The initial position is the straddle sit, with grip close to the thighs. The gymnast gets into the inverted pike upper arm support position with the head flexed with eyes looking at the knees. The forward-downward movement of the hips initiates a rotational motion followed by a quick regrasp before the hips drop below the level of the bars, the body is still bent at hips. Then the gymnast spreads his legs and completes the rotation to the final straddle sit support with his hands behind his hips.

• Technique variants

View of the practitioner

The gymnast begins in a straddle sit, with the body's centre of gravity above the base of support. This is formed by the external contact points between the body and the bars. When moving into the inverted pike support position, the body tilts while maintaining balance, thus the position of the centre of gravity slightly rises. Only the following initiation of the rotational movement into the roll shifts the centre of gravity forward and out of the support base. Therefore, the gymnast must perform a quick regrasp to create a new base of support so that his hips do not sink between the bars and he is able to complete the element in the straddle sit.

• Insufficient bending of the body at the waist.
• Late regrasp.
• Insufficient leg straddle

• Physical preparation 1

  Practice pike lying position and streddle sit, then in sequence.

• Drill 1

  First practice roll forward on a mat placed on the bars.

• Drill 2

  Perform the entire element first with assistance, then without it.

The spotter supports the gymnast with one hand on back under the bar, the other hand holds gymnasts thigth first rising it to inverted pike support position, after completing the regrasp, slowing it to get slowly into sit.