Quiz the Coach :: Back Flip Baby!

Jul 16, 2018

Question by habibu

Hey coach, how do you do a backflip?

Catflip

A backflip is a very valuable gymnastics trick to know especially you’re your parents tell you that you’re going to Disneyland for Christmas. There are a few gymnastics tricks that you should learn before and together with the back flip.

Tumbling Tricklist

Here’s a quicklist of tumbling tricks that most gymnastics teachers in order before trying a back flip:

1. Cartwheel
2. Roundoff
3. Back Handspring
4. Back Flip

Moving through the Motions

Practice makes Perfect

You can’t just learn a back flip right off the bat. You have to learn these tricks in order. The order to learn these tricks is extremely important because it GRADUALLY makes your body comfortable with the difficult motions of flipping your body.

Safety First

Safety Mats

Now these tricks are very difficult and can be dangerous performing them without proper supervision. It’s important to watch very carefully what the demonstration looks like, then try to copy what you see. Make sure that when you try these tricks, a gymnastics teacher or an adult is demonstrating the tricks and spotting your attempts.

Cartwheel

The first trick is a cartwheel. It teaches your body how to move in a circular motion head over heels. All you do is places your hands on the ground and swing your legs over your head and land on the other side. Learn how to perfect it by starting and finishing the trick on a perfect line.

Round Off

A round off is the next trick and a very important trick to perfect. It takes a lot of practice because unlike the cartwheel that is a very straight motion, there is a slight twist in the round off. As you place your hand down to the ground, you have to slightly turn your body in that motion. As you turn your body, your feet come up again and you no longer moving sideways like a cartwheel, but your feet now come straight over your head and land together. It’s tricky!

Back Handspring

This trick is when you flip 180 degrees backwards onto your hands and then another 180 degrees back onto your feet. There is a huge step from the round off to the back handspring. Get your teacher to show you some exercises to prepare yourself to attempt this trick. Once your learn this trick you’re almost ready to try a back flip!

Back Flip Baby!

Learning a back flip is a long process. Once you’re ready to try it, you have gone through the process of training your body and your brain the laws of gravity so that you don’t come crashing down on your head. By taking a gymnastics class, you will go through dozens of exercises that eventually teach how to do it!