Ring Swings

[Mats Trane]

Hi All

Just started to do Ring Swings. Please critic and give tips!

To me, the front swings looks ok but the back swings are low. What should I think of when I dropping from the top of my front swing?

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[Alessandro Mainente]

i think you have to push down on the rings while you are opening your arms

[Mats Trane]

Thanks Alex, Will try it next time and post à new video

[Alessandro Mainente]

Thanks Alex, Will try it next time and post à new video

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see how he is opening his arms

[Coach Sommer]

At this stage is your training, during the backswing do not push down on the rings. This pressure is something that only occurs once the legs have risen substantially above the torso. To push down prematurely in the back swing will cause the torso to rise and the legs to drop rather than vice versa.

For the time being, I recommend focusing on the following to establish a basic swing:

1) Begin from a still hang with relaxed shoulders and then start with the smallest swings possible. Gradually make the swings larger and larger however, and this is very important, as soon as the swing becomes jerky stop immediately and begin again from a still hang.

2) Keep your chin down on your chest while swinging.

3) Your body should curve upwards during both sides of the swing; for the front swing the body will be hollowed, for the back swing the body will be arched (primarily through the shoulder girdle).

4) Kick upward to generate power during the swing.

5) Never kick down during a ring swing, but allow the body to retain the shape of the previous ascent (hollow for a front swing/arched for a back swing) as it falls back to the hang.

6) When the body reaches the hang (vertical) in between the swings, allow the shoulders to completely open. There should be no piking whatsoever.

7) The rings should begin to move forward and backward as you swing. How much they will do so, will be entirely dependent on the size of your swing. At a full power ring swing, the rings will travel half a body length forward and half a body length backward.

It is important to remember that a ring swing is not a high bar swing. During a high bar swing, the body moves around the bar. During a ring swing, the rings move around the body. This is a subtle, but important difference.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

This post has been promoted to an article

[Patrick Angelo Sardilli]

Much Appreciated Coach. Thanks.

[Alessandro Mainente]

At this stage is your training, during the backswing do not push down on the rings. This pressure is something that only occurs once the legs have risen substantially above the torso. To push down prematurely in the back swing will cause the torso to rise and the legs to drop rather than vice versa.

For the time being, I recommend focusing on the following to establish a basic swing:

1) Begin from a still hang with relaxed shoulders and then start with the smallest swings possible. Gradually make the swings larger and larger however, and this is very important, as soon as the swing becomes jerky stop immediately and begin again from a still hang.

2) Keep your chin down on your chest while swinging.

3) Your body should curve upwards during both sides of the swing; for the front swing the body will be hollowed, for the back swing the body will be arched (primarily through the shoulder girdle).

4) Kick upward to generate power during the swing.

5) Never kick down during a ring swing, but allow the body to retain the shape of the previous ascent (hollow for a front swing/arched for a back swing) as it falls back to the hang.

6) When the body reaches the hang (vertical) in between the swings, allow the shoulders to completely open. There should be no piking whatsoever.

7) The rings should begin to move forward and backward as you swing. How much they will do so, will be entirely dependent on the size of your swing. At a full power ring swing, the rings will travel half a body length forward and half a body length backward.

It is important to remember that a ring swing is not a high bar swing. During a high bar swing, the body moves around the bar. During a ring swing, the rings move around the body. This is a subtle, but important difference.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

thanks for the progression...in some video su youtube i see what you said, that the arms are opened only when the torso is very elevated

[Mats Trane]

Wow! Thanks alot Coach!

[Cole Dano]

This was very helpful Coach, thanks!

[Blairbob]

Thankyou, very much Coach. I'm glad I have most of the details correct.

[Michael Traynor]

Can this be stickied in the skills or similar forum? Due to the essay like nature of Coach's reply.

[Still Ringer]

Thanks Coach! Well put

[Tyler Phillips]

Excellent! I'm writing this down for the next time I'm at the gym. Thanks again, Coach. ^__^

[Mikko Saks]

Any comments on my technique with the swing?

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[Blairbob]

Hmm, looks like it's coming along decent.

Just make sure you aren't prematurely turning the rings out in the back swing. Push them forward as much as possible before trying to ever turn them out.

Perhaps a bit more turnover at the bottom to the front swing. But well, don't we all want that?

[Mikko Saks]

make sure you aren't prematurely turning the rings out in the back swing. Push them forward as much as possible before trying to ever turn them out.

Perhaps a bit more turnover at the bottom to the front swing. But well, don't we all want that?

Thanks for the reply! I tried to push more forward and not so much to the side in the back swing, it instantly made me swing alot higher! Also felt more sort of relaxed and natural. And maybe im turning my palms down too early in the front swing also?

Should the elbows stay locked the WHOLE TIME? Cause ive seen many videos where gymnasts arms bent a little when they are swinging up in the front part of the swing.

Ill post a new video in a few days.

[Blairbob]

A lot of gymnasts will bend their arms when they "cast" into a swing say from a basket position. You'll notice though if you were to just watch swings, their arms will stay straight.

Quite often, watching what elites do isn't exactly textbook.

[Mikko Saks]

I found a clip of someone doing giants on rings, and put it into slowmotion. Is this what it should look like? Watching this in slowmotion made me figure out few things im doing wrong.

Always thought its all about the speed and you dont need to use strenght at all to swing comfortably into HS, but it seems you actually DO need to kind of muscle yourself into HS?

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Since the clip is already in youtube, i guess this is not stealing, right?

[Blairbob]

You do not need to muscle yourself into a HS in a Giant. He needs to be a bit stronger, though. Physical prep.

Sometimes in a back giant, you might want to end a bit short to press to the HS versus being too far and missing the HS. Opposite with front giant. Undershoot just a little bit instead of going past HS. No way really to save it if you go too far.

[Mikko Saks]

While swinging, should the body feel all extended and tight, like in handstand, or a bit more relaxed?

[Blairbob]

Relaxed in shoulder. Tight from diaphragm to toes.

[Mikko Saks]

Relaxed in shoulder. Tight from diaphragm to toes.

Thanks once again for a quick answer, Blairbob!!!

Had to check what diaphragm means, thought it was completely something else..

[Anthony Thompson]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hEFrqbfF4PY

Helpful video that seems to complement what Chris advised.

[Alasdair George]

This is my first  time in the forum and the advice is really good, however how can you see the video that Mats initially refers to?
I've attached a screenshot of what I can see.

 

[Alessandro Mainente]

It is the last part of a youtube domain video. by the way this is a 2011 post, I doubt the video is still online.