How to do a Back Flip Layout - Gymnastics
In this lesson you will learn how to do a back flip layout. (after a back handspring) That's a back flip where you keep your entire body fully extended and stiff. Before you try the layout, you should know how to do a round-off, back handspring, back flip tuck combination. However, at the beginning the back flip layout is much easier if you jump from a 1m springboard into water or let yourself fall from a handstand position (on a chest high box) onto a trampoline and jump onto landing mats or into a foam pit. Find more gymnastics skills at gymnastics main.
Description: Back Flip Layout - Gymnastics
- Do a round-off and a back handspring or let yourself fall from a chest high box into a trampoline.
- Land on the balls of your feet and keep your abs tight. The feet touch the floor slightly before you reach vertical level. If your feet touch the floor too late you will not be able to gain much height. Keep your knees and your elbows straight. The legs are closed and the arms are parallel. The animation above shows how the legs, the trunk and the arms should be aligned.
- Bounce off without letting your heels touch the ground and keep your knees pretty straight. Throw your hands up and keep your abs tight. Keep looking straight forward and don't lean back too early. Don't initiate the flip too early.
- A rule of thumb: You should be able look straight forward for a short moment before you flip over. If you can see the floor after the back handspring and initiate the flip as soon as your feet leave the floor. (without actually noticing the area in front of you), you are definitely trying to flip too early. Keep in mind that height is very important for the back flip layout. After all you remain extended and there is less momentum for a fast rotation. You can only gain height if you create the feeling of jumping straight up. Convert all the horizontal energy from the back handspring into a powerful vertical jump. This is all about the right timing and technique. If your feet touch the floor too early or too late, you will not be able to gain much height.
- To initiate the flip, whip your hands down so that your thumbs are next to your thighs. The ankles and the knees remain fully extended. Keep your legs and your upper body in one line. This posture is supposed to be very stiff. If you relaxed and hollowed your back, you would do a moon sault and not a back flip layout. And if you flexed your hips, you would do a piked back flip.
- To slow down the rotation before the landing, lift your hands again. At the beginning you will land with your hands on your thighs, but once you jump high enough and whip your arms fast enough, you will have to lift your arms in order to stop the rotation in time.
- Try to land in a stuck landing. A stuck landing is when you land on both feet at the same time and stop without the need of an extra step to balance out the landing. Lift your arms and raise your hands as high as you can. Look straight forward. Trying to land like this, will help you improve timing and technique. Later, when you learn the back flip twist, you want to focus on the twist instead of wasting time with the flip itself. That's why getting used to stuck landings can be very helpful.
Trainer advice: Back Flip Layout - Gymnastics
- Instead of bringing your hands to the hips, you can also open your hands sideways, so that your palms point up. ( try this if your back flips are very high ) If you bring your hands to the thighs, the rotation is faster. Advanced gymnasts only whip their hands to the thighs when they do a double back flip layout.
- Land as soft as possible. ( balls of the feet first )
- Be careful with your ankles. If you lift your arms too early, you might land too flat and injure your ankles. At the beginning you should use landing mats.
- Keep your abs tight - Don't relax and hollow your back.
- Video Tape yourself or get advice from an experienced gymnastics coach. Keeping the entire body straight is very difficult at the beginning. Most people do a moon sault or a piked back flip when they first try the layout.
Related instructions: Back Flip Layout - Gymnastics
Videos: Back Flip Layout - Gymnastics
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