Trampoline Progressions & Drills
Straight Jump
The straight jump is the most basic skill in trampoline gymnastics and the first skill any gymnast will learn. Just as the name suggests it is a jump with a completely straight body. Straight jumps should introduce any gymnast to the trampoline and how to jump in a controlled fashion.
Requirements:
-Arms straight, pointing upward
-Head between the arms, looking straight ahead
-Back straight
-Hip straight
-Legs straight
-Knees and feet together
-Toes pointed
Tuck Jump
The tuck jump establishes the body position that is required for many skills: the tuck position. The tuck jump also introduces the gymnast to the so called 'kickout', the opening motion that is performed to straighten the body after a position.
Requirements:
-Thighs close to the body
-Calves close the thighs
-Hands on the knees
-Toes pointed
Straddle Jump
Requirements:
-legs apart (more than 90°)
-legs horizontal or higher
-Hands on the feet/legs
-Toes pointed
Pike Jump
Requirements:
-Knees straight
-Legs horizontal or higher
-Hands on the legs/feet
-Knees and feet together
-Toes pointed
Seat Drop
Requirements:
-Knees straight
-Hands next to the body on the trampoline bed for support
-Knees and feet together
-Toes pointed
Swivel Hips
The swivel hips is one of the first combination of skills that a gymnast will learn. It's a seat drop, then a half twist into another seat drop without an intermediate jump to the feet. This skill also introduces the gymnast to the so cat twist, a form of twisting that is used in advanced skills like the piked barani.
Requirements:
-Feet and knees together
-Knees straight
-Toes pointed
Progression:
-Seat drop to feet
-Seat drop to half twist to feet
-Half twist to seat drop
-Seat drop to half twist to feet to seat drop
-Seat drop to half twist to seat drop (swivel hips)
Back Drop
The Back drop is the first backward rotation element the gymnast will learn.
Requirements:
-Legs pointing straight upwards
-Arms straight, pointing upwards
-Feet and knees together
-Knees straight
-Toes pointed
Progression:
To learn the back drop safely gymnasts should first practice falling to their back onto a mat without a trampoline. When attempting the skill on the trampoline a coach might spot the gymnast to prevent him/her from overrotating and landing on the head or neck. In the beginning the back drop will be performed from the feet and onto the feet again. Learning to do multiple back drops in succession will teach the gymnast a lot about body position on the trampoline .
Front Drop
The drop to the stomach introduces the gymnast to forward rotation and momentum.
Requirements:
-Knees and feet together
-Knees bent
-Toes pointed
-Hands in front of the face
-Head and shoulders supported by the arms on the bed