How to teach the handstand flat back on vault: 20 drills
Teach the handstand flat back by building a strong, straight handstand first, then adding the board, the arm block and the fall onto a stacked mat. These 20 drills prepare gymnasts for handspring vaults on women's and men's vault. They suit club coaches working with gymnasts who already hold a solid handstand.
20 video steps · vault, vault-men
Step 1 of 20, free: Handstand Flatback Drill 20
The phases
- Run and hurdle: build a fast, controlled approach and a consistent hurdle onto the springboard.
- Board contact: hit the board with straight legs and a tight body so the energy goes up and forward.
- Preflight and hand contact: reach the hands to the table or mat with open shoulders and a hollow body.
- Block and handstand: push through the shoulders to reach a straight, vertical handstand.
- Fall to flat back: stay straight and tight as the body falls back onto the stacked mats.
Before you start
The gymnast should hold a straight, tight handstand on the floor and be able to fall from handstand to the back in a hollow shape.
Common mistakes
- Piking at the hips in preflight: the gymnast arrives short of handstand and loses height.
- Bent arms on contact: there is no block and the body sinks onto the mats.
- Arching in the handstand: the lower back hollows and the landing on the back is uncontrolled.
- Slowing down before the board: too little speed to reach vertical.
Coaching cues
- Run through the board
- Arms by your ears
- Push the table away
- Stay long and fall flat
All 20 steps
- Handstand Flatback Drill 20
- Handstand Flatback Drill 1
- Handstand Flatback Drill 6
- Handstand Flatback Drill 8
- Handstand Flatback Drill 12
- Handstand Flatback Drill 13
- Handstand Flatback Drill 16
- Handstand Flatback 2
- Handstand Flatback 3
- Handstand Flatback 4
- Handstand Flatback 5
- Handstand Flatback 7
- Handstand Flatback 9
- Handstand Flatback 10
- Handstand Flatback 11
- Handstand Flatback 14
- Handstand Flatback 15
- Handstand Flatback 17
- Handstand Flatback 18
- Handstand Flatback 19
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of a handstand flat back?
It teaches the hurdle, board contact, arm block and handstand shape that a front handspring vault needs, without the gymnast having to rotate over and land on the feet.
When is a gymnast ready to move on from the flat back?
When the gymnast reaches a straight, vertical handstand from the board with a clear block and no piking, again and again. Then front handspring progressions over the table are a logical next step.
What is a Handstand Flat Back? Read the glossary entry