Gym Coach, Vol.

2 (2008) 1-5 Methodological Article

Using the “Understand → Teach” model to coach a

double layout dismount of the asymmetrical bars
Rick McCharles
Altadore Gymnastic Club, Calgary, Canada

ABSTRACT

The ‘understand → teach’ model was presented in Vol.1 (2007) of the Gym Coach. The model is illustrates and guide the
coach in developing a map or strategy towards coaching any given skill. The model was used by several expert coaches
from Canada to teach the double layout of the asymmetric bars. These coaches concluded that the ‘understand → teach’
model was to complex and lead to ‘analysis to paralysis’ as well as not accurately reflecting their actual coaching style. The
following article uses the model in the presentation of coaching the double layout dismount.

Key Words: coaching strategy,

INTRODUCTION a- Accelerator giant(s)

An expert coach should know exactly how he/she is going
to coach any skill to any individual. Usually the coach has a
template or a set order of skills, drills, pre-requisites, etc to
guide or to direct his coaching plan against. This template
or strategy is developed over many years of coaching, and
hopefully it is constantly refined and tuned, as well as
being flexible to accommodate necessary adjustments.
The ‘understand → teach’ model is just but one such
template or strategy which a coach could use. This model
was used by a group of expert coaches from Canada to plan
out the coaching process of a double layout dismount of
the asymmetric bars. The conclusion of these coaches was
that the model itself is to complex and leads to over
analyze and eventually ‘analysis to paralyses’. They also felt
that the model did not necessarily reflect how they would
actually coach the double layout.
In this article the model is used in developing a coaching
strategy/pathway for coaching the double layout dismount.
The method highlights area of interest
b- Beat swing and ascending swing up to the point of
release
c- Double layout
d- Landing
Focus should be on the beat (tap) swing and ascending
swing up to the point of release. Obviously, the accelerator
giants are of tremendous importance, as well. A gymnast
with a powerful swing and correct position on release of
the bar can chose many different body positions in the air
and still land safely.
1.2 Biomechanics
• Ideal Model – Play Video
a - Accelerator giants
The gymnast should be striving to perform her fastest giant
circle prior to the dismount. On bars the gymnast should
straddle on the descending swing only if this technique
results in more angular velocity on the ascending swing.

METHODOLOGY

Understand
1.1 Identify
• Whole Skill (Figure 1) Figure 1 - Illustration of an ideal double layout dismount from the
• Critical Phase(s) asymmetrical bars.
Break the whole skill into major phases
©2008 The Gym Press. All rights reserved Gym Coach Vol.2, March, 2008 - 1-
Rick M, Gym Coach, Vol.2 (2008) 1-5 Methodological Article

