Layout Catch

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Nov 172011
 

Layout Catch

 

The “Layout Catch” drill is basically the same as the “Layout Fall” drill. In this drill the gymnast has to trust that the coaches will caught them.

When a gymnast is being caught the coach can now see if gymnast has tighten their shoulders and neck, if the gymnast does not tighten these areas their head will fall back when being caught. This is not possible to see with the “Layout Fall” drill.

Objective

  • Build a trust relationship between coaches and their gymnasts.
  • To get the gymnast comfortable doing drills above floor height and to reduce the gymnasts fear factor.
  • To teach the gymnast to tighten their body and maintain it through out the drill.

Prerequisite

Equipment


 

Block (about 1 meter in height)

Execution

coming soon… 

Stage 1 – Setup

 

  • Stand straight with arms along your sides.
  • Look straight ahead.
  • Tighten legs, stomach (abs), butt, arms, shoulders, neck. Basically everything! 

Stage 2 – Falling

 

  • Fallback while staying tight.

The gymnast must not bend any part of their body while executing this drill.

Note: Coaches should let the gymnast fall a little before actually having physical contact. 

Stage 3 – Finishing

 

  • Stay tight also when the coaches have caught you. 
It is very important that the coaches always look at the gymnast. The gymnast can easily misunderstand something and begin to fall before the coaches are ready.
The coaches ends this drill by setting the gymnast gently on the floor (not the block).

Spotting

It is important to remember a couple things when spotting:
  • The coach should only spot, meaning they should not actually do the drill for the gymnast. Let the gymnast do as much as the drill as possible and do not help with more than what is needed.
  • Spotting should be avoided. Only spot when gymnasts are learning new skills or for safety reasons. If a gymnast is having difficulty executing the drill then the coach should consider new drills that help the gymnast improve the area they have difficulties with.
  • Spotting can turn into a bad habit for gymnasts. If gymnasts are being spotted all the time they will be dependent on a spotter and have a very hard time doing the skill when their is not a spotter (this is true for all skills and very common)

Spotting Method 1 – One Coach

 

Make sure that when only using one spotter that the spotter (coach) is 100% sure they can catch and manage the gymnast’s weight. 

  • The spotter must catch the gymnast with one arm at the shoulder region and the other arm at the upper thigh region.
  • The spotter should bend their legs to absorb the impact when catching the gymnast; this will also make it much more comfortable for the gymnast when being caught. 

Spotting Method 2 – Two Coaches

 

This is the recommended number of spotter for this drill. Make sure that both spotters have agreed on what region of the gymnast they will be spotting.

  • Spotter #1 should cover the shoulder and upper back.
  • Spotter #2 should cover the lower back and legs

Both spotter should bend their legs when catching the gymnast. This will absorb the impact on the spotters and be much more comfortable for the gymnast. 

Common Mistakes

Coaches teach gymnasts how to do skills correctly, but most gymnasts learns how to perform the skill correctly when coaches corrects their mistakes. This is not wrong, this is actually how gymnasts learn. This being said, it is very important that coaches corrects mistakes all the time. If a gymnast continues doing the same mistake over and over then they will be good at doing that drill with that mistake and have a difficult time later correcting it.
  • Always correct mistakes
  • Correct the first mistake you see the gymnast do (even if it is before the actually drill, i.e. the gymnast forgets to stand tall with arms over their head)
  • Correct only one thing (sometimes two if they are related)

Mistake 1 – Breaking

 

This is the most common mistake.

The gymnast starts to bend forward when falling. When the gymnast does this then you should consider going back to the skill “Layout Fall” on a soft mat.

You can also help the gymnast by reassuring that you are ready to take action by holding a hand on the gymansts (shoulder or waist).

Alternativly the two coaches can slowly lower the gymnast into the layout position. Rember this skill is about falling and catching and not about the spotters doing all the work! 

Mistake 2 – Bent Legs

 

When falling the gymnast starts to bend their legs. This mistake does happen, but not as often as Mistake #1

Note: Some might think that this kind of mistake is so small and is not important to correct, but I have to differ. The whole idea of this skill is teach the gymnast to be tight from their toes to their head. 

Mistake 3  - Head Fallback

 

The spotters should check the gymnasts head to see if it falls back when being catch, we do not want the gymnasts head to fall back. The gymnasts head should always stay at the neutral position.

Spotters need to make sure they are bending their legs when catching the gymnast. If the spotters do not bend their legs to absorb the impact then this can be the primary cause for the gymnasts head falling back.

Warning

Any activity involving motion or height creates the possibility of accidental injury, paralysis or death. The equipment and instructional materials are intended for use ONLY by properly trained and qualified participants under supervised conditions. Use without proper supervision could be DANGEROUS and should NOT be undertaken or permitted. Before using, KNOW YOUR OWN LIMITATIONS and the limitations of the equipment. If in doubt always consult your instructor. Always inspect equipment for loose fittings or damage and test for stability before each use. We will not be liable for injuries or consequences sustained from the use of the instructional materials supplied by us. Use common sense!
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