Why do we coach an arm swing and not arm set?
Background
Where did the arm set come from?
Historically the front somersault developed with an arm chop which was thought necessary to create rotation (1970’s onwards). In order to get the arms into the correct position performers were taught to do a front somersault with a tuck jump before it. This was easy to teach with an early arm release to land with arms vertical.
When trying to teach front somersaults without tuck jumping, coaches developed the early arm set, with arms vertical on touching down.
Current position
Current thoughts are even further along the lines that an arm set is required, but an early arm set is not the technique being taught at the highest levels. The technique is now being taught as a late arm set to reach vertical position just at the bottom of the bed. The reasoning behind this is that it is suggested that more somersault rotation (torque) is generated by having arms up at initiation of a somersault and a late fast swing sets the body position (hopefully in a vertical position) by increasing the moment of inertia at the correct time.
Once a performer somersaults in every move, current coaching philosophy seems correct. The question is how do you get performers from beginners through intermediate to advanced levels? Current BG resources suggest removing arm swings from beginners routines and always landing and taking off with arms up. This is a consistent philosophy with the end goal, but is not the only way to get to good form in advanced “purely somersaulting” routines. Landing with arms swinging to vertical by bottom is very important when doing straight Triffus and fliffus moves (consider how much angular momentum you have), but single somersaults can be controlled by training “out at top” and landing arms down.
There are two other approaches to get to the good form we want. The first is to have different arm movements depending on what comes next in a routine. So for example tuck jump, ½ twist jump would have different arm swings to tuck jump, front somersault. I don’t recommend this method as every routine will have different arm movements.
The second approach is to teach arm swing into every move including early somersaults. For this approach the arm position is down to land and swings to shoulder height by the time the performer leaves the bed.
All 3 progressive methods require a change in arm action as the performer’s level gets better and all are simply different routes to the same end.
I prefer approach number 3 as it fits with how I learnt to trampoline. As a coach, you need to understand all three methods so you can easily transfer your skills to other clubs.
The detailed reasons for the choice at Bedford flyers are:
1. Method 1 is currently taught as arms up on entering and leaving the bed for all simple skills up to somersault. Moves taught like this have no arm movement that is mechanically useful to the performer. To arm set at the correct time requires enough time in the bed and is difficult with all basic moves. So all early moves are taught with an incorrect arm action and the timing of arm movements refined as the skill progresses. So routines with skills at different stages will have different arm actions.
2. One reason given for the benefits of teaching via a static vertical arm position is “increased stability”. But instability only results on the trampoline from incorrect (early) application of force so in my opinion it’s better to learn to apply force correctly from the start with low bouncing and an arm swing.
3. Arm swinging from bottom to top of bed gives you more thrust (action - reaction) so less output is required from the legs. My opinion is that incorrect timing of leg push is a main reason why beginners go off balance.
4. Arm swinging all the time means every move ends and begins the same so linking moves should be easier.
5. FIG judging rules suggest arms should be down for as long as possible on landing.
6. Arm position on entering the bed has nothing to do with travelling somersaults which is caused by inappropriate leaning or poor rotation control.
7. Arm swing looks better in my opinion for early non-somersaulting routines.
So the progressions you need to know for introducing somersaults into routines are:
1. Arm swing in, no kick out, arms up to land
2. Arm swing in, introduce kick out, and arms down to land. (arms to swing with ¼ somersault to go)
3. As above but arms completely down to land
4. Same as above add tuck jump
5. Same as above add new somersault.
6. Same as above remove tuck jump and allow performer to regulate/ fine tune landing with arm movements
Now progression from simple moves with arm swing to somersaults requires little re-training of arms on take-off phase. The arms can be used in teaching somersaults to slow the aerial phase and so practice the rotation necessary to introduce “Kickout”. This is consistent with the landing taught in current courses. Once “arms up” landing is achieved, you have enough rotation to add “Kick out” and change to arms down position. Once there are sufficient somersaults in each routine, arms can be trained to release on or just before first contact at the same time as kick out.
For fliffus, rudy, full and other advanced skills, use a set up move like back somersault with arms swinging ¼ somersault to go so they are vertical by bottom of bed. This set up move can be used with all progressions.