If you’re new to gymnastics or to the roundoff, work with a spotter until you’re comfortable. You can even buy mats to use at home if you want to practice when you’re not at the gym.
A roundoff looks just like a cartwheel but you land on two feet instead of one at a time. You generally need more power for a roundoff than for a cartwheel, and you should push off from the floor with your arms, unlike a cartwheel. If you aren’t sure of what the movement is supposed to look like, watch some videos online or ask for a demonstration from a peer.
Try not to run too far before you start your roundoff, as this can actually make you lose some energy and momentum.
Move with forward-motion to place your hands on the ground rather than jumping into the roundoff.
Keep your legs as straight as possible. If you have trouble with this part, practice doing a handstand on its own to build up the arm strength that you’ll need for the roundoff.
When you land, you should be facing the opposite direction from where you started at the beginning of the roundoff.
Keep practicing! You need to be really comfortable with this movement so you can put it together with the back handspring. It may be hard at first, but with practice, you’ll get better.
Use an octagonal mat to practice the back handspring on its own or use it to practice adding the back handspring to the roundoff. Land your roundoff just before the mat so you can practice extending backward into the back handspring.
Your momentum comes from backward movement. Be sure to get a little height for your back handspring but not too much. If you jump straight up, it’ll actually be harder to complete the move and you’ll lose some momentum.
Try to keep your core as tight as you can while you complete the back handspring. This will make your movements more precise and will help you power through the tumbling pass. Have a spotter help you as you practice. They will help support your weight through the back handspring to make sure you’re safe and using good form. Remember that you can use the tumble track or an octagonal map to help you practice before you try it on the floor.
Keep your head down between your arms. Try to keep your legs together and keep your toes pointed.
Try to keep the soles of your feet parallel to the ceiling as you hit the middle of the back handspring.
Keep your upper body as straight as possible to help you keep your balance. Try to keep your legs together as much as you can throughout the back handspring.
Keep practicing your movements and don’t worry if it takes you a while to get things down. If you keep working hard, you’ll be able to do the entire roundoff back handspring in no time.
