How to Do a Roundoff Back Tuck

A round off back tuck is an advanced tumbling move. You should be in good physical condition and have a strong body. A good round off with a strong rebound will prepare you to do a back tuck. With a good coach and plenty of practice you can master this move.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Doing A Roundoff

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    Get a good run. It is best for you to do a running round off to prepare yourself to do a round off back tuck. Run for a few steps and then hop with your right foot. Lift you arms up as you hop with your right foot.[1] Make sure you are running on your toes and are not flat-footed.
    • Make a line that marks the distance where you will start your run. The distance from where you start your run to where you plant your hands for your round off should be the length of your body plus the length of your arm.[2]
    • You can practice your round off without running first if you would like. If you can do a standing round off, you will definitely be able to do a running round off.
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    Plant your hands. Make a wide step with your left leg, reach your arms forward, and plant your left hand (your fingers should be pointing to the left) at a 90 degree angle in the direction that your round off is going. Plant your right hand right after you plant your left hand. The fingers of your right hand should be pointing back towards your body.[3]
    • Swing up your right leg as you plant your left hand and extend your knees and ankles. Your right leg should stay in line with your trunk.
    • Keep your stomach tight as you make this movement.
    • Your arms and legs should be fully extended.
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    Push yourself off the ground. Once both of your hands are on the ground, you can push yourself off of the ground. Shrug your shoulders upwards and push down on the ground with your hands. Your elbows should be straight as you are pushing.[4]
    • Keep your stomach muscles tight as you are pushing.
    • Your knees should also be straight during this movement as well.
    • Have a slight bend in your back as you are pushing. Your body should look like a banana.
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    Bring your legs together. As you plant your hands,bring your legs into the air. Bring your legs together as you hit the handstand position (i.e. the midpoint of the round off). Do not bring your legs together too early or you will not have enough momentum to do your back tuck.
    • It will take practice to get the timing right.
    • Bring your legs around as quickly as you can. A hard push will help you bring your feet to the ground quickly.
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    Turn your body. Once you have reached the halfway point of the round off, you must turn your body to the left. You will land with your body facing the direction that you started your round off. Your body should be completely turned by the time you take your hands off the floor.[5]
    • You are jumping from your hands to your feet as you turn your body.
    • Do not turn anymore once your hands have left the ground.
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    Land your round off. Your hips should be in line with your feet when you land. Since you are planning to follow your round off with a back tuck, land on the balls of your feet. Finish your round off with a rebound jump to prepare you to do a back tuck.
    • Jump straight up during your rebound jump.
    • Do not lock your knees as you land. You do not want to hurt yourself.
    • Keep your hands in line with your head and trunk during your landing.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Doing a Back Tuck

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    Stand up straight. Start with your feet together and your arms extended above your head. Stretch your body as far as you can with your shoulders right next to your ears. Tighten your abdominal muscles and stand on the balls of your feet.[6]
    • Inhale before you jump.
    • Look straight ahead and choose a spot to focus on.
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    Bring your arms down. Swing your arms down to prepare for your jump. If you are a beginner, you will probably be more comfortable swinging your arms behind your back. However, for the best back tuck, stop your swing when your arms become horizontal.
    • Bend your knees to a 45 degree angle as you swing your arms down.
    • If you are beginner, bend your knees to a 90 degree angle as you swing your arms.
    • Keep your upper body straight as you swing. You will want to lean forward, but do your best to stay upright.
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    Jump in the air. As you swing your arms, extend your legs and jump. Fully extend your body before you begin to tuck your legs. Look straight ahead as you are jumping and keep your eyes on the focal point that you have chosen.
    • Exhale as you jump
    • Keep your abdominal muscles tight as you jump.
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    Tuck your legs. Once you have reached the highest point and fully extended your body, tuck your legs and grab your shins. Bring your legs to your chest. Do not try to reach down and grab your legs. Stop looking at your focus point once you are in the tuck position.[7]
    • Round your back as you bring your knees and hands together.
    • Keep your abdominal muscles tight during the tuck.
    • Having good form during your tuck will help you rotate your body.
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    Land your back tuck. To stop the rotation, open up your body and extend your legs. Lift your hands over your head and look straight forward. Keep your eyes open so that you can see the ground as you are landing.[8]
    • Land on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent
    • Your start position and your end position should look exactly the same.
    • Do not relax your abdominal muscles until you have completed the back tuck.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Combining Your Round Off and Back Tuck

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    Have a strong rebound. Your round off rebound sets you up for your back tuck. If you have a weak rebound, you will not have a smooth transition between the two movements. Jump as high as you can when you land your round off. Imagine that you are trying to touch the ceiling.
    • If you are having problems transitioning, practice landing your round off with your hands up in the air.
    • Focus on keeping your back straight and landing with your knees bent.
    • Before your rebound is finished, your body should be completely straight.
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    2
    Tuck tightly. At the highest point of your rebound, go into the tuck position. Try to squeeze your body into a tight ball. Having a tight tuck will help you rotate more quickly and rotate a full 360 degrees before you land.
    • You can grab your shins or wrap your arms around your knees as you turn.
    • Keep your head straight during the tuck.
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    Have someone spot you. If you are trying a round off back tuck for the first time, have someone spot you. A spotter can help you through your back tuck motion, point out your errors, and suggest adjustments to improve your round off back tuck. As you get better, your spotter will make gradual changes until you can do the round off back tuck completely on your own.[9]
    • Work with an experienced spotter who has helped someone before.
    • A spotter can also give you confidence if you are scared about doing the back tuck portion.
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    4
    Practice as much as you can. The more repetitions you do, the better you will get. Repetitions can also help build your confidence. Practice on a mat or springboard at first. You will definitely fall a few times before you get the hang of it.
    • If you are struggling with a certain aspect of the round off back tuck, focus your practice to that area.
    • For example, if you want to improve the speed at which you bring your legs down during your round off, do a handstand and practice snapping your legs down as fast as you can.
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    Use positive self-talk. Many people have a fear of going backwards. While you may actually be physically prepared and have the skills needed to perform a round off back tuck, you may be held back by your mental state. Positive affirmations can help you get over this fear.[10]
    • Write down statements such as "I enjoy doing round off back tucks" or "I look forward to practicing my round off back tuck."
    • Take your affirmations with you to practice or say them out loud before, during, and after practice.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I use the rebound to make myself flip and go up together instead of just up?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Set back and pull your knees. That should give you enough power to flip. Try it on a Tumbl track with a spotter first to get the feel of it.
  • Question
    How do I get over the fear of doing the back tuck part?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Try first on a trampoline and keep practicing. Keep doing it on a trampoline if you are continuously scared, as eventually you'll get the hang of it and it'll feel just fine.
  • Question
    Whenever I try this, I keep landing on my knees. What am I doing wrong?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You are going too low. You have to push up high, so ask for a spotter until you feel comfortable.
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Warnings

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References

  1. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_cartwheel
  2. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_cartwheel
  3. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_round_off
  4. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_round_off
  5. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_round_off
  6. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_back_flip_tuck
  7. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_back_flip_tuck
  8. ↑ http://www.flashmavi.com/gymnastics_floor_back_flip_tuck
  9. ↑ https://cheerleadingdaily.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/mental-blocks-standing-tucks/
  1. ↑ https://usagym.org/pages/home/publications/technique/2006/7/pdf/backwards.pdf

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 44,802 times.
38 votes - 54%
Co-authors: 16
Updated: June 13, 2021
Views: 44,802
Categories: Tumbling (Gymnastics)
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