Why? Because the angular velocity of the swing is Is angular motion important in this phase?
transferred into angular rotation of the body in the air While height (time in the air) is important, the priority is
b - Beat swing / ascending swing prior to release generating rotation. The conditioning, progressions and
The ideal gymnast is very powerful though a large range of the position of the body on release are all determined to
motion. The truck flexion muscles are “preloaded” though best aid with the development of rotation.
the bottom of the swing to generate a stronger contraction
on the ascending swing. • Forces
What forces are most important to “optimize”
The coach should look for a “BIG” beat/tap swing finishing performance?
in a position at release with the legs close to vertical. Of 1) Direct ground reaction force3. Rotation is generated by a
course the gymnast must release the bar just before the fast, strong shoulder extension and trunk flexion
center of gravity reaches horizontal for optimal trajectory immediately before release.
1
(Figure 2). There are several advantages to being 2) Indirect ground reaction force. Rotation is also
maximally inverted prior to release: generated indirectly by a fast, strong hip flexion
• The more inverted the gymnast, the less rotation remains immediately before release.
to be completed in the air 3) Flexion of the bar .This is a minor force that may or may
• The greater the range of motion that can be generate the not contribute to rotation. A gymnast could still do a
greater force on the bar double layout from a solid bar that did not move. However,
• The shorter the body, the greater the angular velocity of the bar action can certainly contribute to the height of the
the ascending swing dismount. To do this effectively we should load (bend) the
bar as much as possible and time the release to best benefit
c - Double layout the gymnast.
The ideal layout There are many variables.
position is straight
with a hollow (dished) 1.3 Body Actions
chest for as much of The most important body actions for the best swing to
both saltos as release:
possible. The (faster 1. Body alignment (tightness)
rotating) “hollow” 2. Trunk flexion / extension
layout as shown in 3. Shoulder flexion / extension
Figure 1 is also the 4. Hip flexion / extension
more aesthetically The coach should use this checklist when assigning
Figure 2 - Illustration the desired appealing. On the conditioning.
position required during the ascending
swing prior to release with the feet close other hand a slight
to vertical and the center of mass (x) arched position can Teach
below the horizontal. be effective for timing 2.1 Conditioning
Source: GymnasticsCoaching Blog
and initiating twist • Injuries4
and has the additional benefit that even the most myopic 1) What potential injuries could result from training this
judge can recognize it’s a double layout. skill?
There are a number of potential traumatic injuries.
Regardless of the style chosen, the gymnast should bring However most at risk are the knees and ankles on landings
the arms to the body as quickly as possible after release, from the dismount. A great deal of physical and technical
“hit” a position, and shows that same position throughout preparation is necessary to safely absorb the large landing
as much of both saltos as possible. forces.

d - Landing 2) What specific preventative conditioning do you

The gymnast should be fully stretched (arms by ears) just prescribe?
prior to contacting the ground. This will slow the rotation All backward rotating landing training helps prepare for
and allows maximum time to absorb the force on landing. landing the double layout. The best preventative condi-
tioning might be a systematic landing training program
• “Analytical sequence2” of the beat swing/ascending from progressively increasing heights. For example,
Is linear motion important in this phase?
3
Canadian Gymnastics Federation Level 3 Coaching Manuals. (To paraphrase Newton, “For
1 every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”)
Once the gymnast is in the air, most of the critical parameters are fixed: path of the center of 4
gravity, height, distance, time, and most importantly, angular velocity of the body. Around the world there has been a tremendous increase in the amount of injury prevention
2 training for high level gymnast. We should strongly emphasize this conditioning at every op-
See Canadian Gymnastics Federation Level 3 Coaching Manuals portunity, especially with new or inexperience coaches.
©2008 The Gym Press. All rights reserved -2-
Rick M, Gym Coach, Vol.2 (2008) 1-5 Methodological Article

