Double Front Flip - Gymnastics

In this lesson you will learn how to do a gymnastic double front flip and a training method with trampoline and mats. Please be aware that this is quite difficult and only advanced gymnasts should try this jump. Ask your gymnastics coach or an experienced gymnast to help you. Before you try the double front flip, you should be able to do the normal tucked front flip without springboard or trampoline, the front flip layout and the front flip 180. Find more gymnastics lesson at artistic gymnastics main.

Execution

Run forward and jump off the balls of your feet like if you were doing a normal gymnastic front flip. Don't forget that the hop before the jump has to be really fast and flat. Keep your abdominals tight and reach up with both hands. Don't look down as you jump off and don't lean forward too much. Keep you body as vertical as possible as you bounce off. For more info, please check the gymnastic front flip instruction. I recommend you try the double front flip from a 1m springboard into water first and practice the double front flip with a trampoline and a huge pile of mats later (see step 3).
The main difference between a double front flip and a normal front flip is, that you have to tuck earlier when you do a double front flip. When you do a normal front flip, you have much more time to gain height and extend your body in the first phase of the jump. Now you have to tuck earlier, because the first flip has to be almost finished when you reach the highest point of the jump. But still, you have to extend elbows and knees for a moment and look forward as you jump off (jump up as straight/vertical as possible). The fact that you have to initiate the first flip earlier, often leads to the mistake that people don't extend their bodies properly and therefore don't jump high enough.
Tuck and initiate the first flip like if you were doing a normal front flip. The first sault should be almost finished at the highest point of the jump. If you can already do the double front flip into water, you can jump from a trampoline and land the first front flip on a high pile of mats. Don't jump from a trampoline onto low landing mats at the beginning. The more mats the better. Jump up onto a HIGH pile of mats like shown here. Later you can jump over the mats without letting your feet really touch the mats.
If you are a beginner, land on the mat pile, stop for a moment and then roll down the other side. Later you can jump down with another gymnastic front flip. After a while you will be able to do this without stopping on top of the mat pile. Because the back side of the mat pile is 45 degrees, you will not injure yourself when you try to connect the 2 flips without landing on the pile. Just make sure you stay tucked. In case it doesn't work right away, the second front flip will just turn into a front roll down the 45 degree side of the mat pile. Don't try the double front flip without this preparation. Even though this is a pretty good training method, you should not try this without an experienced gymnastics coach.
To stop the rotation, lift your arms and extend you legs. For more information visit the normal gymnastic front flip tutorial.

Advice

Equipment (trampolines, springboards, gymnastics mats) is the key element for the double front flip. If you use a trampoline and a pile of mats like shown here, you can actually learn the gymnastic double front flip without ever being afraid of the next step.
Ask your coach or an experienced gymnast to help you.
Also practice the double front flip jumping from a 1m springboard into water first.
The normal front flip should be part of your warm up for the double front flip.

Suggestions

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