Coaching The Tkatchev On Uneven Bars 1g12u

Gym Coach, Vol.4 (2010) 7-11

www.thegypress.net

Clinic Transcript

Coaching the Tkatchev on Uneven Bars Presented by Bart Roskoski

Flips Gymnastics, Minnesota, Unite States (ed. Valentin Uzunov) Abstract This article is a summary of Bart Roskoski’s presentation at the 2010 Minnesota Women’s State Congress on release skills for Uneven Bars. The notes collected in this article contain instructions on teaching the Tkatchev. Bart Roskoski explains he often teaches the Tkatchev at his gym, starting with his Level 8 optional gymnasts. He begins by first teaching falling and re-grasping drills and stresses these are very important for athletes to master in order to safely perform this skill, particularly at meets. He then outlines a series of drills for developing the gymnast’s understanding and spatial orientation on floor, tramp bar (including a clever alternative training aid for clubs without access to a tramp bar), and tramp. He argues there is no need to use all or many drills and encourages using specific drills to target individual problems. He ends by describing training progressions on a single pit bar rail, although he personally spends most of his coaching time between the channel-bar (which was not available at the facility at which he presented the lecture.) Keywords: release skills, high bar, reverse hetch

PRESENTATION Introduction of release skills begins formally at level 8. All three major releases - Tkatchev, Geinger, and Jaeger - are introduced to all gymnasts in 2 week training blocks during the summer. During this period Bart observes how each gymnast responds to a variety of drills and asks for the gymnast’s opinion and preferences in the skill selection. At the end of the 6 weeks period, he and the gymnast decide which release the gymnast is most comfortable with. FALLING AND REGRASPING Regardless of the release skill selected, all gymnasts learn a series of fall and re-grasp drills. The idea behind this method is that “If you want a high release skill, you need to teach them to fall from high”. The following drills were demonstrated by his gymnasts in this sequence of learning progression: (All drills are presented by Kiki Parenteau) (Note: Gymnasts first learn how to do these drills onto 2-3 8’’ (20cm) crash mats. As they develop competency and mastery of the drills, they will do the drills a couple of times onto a single 8in mat. This is to simulate a real fall situation) 1- Tap swings to front drop: From a couple of tap swings the gymnast lets go at peak of back swing to land on stomach. (Coach must stress to the gymnast the importance of maintaining a hollow shape with arms by ears at back swing to prevent over rotation and arching on release, which is extremely dangerous. The gymnast should be looking down at the ground and maintain a neutral head position on release.) (Video 1) 2- Small cast to front drop: From a small cast on high bar (or low bar in the beginning) the gymnast bails away and releases to a front drop. The same key points stressed on the front drop from tap swings apply: maintaining hollow, arms by ears, looking down at ground, neutral head position. (Video 2) VIDEO 1 : Tap swing to front drop ©2010 The Gym Press. All rights reserved

Gym Coach Vol.4, October, 2010

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VIDEO 2: Cast to front drop (drill 2)

VIDEO 3: From stand on high bar jump to front drop (drill 3) 3- From stand jump back front drop: From standing on top of high bar, jump back to front drop. (Video 3) These progressions do take some time, and should be introduced during the summer while playing around with the different releases. Once the gymnast understands how to fall, she needs to learn how to catch. Bart teaches this by having the gymnast stand on the bar, jump back and catch to swing through (Video 4). He emphasized the importance of having the gymnast throw hooks rather than trying to grab the bar - “we teach them to throw hooks over the bar”. This way allows the gymnast to catch whether they release perfectly or are a little short and hit with the wrist (as it often happens in Geinger and Jeagers releases).

VIDEO 4: Jump to catch drill.

THE TKATCHEV TECHNIQUE Bart’s opening remark emphasized that “[a] long Tkatchev is a safe Tkatchev”, and that is priority “In a picture perfect world the head will be neutral on release” and as the gymnast sits up they can look for the bar. However, based on his personal experience, Bart he has had more success teaching the Tkatchev with the head in at the beginning. Once the gymnast has caught “a few thousand Tkatchev”, he will try to fix the head position, simply for the sakes of getting it bigger, but for consistency, he starts with head in. As a result, all drills performed should also be done with the head in. Bart points out that different coaches give different visual cues for the head, but based on previous success, he emphasizes the gymnast should look at the sternum. Figure 1 - Courtney Kupets performing a Tkatchev. Notice a) bar bend, b) toes driving up, c) Fast shoulder opening, and wrist shift on top of bar d) late straddle

