10 reps of a back tuck off a trampoline that lands in a stick, it might take them 30 attempts to reach that 10.<\/p>\n Golden Rule:<\/strong> attempts are not counted reps.<\/p>\n Only successful attempts count as actual reps.<\/p>\n See the difference?<\/p>\n Most athletes, by the nature of statistics, are average. This means if they\u2019re asked to do 10 reps, they will fly through those 10 reps, then want to move on to something else (I had moments of doing this myself, by the way).<\/p>\n It\u2019s very rare that an athlete is truly excellent in their mentality and will naturally keep working until they hit 10 quality reps.<\/p>\n Luckily this type of mentality can be taught and enforced until it just becomes a part of the culture.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of how that conversation would go: \u201cI\u2019m glad you did 10 reps Suzy, that\u2019s great! However in this gym we\u2019re only allowed to count the quality reps. So while I love how your arms were tight, we can\u2019t count the 4 were you had bent legs and a soft rebound. Please re-do those with ABC corrections in place. Once you\u2019re done, you may move on to XYZ station.\u201d<\/p>\n Note that there are a million different ways to word things to get the results you want.<\/p>\n If you (or your staff) need additional training in this department, feel free to reach out. I regularly conduct virtual clinics with programs all over the World, and I’d be happy to help.<\/p>\n I also highly recommend reaching out to my good friend Jeff Benson<\/span><\/a>. Jeff and I have run many joint clinics at gyms all over the World where we go over an entire module on how to effectively communicate with athletes and parents so they \u201cbuy in\u201d to the quality culture. If this interests you, contact me<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Bonus Strategy p1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”35px||||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”26px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If you managed to read this far along, I want to reward you with a bonus strategy that has worked wonders, and is based on real science.<\/p>\n And that is to ensure that any failures your athletes might encounter is minimized (or nearly eliminated) while helping them experience \u201cmini wins\u201d every single time they are in the gym.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what this would look like for an athlete that is new to back handsprings.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say they\u2019ve never done the skill over a Boulder or Octagon before, and you can tell they are a little nervous going backwards on it.<\/p>\n Believe it or not, this is quite common.<\/p>\n So instead of having them perform a complete handspring that involves a jump, hip drive, open shoulders, a tight handstand and an aggressive snap-down… I\u2019ll ensure they start already lying down on the Boulder or Octagon then slowly \u201cfeel\u201d their way over until they can land in a front support. Drill #4<\/strong> on my standing BHS drills page<\/span><\/a> is a great example. Take a look…<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Drill Video” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nStrategy #1: Specific Visuals<\/h2>\n
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Strategy #2: Being Strong Isn\u2019t Optional<\/h2>\n
Great question!<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve lost a few athletes in my time to other programs due to disagreements in this matter.<\/p>\nStrategy #3: Quality Repetitions Matter The Most<\/h2>\n
Bonus Strategy: Minimize The Negative, Maximize The Positive<\/h2>\n