I do gymnastics already and am in level 3. A cartwheel is a basic level 1 skill. I cannot do one! Not even close.
I can do handstands and harder skills.
I am definitely strong enough, flexible enough and balanced enough. I have watched many tutorials and videos. I have read many instructions and asked my coach. Still, no results. I video myself and I am shocked. I can't do one. I practise my strength and cartwheels everyday on an open grass field, I practise at gym with a my coach.
If you can give me an answer, any are appreciated, I will be extremely grateful.
thanks.
First off try it both sides. Some people prefer to lead with their left and some with their right and it doesn't always match their handedness when writing.
It should help that you can do a handstand because you are used to supporting your body weight on your hands and balancing yourself, feet over hips over shoulders over hands.
There are two different common methods for learning a cartwheel. There's the bunny hop method. I found a good video for this method here: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-do-a... Another variation on that method is to chalk a V on the floor and do your bunny hop or baby cartwheel so that you are starting on one leg of the V, putting your hands in the middle, and landing on the other leg of the V.
The second method is the side-to-side cartwheel where you stand in a strong X shape, imagining yourself inside of a circle like in DaVinci's famous drawing showing the proportions of man. You rock back onto your weaker foot the fall onto your stronger foot using momentum to carry you through onto your hands and back to feet, hand, hand, foot, foot, maintaining the same strong X-shape throughout.
I think both methods have their advantages. They focus on teaching different aspects so one method might work better for one person and the other for another depending on what particular difficulties they have with the move or they might need to work with both methods.
Either way once you are comfortable and have made good progress with your chosen progression you will need to convert that into a proper cartwheel from a lunge in. When you reach that point take a long lunge and reach forwards holding your arms, leg and back leg in straight line as you would for a handstand (but make a quarter twist with your hands just before you put them down.)
You should keep practicing like Mia said. Your problem might be that you are rushing into the skill. Learning skills is a gradual process, I would know because I've been doing gymnastics for while, but I'll try to give some pointers. First, start with your arms up and tight to your head. Then, make sure to 'T' into your cartwheel, where your body is in a T position with your arms, back, and your bad leg in a straight line. Then, kick over the top of your head, not to the side, and make sure to kick hard enough and go 100%! Then at the end, your bad foot should be in front and you should be landing in a t position to finish, too. Remember to be tight, it will help you. If you are still having trouble, ask your coach and she should be able to tell you.
what how r u in lvl 3 ur coach should be helping u
never been able to do em
keep practising!
