Topic: Doing a higher backflip

[Cody Anderson]

Ok, so I can do a back tuck standing on hard ground with no problem, and i can do one running up a wall, but i want to start being able to add twists to my back flips. Any tips or exercises i can do to get a higher jump/flip?

[Jeremy Osborn]

Jump higher? Rotate faster?
Squats might increase jump height.. correct me please if im saying something wrong..

[Zombehs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15XxFywPC3g

[Alec Furtado]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15XxFywPC3g

Yea...  read what people say before just listing some link with no relevance to what they asked.


In general, you may want to work on higher jumps. If you have good form, that should translate into your standing back tucks. You can just do squat jumps or you can even start lifting... things like dead lifts.

To land better on a straight back tuck, you can most likely tuck tighter, but that won't necessarily help as much with adding fulls (twisting) into the equation. I still have trouble with fulls myself so hopefully someone else can weigh in on that. You may want to ask a gymnastics trainer. The trainers at the open gym I go to are more than happy to help out with things like that, no special session or extra money required.

[Zombehs]

[play nice -Zac]. I had another post but the embed link didn't work so I just posted the link and deleted the old post.

Basically this is good for a higher vertical but doesn't help standing still. Also it could help with the wall flip as well, or a gainer flip and add some 180 flair or something like that.

[Jeremy Osborn]

You know you CAN edit posts right?..

[Zombehs]

Didn't realise

[Jeremy Osborn]

Glad to help 

[Scott Steinmetz]

Can you post a video of your backflip?

Before you go working on your leg muscles to jump higher, I'd make sure your backflip technique is geared towards height.


Let me explain, a breakdancer I know has learned backflips to incorporate into his dancing, but he doesn't tuck, he throws himself up and back and torques himself around. It looks stylized and cool, but it doesn't get him height.

A decent amount of people who do backflips tend to do them similarly (in my experience, including myself). They may not exaggerate it as much, but they aren't jumping COMPLETELY vertically and then tucking, they're throwing their head back and jumping which loses height.

I only mention this second fact because it looks like, from your picture, you may be doing a fairly exaggerated example of this, and normally the fastest way to gain height / distance is by improving technique.

[Caleb M. Iuliano]

If your technique is correct you'll be able to do a full. Height comes mainly from your technique and using your set to lift your center of gravity. Having stronger legs can help you add height, but its not necessary. If you have a good tuck, you just have to learn how to twist and the technique is exactly the same

[Cody Anderson]

Can you post a video of your backflip?

Before you go working on your leg muscles to jump higher, I'd make sure your backflip technique is geared towards height.


Let me explain, a breakdancer I know has learned backflips to incorporate into his dancing, but he doesn't tuck, he throws himself up and back and torques himself around. It looks stylized and cool, but it doesn't get him height.

A decent amount of people who do backflips tend to do them similarly (in my experience, including myself). They may not exaggerate it as much, but they aren't jumping COMPLETELY vertically and then tucking, they're throwing their head back and jumping which loses height.

I only mention this second fact because it looks like, from your picture, you may be doing a fairly exaggerated example of this, and normally the fastest way to gain height / distance is by improving technique.

i think my technique is right. I jump up first to go as high as i can and then do the flip, i posted a video anyway tho just in case. the quality is pretty bad cuz i used my phone and my back hurt at the time but maybe it'll help
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqDFjnDlP9E

[Alec Furtado]

You swing back a lot and don't use your arms fully. Jump up extending your arms up as hard as you can a couple of times. It should be so much that you almost fall backwards when you land. People say to keep looking forward at something but I usually don't. That's called the set. It may take just doing it a lot to counter any last second fear that may be causing your short set.

Then just make sure you tuck tightly... I usually tell people to slap their ankles so that I can hear it.

There is a different version of the backflip though... to do them layed out (lay-out backflip). I've found you can focus on thrusting your hips up as high as you can and ley yourself go back. This is best done from height, as you will probably need to tuck at least a little bit to finish the flip maybe unless you have massive hops.