How to push off/shoulder block on back handspring?

[sportygrl148]

Hi everyone! When I do my backhandspring, I land on all fours! I know that we are supposed to block and push off once our hand touch the ground, but no matter how hard I try, I can't do it! My back handpsrings just look sloppy, with bent legs and no push with the arms. It's like I jump back, then my legs go over because of gravity, not because I'm whipping them over!

I've practiced handstand snap downs. And I can do my bridge kickover and backwalkover.

I've tried doing them with straight legs, but again, I just land in the same awkward position on all fours! Please help! :oops:

[David Picó García]

It's hard to recommend anything witout seening it. If you post a video maybe we can address your issues.

Anyway this may be because you are jumping looking for the floor inestead of jumping back. In back handspring you dont have to bend like in a bridge, if you do so your hands will touch the floor near your starting foot position. You need to jump extending your body in a light arch an dtouching the floor as far as almost your height, this will give you the momentum to your legs to fly over and land far away from your hands.

I found a good tutorial. Look if you do the same because your problem may come from incorrect jump at starting position

iriFS0OSaYc

[Blairbob]

Most blocking issues have to do with alignment of the shoulders and weak upper body. You can yell at a kid all you want about "block through their shoulders" but if they do not have the shoulder and upper body strength to resist force and the impact of the floor their body will crumple. As well they have to have a strong enough core for that to crumple as well.

So basically look at alignment of the HS. Is the body in a tight arch upon contact of the floor with reasonably open shoulders or are the shoulders closed and the body hollow instead of arched. The hands should be leading with the feet behind rather than the other way around.