In partnership with
Adding the Back Handspring
1. Have someone spot you on the back handspring before you try it alone. Always put your safety first when working on new movements. Ask a coach or experienced friend or parent to work with you and help spot you as you learn the back handspring or add it to your roundoff.
Use an octagonal mat to practice the back handspring on its own or use it to practice adding the back handspring to the roundoff.
Land your roundoff just before the mat so you can practice extending backward into the back handspring.
Your momentum comes from backward movement. Be sure to get a little height for your back handspring, but not too much. If you jump straight up, it’ll actually be harder to complete the move, and you'll lose some momentum.
And before we continue, let’s take a commercial break.
The Flyover is an independent email newsletter (jointheflyover.com) launched in 2023 by Guy Short.
In short: Every morning it sends a brief, unbiased summary of the most important and interesting news of the day — just the facts, no spin.
It now has around 2.7–4+ million subscribers, is profitable, and offers regional state editions and podcasts.
The News Source 2.3 Million Americans Trust More Than CNN
The Flyover cuts through the noise mainstream media refuses to clear.
No spin. No agenda. Just the day's most important stories — politics, business, sports, tech, and more — delivered fast and free every morning.
Our editorial team combs hundreds of sources so you don't have to spend your morning doom-scrolling.
Join 2.3 million Americans who start their day with facts, not takes.
… back to the articleу 👇🏻
3. Flip backward as your arms swing back by your head. Try to avoid over-arching your back, and instead carry your power through your arms and torso. Use your legs to drive you upward and backward, and keep your toes pointed.
Try to keep your core as tight as you can while you complete the back handspring. This will make your movements more precise and will help you power through the tumbling pass.
Have a spotter help you as you practice. They will help support your weight through the back handspring to make sure you're safe and using good form.
Remember that you can use the tumble track or an octagonal map to help you practice before you try it on the floor.
4. Plant your hands on the floor. As you flip backward, let your hands touch the floor as your body stays arched. Keep your arms as straight as possible so your head doesn’t hit the ground. Place your palms flat against the floor so your fingers are pointed away from your head, and let the momentum of your legs propel your body backward.
Keep your head down between your arms.
Try to keep your legs together and keep your toes pointed.
5. Swing your legs over your hands into a brief handstand. This is a really quick moment and you don’t need to hold the handstand, but it can help to visualize it to get your body in the right position. Your legs and shoulders should be lined up as you flip over.
Try to keep the soles of your feet parallel to the ceiling as you hit the middle of the back handspring.
6. Push yourself off the ground with your arms. Use both your momentum and your arm strength to push yourself off the ground from the brief handstand. At this point, your legs should be swinging down, as you finish the back handspring.
And the last advertising pause
The article’s primary sponsor: 1440 Daily Digest is a popular daily email newsletter from the American company 1440 (Chicago), which has been in operation since 2017.
Tired of news that feels like noise?
Every day, 4.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news fix. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture — all in a brief 5-minute email. No spin. No slant. Just clarity.
… back to the articleу 👇🏻
7. Plant your feet on the ground as you land. Keep the momentum going and swing your legs and feet all the way over. As you land, bring your chest up and make sure your arms are straight and tight by your head. When you land, let your legs bend a little bit so you don’t fall.
Keep your upper body as straight as possible to help you keep your balance.
Try to keep your legs together as much as you can throughout the back handspring.
8. End by popping up and doing the finishing pose. Swing your arms straight in front of you as you pop up, and then place them up above your head when you land. Your feet should be next to each other and not wide apart.
Keep practicing your movements and don’t worry if it takes you a while to get things down. If you keep working hard, you’ll be able to do the entire roundoff back handspring in no time.
See you in the next article. I have finished telling you about this wonderful acrobatic element. I hope you were interested in reading it.😎
Artemus Vazhui