advanced gymnasts could practice backward layouts from

standing on top of the bar. Gymnasts should to finish their Good technique should be ensured by spotting - and then
landings with the feet turned out slightly, shoulder width progressively reduce the amount of assistance given. The
apart; the arms sideways for balance gymnast should have to work hard to get inverted, and use
the entire range of motion. Using the men’s horizontal bar
Some researches report that gymnasts often have a with safety straps, do many beat swings in series is great
quad/hamstring imbalance – the hamstrings are weak specific conditioning.
relative to the quadriceps. This could increase the chance
of knee injury. Therefore, hamstring conditioning might be 2.2 Psycho-Motor Progressions 7& Spotting
advised when preparing gymnast for this landing. • Injury Prevention
What safe specialized equipment can you use?
Lastly, gymnasts need to very cautious about trying to It is recommend to use a pit when training the double lay-
“stick” landings on competition mats. When absorbing out. A spotting belt can also be used for some progressions.
landing impact forces, there is a huge mechanical A good sliding (tubular) bar mat is essential.
advantage in taking an extra hop or step. Its smart practice
to take the deduction, then risk a potential major injury. • Orientation
Orient the gymnast to the goal skill in some of the fol-
• Critical phases lowing ways:
Injury Prevention 1. Have the gymnast observe the skill
1. Specifically train the most important body positions. 2. Show the gymnast video of the skill
2. Train in the same position relative to gravity 3. Show the gymnast a photo-sequence
3. Ensure excellent form and technique at all times 4. Post a sequence drawing on the gym wall etc.
4. Train body tightness (“gymnasts must be taut to be The gymnast must want to do this dismount. An aggres-
taught”) sive, maximum effort is required. The double layout
Focus should be the exact release position. The gymnasts requires string mental skills, perhaps even more then
must be strong in this shape. Particular attention needs to physical and technical ability.
be paid to the head position. It may be useful to instruct
the gymnasts to “scope” down their legs and aim at some • Progressions
point of the roof. This visual cue can help fine-tune the 1. Develop a sequential list of drills
release position during the learning stages. 2. Each drill should target just one quality of the skill
3. What psychological skills are needed?
General Conditioning A very important prerequisite drill tests the psychological
Before starting to train the double layout, the gymnast preparedness of the gymnasts – flyaway to land standing
should be strong in the body actions identified earlier: on top of the bar! (Figure 3) (On to a good bar pad over a
1. Body alignment (tightness) pit, of course). It also ensures reasonably good technique
2. Trunk flexion / extension on the flyaway.
3. Shoulder flexion / extension
4. Hip flexion / extension A more obvious prerequisite is an excellent accelerator
The general strength training program needs to include all giant. The use of straps on a men’s horizontal bar to train
of these prevailing body actions. extremely fast giants is a good method to Figure 3 -
Illustration of
the flyaway to
Specific Conditioning5 land standing
1. Select or invent exercise which approximate the on top of the
bar drill.
skill 6 Notice the
2. Flexibility, strength, power, endurance shape in
3. Speed, range of motion, body position, etc. position 2, is
identical to the
4. Muscular action (eccentric, concentric, etc.) position in Fig
One very specific drill is a beat/tap swing finishing in the 1. The timing
release position. The gymnast can do this drill from hang, of the release
is obviously
or from a very small swing. much later
then for a
double layout
5
Many top coaches in the world emphasize hitting “positions” on this skill. We need to develop dismount.
the “eye” of the coach to see key position on each skill.
6 Play Video
The more SPRIFIC the drill, the better transfer we will see to the actual skill. It is generally
true that the more time spent doing the actual skill in modified conditions, the more specific will 7
be the training effect. This term is used to indicate a combination of mental and technical skills training.
©2008 The Gym Press. All rights reserved -3-
Rick M, Gym Coach, Vol.2 (2008) 1-5
developing the accelerator giant technique. Any confident
gymnast with good giants should be able to master the
following progressions. A team-mate should slide in the
bar mat for safety every turn.
• From low swing on a single bar, layout 1¼ flayaway to
landing flat on the back on soft mats in the pit. Attention to
detail is critical – the coach should insist on good body
position and an excellent beat swing. The gymnast should
have to work to generate rotation.
• From handstand 2¼ flyaway (layout on the first salto,
tuck on the second) to landing flat on the back in the pit.
The release position should be as close to the ideal model
as possible.
• From handstand 2¼ flyaway (layout in, pike out) landing
on the back in the pit
• From accelerator giants, 2¼ layout flyaway to landing on
the back in the pit
• From accelerator giants, 2¼ layout flyaway in arched
position to landing on the back in the pit. (This helps the
gymnast make a commitment to a completely layout
position.)
Add soft mats on top of the safety pit as the gymnast gets
more consistent
It is not recommend any landings to feet. Over-rotate every
progression! The gymnast will then later have enough
rotation to stretch the body in preparation for a good
landing.
Every training session the gymnast should do 10 dismount
progressions. (Gymnasts can do a dismount progression
after almost every turn!!). Once each week in the
preparation phase the coach should plan a “dismount” day
where 25 progressions or more are done in a training
session.
Wait until the dismount is excellent and consistent before
performing from asymmetrical bars. The transfer won’t be
difficult if the dismount is truly ready. Wait even longer
(one season or more) before taking this dismount to the
competition mats. For safety, it must be very consistent
and the gymnasts very confident.
• Monitoring
How will you track technical progress?
One method for each athlete to have his/her own training
videotape, where twice a week the gymnasts is video taped
performing his/her progressions. Excellent performances
of each progression will clearly monitor progress.
Do you have specific, measurable objectives?
The gymnast should have a time line for skills development
as part of the yearly training plan. It is recommend to post
©2008 The Gym Press. All rights reserved
Methodological Article
this time-line for skills progressions on the wall of the gym
as a daily reminder to the gymnast and coach.
2.3 Error Detection, Cause and Correction
• Key Error(s)
Refer back to the ideal “model of performance”. There are
two common errors when training this skill:
Errors on the release position
1. Body not inverted enough
2. Insufficient hip/trunk flexion and /or insufficient
shoulder angle
3. Releasing too early
4. Head to far back
Errors in the beat swing
1. Beat swing/tap too “small”
2. Beat swing/tap too “early”
• Key Cause(s)
Primary cause(s) of the errors?
More often then not, problems are in the psychological
domain. The gymnast is too cautious- not wanting to come
too close to the bar
• Corrections
Go back a step or two in the sequence of progressions. For
example, the gymnast should regularly go back to the
flyaway to stand on the bar drill. Develop the confidence
again and progresses. 1 step back 2 steps forward approach
• Perfecting
Once learned, what can be done to further improve the
skill?
1. Increase amplitude
2. Stylize
3. Improve consistency
4. Safety
5. etc.
When asked this same question, Edouard Jarov, Liukin’s
former coach, stated that he would like to train 3/1(triple)
layout in the pit! He had never seen it, but speculated that
a very good gymnast could do it from horizontal bar.
All gymnasts who want to compete 2/1 layout should be
able to train (layout-in 2/1 tuck out) triple back into the
pit. Some gymnasts prefer twisting double layouts.
Twisting allows better visual information and may
mechanically slightly easier. Experiment into the pit.
Many male gymnasts are now using an exaggerated “Tong
Fe” beat first popularized by the 1985 world Horizontal Bar
champion. The technique is dramatic and may be useful
for male gymnast who need a bigger beat swing through
the bottom and also those who tend to release the bar too
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Rick M, Gym Coach, Vol.2 (2008) 1-5 Methodological Article

