In this lesson, you will learn how to perform a tucked front flip in artistic gymnastics.
Before attempting the front flip, you should first learn the front roll, the dive roll, and the gymnastic handstand.
It’s recommended to try your first front flips using a trampoline or a springboard.
Find more gymnastics instructions in the Artistic Gymnastics main section.
Run forward while keeping your upper body upright. During the final few steps, raise your arms and keep your head up. Speed is important for generating enough height for a proper front flip.
After the final step, jump forward and bring your legs together.
Before your feet leave the ground, your arms should be fully extended overhead and aligned with your upper body.
Look straight ahead (or at least keep your head neutral), because bending your head downward will cause your back to bend—one of the biggest mistakes at this stage.
Keep your upper body vertical as you take off and engage your core slightly.
When your feet push off the floor, you may bend your elbows slightly to generate more upward momentum.
When performing the front flip, keep your knees relatively straight and take off from the balls of your feet.
As you jump, extend your arms and legs and try to go up as straight as possible.
Reach high with your hands and fully extend your body before initiating the rotation.
You’ll ruin the takeoff if you lean forward or bend your knees too much during the jump.
Just before reaching the highest point of your jump, tuck into a ball and grab your shins to start the rotation.
To slow down or stop the rotation, open up your body again.
The farther apart your hands and feet are, the slower the spin.
For a complete front flip, you only need to grab your shins for a fraction of a second.
If you hold the tuck too long, you risk over-rotating or doing a double front flip.
Practice the timing by jumping from a trampoline or springboard.
Try to stick the landing, which means landing on both feet at the same time without taking any extra steps.
Keep your upper body tight and aligned with your arms.
Extend your arms fully and look forward.
Avoid sitting too low on the landing.
At first, it’s helpful to land on a stack of mats.
To gain more height, use a trampoline or a Reuther springboard.
The tucked front flip is often the first flip learned in gymnastics.
In the "Safe and Risk-Free Jumping Lesson," you’ll find a tutorial on how to properly set up mats and trampolines.
Some people find it easier to first learn the Wushu-style front flip with a back crash landing.
