Standing Back Tuck Drills

Set up cheese on top of crash. Athlete will sit in the athletic stance then swing their arms up past their ears. Then they will jump straight up and bring their shins and toes up and over landing on the mat in a tucked candlestick position.

Hold water bottles in your hands as you perform a standing tuck. This builds up your arm swing into the tuck. Be careful and hold on tight! Sometimes people let them fly out of their hands.

Put toes on a sting mat. When you place your toes on the mat make sure the balls of the feet are on the elevated mat. This forces your body to push through the toes completely; thus enhancing your plyometric ability.

Put rubber bands around your ankles and right above your knees. This keeps your legs together so you can push through your toes. When your knees come apart you lose a lot of power.

Back tuck up onto block

Beanbag or foam block attached to rope. In this drill the objective is to rotate in a tucked candlestick position so your toes kick the foam block as you tuck.

Twisting Drills

Athlete lies on barrel on their back. Someone holds their toes. Athlete squeezes body and rolls onto tummy in one motion. Athlete does reverse motion to roll onto back. Repeat.

Floor Exercise

1. Jump ½ turn – dominant direction

2. Jump full turn – dominant direction

3. Jump ½ turn – non-dominant direction

4. Jump full turn – non-dominant direction

5. Hollow position on back on floor, arms overhead, roll over to stomach

6. Hollow position on back on floor, arms overhead, full roll over to back

hollow

7. Forward roll, jump ½ turn – dominant direction

8. Forward roll, jump ½ turn – non-dominant direction

9. Backward roll, jump ½ turn – dominant direction

10. Backward roll, jump ½ turn – non-dominant direction

11. Forward roll, jump full turn – dominant direction

12. Forward roll, jump full turn – non-dominant direction

13. Backward roll, jump full turn – dominant direction

14. Backward roll, jump full turn – non-dominant direction

15. Forward roll, jump ½ turn – dominant direction, immediate backward

roll

16. Backward roll, jump ½ turn – dominant direction, immediate forward

roll

17. Forward roll, jump ½ turn – non-dominant direction, immediate

backward roll

18. Backward roll, jump ½ turn – non-dominant direction, immediate

forward roll

19. Forward roll, jump full turn – dominant direction, immediate forward roll

20. Backward roll, jump full turn – dominant direction, immediate backward

roll

Floor Exercise

1. Kick or jump to handstand, fall forward to belly flop on crash mat

2. Kick or jump to handstand, fall forward, ½ turn to back drop on crash

mat

3. Kick or jump to handstand, fall forward, full turn to front drop on crash

mat

4. Kick or jump to handstand, fall backward to back drop on crash mat

5. Kick or jump to handstand, fall backward, ½ turn to front drop on crash

mat

6. Kick or jump to handstand, fall backward, full turn to back drop on

crash mat

7. Back extension roll to handstand, fall forward to belly flop on crash mat

8. Back extension roll, handstand, fall forward, ½ turn to back drop on

crash mat

9. Back extension roll, handstand, fall, full turn to front drop on crash mat

10. Back handspring to handstand, fall forward to belly flop on crash mat

11. Back handspring to handstand, fall forward, ½ turn to back drop on

crash mat

12. Back handspring to handstand, fall, full turn to front drop on crash mat

13. Back handspring to handstand, fall forward to push-up position on

crash mat

14. Back handspring to handstand, fall, full turn to push-up position on

crash mat

Mat Stations (stacked mats or blocks)

1. Back extension roll to handstand, fall forward to rebound push-up

position

2. Back extension roll, handstand, fall, full turn to rebound push-up

position

3. Back handspring to handstand, fall forward to rebound push-up

position

4. Back handspring to handstand, fall, full turn to rebound push-up

position

5. Back extension roll to handstand, fall forward to hollow position stand

6. Back extension roll, handstand, fall, full turn to rebound hollow position

stand

7. Back handspring to handstand, fall forward to hollow position stand

8. Back handspring to handstand, fall, full turn to hollow position stan

1. Back drop, full turn, back drop

2. Front drop, full turn, front drop

3. Back drop pullover, bounce, full turn

4. Back tuck, bounce, full turn

5. Back tuck, full turn

6. Back salto (open tuck or layout) with half twist

7. Back salto (open tuck or layout) with ¾ twist

8. Back salto (open tuck or layout) with full twist

A Few Suggestions

1. Safety Always!

2. Be aware of potential use areas where an athlete may fall and make

sure every area and station is properly matted so as to avoid injury.

3. Beware of unsupervised activities through, around, anywhere near

your class.

4. At no time should any athlete be out of your field of vision.

5. Do not allow athletes to attempt skills before they have mastered all

lead up skills and are properly prepared (physically, mentally, and

emotionally) for the next drill.

6. Avoid “Paralysis By Analysis.” At the beginning levels of learning,

worry less about technique and more about the process. Let the

student experience the natural desire to swing and let them explore the

movements. Form and execution can be addressed as the comfort

level of performance increases.

7. Keep vigilant for signs of fatigue. Some of these drills are so much fun

for the athletes that they may want to continue when they should stop.

8. Try to engage the athletes in having fun and help instill the desire to

learn. Remember to teach the child and not the skill.

9. Use visual cues whenever possible. Give the student something to

look for.

10. A good reinforcement dril