How to Make the Backflip Faster

Learning to do a back flip is a great way to impress friends and also serves as a necessary base for learning to do other tricks. Back flips can be scary and difficult at first, but if you learn at a gymnastics center you will be flipping in a safe environment in no time. When experimenting with trying to do a faster back flip, have a spotter to prevent injury.

Instructions

    • 1

      Set up the flip. Bend your knees and wind up your arms to gain momentum. Then jump up -- not back -- into the air while swinging your arms above your head. During this process, look straight ahead, not up or down. At the highest point of the jump, tuck your legs and let your head and back rotate with the flip. To land, straighten your legs but keep them a bit bent so that they aren't stiff when they touch the ground and can absorb the force of the landing.

    • 2

      Start back flips on a trampoline. The basic method is the same, but the trampoline provides more height in the jump, which means more time to complete the bacflip, and a surface that will give if you fall instead of a hard floor. On a trampoline, you can also practice some helpful moves before trying a complete back flip. These include backdrops and getting from your back to your feet by kicking your feet over your head.

    • 3

      Concentrate on trying to tuck your legs tighter to your body to do faster back flips. The tighter your legs are tucked, the faster you rotate in the air. Ensuring that the rest of your technique is correct -- your arm placement and jump, for example -- is also crucial to gaining the maximum speed on your back flip.

    • 4

      Get fit. Doing a faster back flip is also about weight. A lighter person in good shape will be able to jump higher, tuck tighter, and spin faster in the air than someone who is overweight.