A half twist jump is a perfect skill for your students to learn, which they can develop into more advanced skills that combine other moves like a seat landing. This basic skill allows your students to build their trampolining techniques and confidence, as it enables them to create a transition within a sequence.
A half twist is a feet to feet jump which sees your students turn 180 degrees in mid-air as they jump. This means your students, after completing the jump, will face the opposite way.
The difficulty level of this jump is 0.0 as there is no complex skill to rotating sideways, and it can be practised on the floor and then on the trampoline.
Here’s how to teach a half twist jump…
Step One: Teach Your Students The Basics
Often younger students may get confused with how far around they need to twist and jump. One of the best ways to teach the basics of this skill is to use the example of a clock.
Begin by getting your students to practice their straight jumps on a mat on the floor. Explain that the direction they’re facing when they start is 12 o’clock facing, and then have them jump and turn to face 3 o’clock, then 6 o’clock, then 9 o’clock, and finally back to where they started, moving by 90 degrees each time.
Once they have completed a full circuit and feel confident in completing a 90 degrees twist, you should then get them ready to move from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock. This is the half twist move that sees them twist to face the opposite direction to the one they started in.
Step Two: Get Your Students To Practise
Making sure that your students keep practising on their mats allows them to build up their confidence, making it easier for your students to complete the move on the trampoline.
Your students can practise in groups of two or three and score each other from 1-10 on how well they complete the moves. This should help them to improve, and by the time they are ready to get on the trampoline, they should be performing the twist effectively.
Step Three: Completing A Half Twist
The next step is to get your students completing the skill on the trampoline. They should feel positive with their development of the move and ready to perform.
Get them to start by straight jumping. If they don’t feel confident enough, especially if they’re younger students, you can use a mat for extra safety, to act as a confidence builder.
Like step two, your students need to move from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock in one twisting jump. Whilst jumping your students should raise their arms above their heads, stretching them out as much as possible, then bringing them back down as they complete the twist. This will help their momentum. Make sure they keep their back straight at all times.
Fixing Common Problems When Teaching A Half Twist
A common problem with a half twist jump is your students’ balance. Your students may fall at first when they try to complete the jump on the trampoline. This can be easily corrected by encouraging them to focus on a fixed point on the wall, rather than looking at their feet or the bed of the trampoline. It’s also helpful to continue to get your students to practise a quarter twist at 90 degrees instead.
Help From The Experts…
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