Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...

Difference Between Boys and Girls Tumbling Mechanics


Timothy Aiken
 Share

Recommended Posts

Timothy Aiken

I coach girls gymnastics and have developed a good understanding of their tumbling (up to layouts and vaguely up to fulls), with a great deal more learning happening now and in the future. I also do tricking and some tumbling. 

 

What's the difference between boys and girls tumbling mechanics? I know boys center of gravity is higher than girls, as well as different musculature. How does this play into technique for tumbling? 

 

I've looked for essays or articles on the subject but I couldn't find any.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

You'll typically see more shoulder flexibility in females. Quite often males may have to keep their hands a bit wider to open the shoulders for front tumbling or back tumbling. This is also an issue in pirouettes on High/Uneven Bars.

Stronger front tumbling in men vs it'll be more rare to see strong female front tumblers ( FHS double front ). 

I've never heard of a female doing a triple back in Artistic not that most triple backs are the most aesthetically pleasing of skills but you get my point.

Possibly less fear in skill development and chucking skills post puberty related to Testosterone levels in young males. However, Testosterone levels even fluctuate in females and this may have something to do with being "gutsier."

It seems more common for females to eventually get the flipping backward syndrome where they stop connecting back tumbling series, flyaways and eventually just about everything backward. I'm sure this is more of the issue that there are 6x as many females as males in gymnastics. Can't recall but many of these flipping backward syndrome gals are pubescent off the top of my head. I'd have to really sit down and think if I had any that were pre pubescent. It's also a matter of many girls are about pubescent age when they hit old L6/new L5 skills.

And syndrome will spread like the flu amongst your gals. It's every WAG coach's nightmare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coach Sommer

... What's the difference between boys and girls tumbling mechanics? ... 

 

 

There isn't any.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

  • Upvote 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timothy Aiken

So if I were to move from coaching girls tumbling to boys tumbling, it would be the same as far as form?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coach Sommer

Of course.

Two arms. Two legs. Same individual technical adjustments for different levers etc as when working with only boys or only girls.

A double layout is a double layout. A triple full is a triple full.

Much more important than gender is their level of physical and technical preparation.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timothy Aiken

Interesting. 

 

What difference does the different center of mass between boys and girls make? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coach Sommer

Again.  It doesn't.

 

As I mentioned previously, these differences in center of mass are not gender specific.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please review our Privacy Policy at Privacy Policy before using the forums.