After take-off, the gymnast rotates forward during the first flight phase; the feet induce this rotation by the active backward swing. The head is raised up and the eyes look at the hands. The shoulders are behind the hand support. With a short and strong push-up from the shoulders and hands, the gymnast moves to the second flight phase. The slightly arched body continues in the upward and forward rotation, the head is between the arms. Just before landing, the arms swing sideward and downward, the legs are mildly bent.

The linear velocity generated by the run-up is partially converted into a rotational motion of the body around the transverzal axis during the take-off from the springboard. The rotation is caused by the moment of inertia when the feet on the springboard or the hands on the apparatus are motionless. The gymnast pushes up just before the angle between the arms and the apparatus reaches 90°. In the second flight phase, the trajectory of the body's centre of gravity is given by the vector sum of the horizontal velocity and the arm push-up velocity. The body's rotation is affected by the body's arching, as implied by the law of conservation of angular momentum.

1. Excessive forward trunk lean during the take-off from the springboard, almost simultaneous rebound from the springboard and touchdown on the apparatus (missing the first flight phase), head flexion at the moment of support on the apparatus, hip flexion and consequently insufficient speed of the backward leg swing during the element execution.

• Physical preparation 1

  Jumping pre-elements are required before practicing the handspring forward.

  Go to pre-elements
• Physical preparation 2

  To strengthen the muscles of the brachial plexus, we can perform exercises in a front support.

• Physical preparation 3

  For dynamic arm work, we perform bounces off the wall. Bounces off the wall can also be done from a jump.

• Drill 1

  Gymnast performs a handstand and a fall on his back onto a foam mat.

• Drill 2

  This is followed by practicing the run-up, the jump to a handstand and the fall on the back on an elevated surface.

• Drill 3

  Jump from the trampoline to a handstand on the vaulting table and fall on the back onto the elevated surface.

• Drill 4

  The next step is handspring from a elevated surface with spotting.

• Drill 5

  Then the gymnast practices the whole handspring with assistance, then without it.

When practicing the complete handspring, the more experienced spotter helps the gymnast during the first flight phase, standing at the springboard, with one hand supporting the gymnast in the chest area and with the other above the knee, thus facilitating the transition to handstand. The second spotter stands behind the apparatus, holds the gymnast by the arm and in the hip area and helps him/her in the second flight phase until the landing.