soon. It could also be useful for taller female gymnasts who
has trouble swinging past the low bar efficiently.
On the other hand, the Tong Fei beat doesn’t take full
advantage of the potential angular velocity that is gener-
ated by staying as stretched as possible for as long as
possible on the descending swing. Ultimately, a normal
accelerator giant beat should be more powerful for most
gymnasts.
CONCLUSIONS
In summary, the double layout is a relatively simple skill
for the physically, technically and psychologically prepared
athlete. However, inherent in the skill is perhaps the
higher and most difficult landing the gymnasts will ever be
required to compete. The “Understand → Teach” model
can be useful for coaches who choose to analyze skill
themselves using biomechanics and physiology, rather
then simply copying techniques used by the top gymnasts
of the day.
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

Address for correspondence: Rick McCharles, Altadore Gymnastics Clubs, Calgary, Canada.
rick_mccharles@hotmail.com

REFERENCES and RECOMMENDED READINGS

1- Canadian Gymnastics Federation National Coaching Certification Program (N.C.C.P) Level 2 Coaching Manuals,
1989, Ed. Cathy Haines
2- Canadian Gymnastics Federation National Coaching Certification Program (N.C.C.P) Level 3 Coaching Manuals, 1986,
Ed. Tom Kinsman.
3- Hardy F. (NA) The Biomechanics of “Release-regrasp” skills in Gymnastics, C.G.F. Men’s Technical Bulletin

©2008 The Gym Press. All rights reserved -5-