Welcome to instruction number 666. In this lesson, you will learn how to do a gymnastic front flip with a full twist. Full twist means one 360° rotation. Before you try the gymnastic front flip with a full twist, you should master the front flip layout and the front flip half twist. You should be able to land your front flip layout in a vertical position on the balls of your feet, and your front flip half twist should be solid as well. Find more gymnastics skills in the artistic gymnastics main section.
Execution
Run forward and jump off from the balls of your feet just as if you were doing a front flip layout without a twist. Find detailed information in the front flip layout tutorial.
Summary: Close your legs and bounce off from the balls of your feet. Plant your feet slightly in front of your center of gravity. There are different arm movements for this jump.
One method is: Extend your arms vertically (overhead) shortly before you jump. Bend your elbows a bit when your feet touch the floor, and extend them again as you push off. Don’t look down at your feet or bend your head down. Keep your upper body straight and slightly contract your abdominals.
Extend your knees, ankles, and elbows so that your entire body forms a straight line. Keep looking straight forward (not down) until you initiate the twist.
Kick your heels up and open your arms slightly. Keep looking straight ahead.
Now close your arms in front of your chest and, at the beginning, you can also turn your head to the left, looking over your left shoulder. Turn your head, but don’t look down. Make sure your spine and legs remain in a straight line when you initiate the twist. Later on, you should initiate the twist by turning your entire upper body at once—not just the head. At first, turning the head makes the twist easier. Beginners who don’t turn their heads often lose control and may twist back after 180 degrees.
Twist while looking over your left shoulder. Keep your knees extended and your feet together. Your hands should be close together in front of your chest.
To stop the rotation, open and lift your arms and look straight forward.
Land as softly as possible and look straight ahead again. Keep your abdominals tight (to protect your spine—don’t hollow your back). Land on the balls of your feet. When you first learn the gymnastic front flip full twist, practice jumping from a mini trampoline onto a pile of mats or into a foam pit. Later, you can practice this jump on a Reuther springboard and then on the gymnastics floor.
Extra tip: Try to land in a stuck landing. A stuck landing means landing on both feet at the same time with no extra steps to balance out the landing of your front flip twist. Raise your arms as you land.
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