How to Keep Arms Straight in Standing Back Handspring

Used in gymnastics and cheerleading, the standing back handspring is a move where essentially the athlete does a back flip in two parts. The first part is moving from a standing upright position to a handstand while the second part is returning to a standing position from a handstand. There are several common mistakes that occur when doing a standing back handspring and one that is specifically problematic is when you do not employ straight arms. It may seem unnatural to keep your arms straight when you first learn this move, but there are mental tricks to help you overcome this urge.

Instructions

    • 1

      Stand with your knees slightly bent, and your arms straight forward. Look straight ahead and keep your chin parallel to the floor.

    • 2

      Push back with your legs and keep your arms straight up in the air. Prevent yourself from looking back too far, as this will cause you to bend your arms. Look only at your hands and wait for the floor to appear. You will not see it until just before you touch down.

    • 3

      Kick your feet in when you're doing the first half of the move (getting into handstand position) and push up from your shoulders. It is natural to want to bend your arms to gain momentum, but you must learn to refrain from doing this. Kicking your legs inward will give you more momentum and help you to refrain from bending your arms.

    • 4

      Keep your head straight at all times. When moving backwards, you may want to toss your head back. Resist this urge and keep your head straight. A good rule to remember when doing the standing back handspring is to keep your arms by your ears.

    • 5

      Practice the tight body exercise. This is when you do a handstand in front of a mat and then fall forward onto the mat, keeping your arms by your ears at all times. The idea of the exercise is to get you used to having your arms straight up when tumbling.

    • 6

      Practice doing a standing back handspring with someone to spot you. Have the spotter kneel down behind and off to your side (out of your direct path). Have her put one hand on the small of your back and one hand on the back of your thigh. When you begin executing your standing back hand spring, have her support your body as you move into the handstand position. Then have her continue to slightly lift you as you move back into standing position. Get feedback from your spotter as to whether you kept your arms straight.

    • 7

      Videotape yourself and watch the results. Determine at exactly which point you begin to bend your arms. When you rehearse your standing back hand spring again you will be aware of this weakness mentally, which will allow you to change your behavior physically.