Toe on toe off to handstand is a skill nearly every gymnast should have in their repertoire.
Perhaps it is my own teaching style or the progressions I use but I have found toe on toe off a little easier than clear hip circle. If I have 10 gymnasts I can probably get 8 of them to clear hip handstand. Of that 8, 2 of them will do it well.
With a Toe on Handstand, I can still get 8 out of 10 to do toe on handstand but at least 6 can do it well.
Since all circling skills on bars should start and end in handstands, at the beginning and the end the hips will be (for example) 2.5 feet from the bar. During the circle, the hips only come in slightly.
Another benefit of the toe on handstand is that it is easier to transition to other in bar circling skills like stalders.
- Always make sure they know what a handstand feels like.
- Shape the body then work through that shape. (pike rolls with and without Forester Bar)
- Pike presses off floor bar
- Pike Bounce handstands on Tumbl Trak
- Back extension rolls with and with out Forester Bar
- Back Extension roll pike landing
- From Floor Bar Handstand pike down to bar
- Jump Toe circle dismount
- Cast Toe circle dismount
- Cast Toe circle around bar
- Jump Toe circle around bar (then press back to mat)
- Continue with increasing height.
- use of strap bar