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Bart felt the most common problems to look out for are: 1- Early straddle on the release 2- Lack of rotation 3- No turnover (counter rotation) 4- Head out (which, as he explained, he addresses last) DRILLS Bart showed a series of drills that he uses as general introductory drills to develop the Tkatchev. He does, however, use other drills (not shown) to target more specific issues for individual athletes, or when any of the introductory drills prove to be ineffective with a particular athlete. Floor Drills He starts off teaching the Tkatchev with a series of floor drills, but does not spend a lot of time doing them. 1- Back extension roll to bridge • Legs must stay straight (big focus) • Head on sternum 2- Back extension sit-up to straddle pull through • Feet can’t be too high (or gymnast will have problems with rotation over bar) 3- Back extension sit-up to straddle pull through down slope mat. • Simply requires the gymnast to work harder. Even though he does not spend a lot of time on the floor drills, he will always go back to them at meets. He feels that “at a meet you need something that the gymnast can do, to make a correction, got to have some way to go back to something at meets”. VIDEO 5: Floor drills 1 - 3

He uses the tramp bar mostly to teach the Tkatchev, however for gyms that do not have one they can use a swiss ball (exercises ball) although this alternative is more coach laborious (Video 6) Tramp bar drills.

1- Back bounce to bridge. (straight legs, and emphasis on legs together at the beginning. Shoulder on top of the bar and not in front or behind) 2- Back bounce bridge, stand up forward (bar behind) 3- Back bounce bridge, ‘pop’ stand-up let go, straddle stand on bar. Grab bar and push over to pancake. 4- Back bounce to Tkatchev (feet can hit the bar so PAD IT!) 5- From low bounces really fast hyper shoulder opening (not to bridge), continuous in series to develop strength in opening of shoulders and throwing of the bar Since Bart no longer has access to the tramp bar in his gym, he uses a swiss ball (exercises ball) as an alternative, which can be equally effective but much more coach laborious. Video of these drill was posted by Bart on his YouTube channel -- View Video

Video 6- Using a exercises ball as an alternative to a tramp bar, to perform most tramp bar drills

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Trampoline drills

VIDEO 7: Trampoline drills 1 - 5. For drill 5 the gymnast was not able to fully perform the drill, but the concept is clear

1- Back extension roll to pancake – same as the floor drill, but done on tramp as it’s a bit easier. 2- Back drop to straddle over to front drop (to simulate turn over and ing legs together) 3- Back drop straddle front to HS (Bart does not spend a lot of time on this, never gets to HS. Instead of reaching forward the idea is to sit-up and reach under) 4- Tkatchev from back extension roll (it’s a little easier than on floor, and allows them to get a good feeling for the skill. 5- Using a swimming noodle to simulate the bar, the gymnast does 2 back bounces and on second back bounce the gymnast throws the noodle underneath (like pushing the bar back behind you), sits-up and catchs it on other side. He makes a point to say that he does not spend much time on tramp drills in general. Most of the drills he uses are with the tramp bar if available, and also require use of the channel bar.

Pit bar & Bar Progressions While working over the pit, Bart will put a sting (or substitute) to simulate the low bar so that the gymnast gets used to a low bar behind her before transitioning to the real bars. The drills listed were done over the pit first and then on the uneven bars. Once the gymnast can perform the first drill over the pit bar, she can move it to the uneven bars, and then begins working on the next drill over the pit bar.

Video 8 – Pit bar progressions 1- 4, and Kiki performing a Tkatchev,

1- From swings, tap turnover to stand. (In beginning can pike up on front swing and snap into arch to cause counter rotation) 2- Once they can land to feet, they can straddle in air to front drop. 3- Sit-up straddle front into pit (Does not use this drill a lot but rather only when a gymnast is having a problem such as not enough rotation 4- Cast to HS timer – Gymnast does bail, tap and snaps to bridge onto of bar without releasing. (Initially coach must spot, but gymnast needs to learn how to do independently). Wrists must shift on top of the bar, drive the hamstrings down, push on the bar. Bart felt that as a coach you will not get the tap you want for the real thing, so he does not spend too much time on it. But the gymnast does need to master that motion on the bar. One common mistake is the gymnast no shifting the wrists, and it is paramount that they understand how to keep pressure onto the bar.

Once the gymnast can perform all four drills, if the coach has can be assisted by another coach they can double spot the gymnast and take them through the Tkatchev , otherwise he can single hand spot them. If coach has to single spot, Bart warns that the coach has to move fast to dodge the straddle. He has also found harness systems very effective for teaching the Tkatchev to older, heavier high school gymnast or College gymnasts. Eventually, and once the gymnasts understands the technique and is able to go over the bar safely, the coach can step away and the gymnast can perform the skill by herself over the pit. The coach or another athlete can slide a safety mat over the bar in the beginning as a safety measure.

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DISCLAIMER

Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information published within this article. The views and opinions expressed within this article are those of the author/s, and no responsibility can be accepted by The Gym Press, Gym Coach or the author for the consequences of actions based on the advice contained herein

REFERENCE Roskoski B. (2010). “Release skills on Uneven Bars “. Minnesota Women’s State Congress. Minneapolis, MN. August 2010

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