An Explanation as to Why Forward Tumbling is Harder?

[Seiji]

I don't know if this is correct, just a spur of the moment thought, but this might be the reason front tumbling is harder.

After practicing front stuffs one time, my hamstrings were a little sore the next day. It hit me. When we get a running start or face forward from a skill and rebound out of that... instead of blocking by pushing the floor until our force overcomes gravity and going up, do we jump by PULLING and redirecting the force instead of pushing against it? The hamstrings are weaker than the quads (this theory supports why triple backs are possible and triple fronts are not), so that would explain why it's harder to tumble forwards.

Also, when tumbling backwards, you bend down slightly and lift up with your legs, back, and arms, then use your abs to pull together (lets say a tuck). In forward tumbling, there is no back involvement in tucks. It's simply your abs doing the work.

I wrote down more stuff as I thought about it, but I'm not going to type it right now... too lazy to go find the paper

[Sternford]

I just assumed it was because rotating backwards is a more natural extension of the jumping motion, but I do not study these things or know about muscles.

[Gregor]

Technique.

[DrAlexisOlson]

Well, in addition to technique, a proper front handspring requires a certain amount of shoulder / upper back flexibility that many people lack.

Could you be a little more specific about what you mean by front tumbling is harder?

I'm not really following what you are saying, but I don't think hamstrings vs. quads is the correct explanation.

For me, a front handspring to front layout is no more difficult (at least on a spring floor) than a roundoff to a back layout.

In fact, I always warm up with front handspring to front layout for my first pass since it's not as hard on my ankles as back tumbling.

[Coach Sommer]

Front tumbling compared to back tumbling, outside of the fear factor, is often evaluated as "more difficult" by beginners because it is easier to perform incorrectly to the point where no momentum can be generated; e.g. landing a front handspring or bounder (flyspring) in a deep squat and then unsuccessfully attempting to connect to another handspring or somersault.

We have all see beginners performing fast, technically incorrect back handsprings in a series that fail to travel; this same type of mistake is simply not possible with front tumbling.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Seiji]

Well, I have yet to see things like triple front tuck and double front layout. That's what I mean by harder.

[Sternford]

Well, I have yet to see things like triple front tuck and double front layout. That's what I mean by harder.

I know you meant from a punch or handspring or something, but this video has an awesome clip of a guy doing a triple front layout (half!) just off a mini tramp (around 0:29)

EMsG0WJSBfE

The rest of the video is incredible anyway though (0:22!)