Gymnastics - Back Handspring Landing on the Stomach

Gymnastics - Back Handspring Landing on the Stomach

The back handspring landing on the stomach is a little easier than the normal back handspring, because you don't have to keep your upper body that tight and you don't really have to push with your arms. A lot of people learn the back handspring with stomach landing before they even try a regular gymnastic back handspring. There are 2 variations of this technique: 1) The martial arts back handspring stomach landing => You hollow your back and roll down on your chest. 2) The gymnastic back handspring stomach landing => You keep your entire body straight and almost land on your hands and the balls of your feet at the same time. The gymnastics variation is a lot harder. Try the one rolling don on your chest first. Find detailed instructions for artistic gymnastics at gymnastics main.

Execution

  • Stand upright with your legs closed and look straight forward.
  • When you do a back handspring, you should not strike out with your upper body and your arms too much, and you should also not bend your knees too much. But most people learn the back handspring stomach landing before the real back handspring. That's why form is not that important yet. However, here is what you should try: Keep you upper body vertical, and don't strike out below horizontal level. Jump back up and push your hips up.
  • Then plant your hands and look down to the floor.
  • Hollow your back and bend your arms slowly. Roll down on your chest. I recommend you practice the handstand rolling down on your chest before you try this in a back handspring.
  • If you want to the gymnastics variation of the b-handspring stomach landing, you should learn the back flip and the normal back handspring first. For the gymnastics variation you timing has to be very good. The risk of injuring your toes or your hands is a lot higher. When you learn the gymnastics variation, I recommend you start off with a piked landing position and later try to land with your entire body fully extended.

Advice

  • Don't try this on hard ground right away. Practice on mats!
  • Exercise: Do a handstand, hollow your back and then roll down on your chest. Once you can do this, try the back handspring landing on the stomach on mats.
  • The gymnastics variation of the back handspring stomach landing is an excellent preparation for the back flip twist. Basically jump from a trampoline and land on your stomach. Make sure you keep your body fully extended and twist shortly before you land.