Q&A for How to Do a Round Off in Gymnastics

Block with your hands — or, press off of the ground as you come out of your roundoff — to maintain your momentum.

Push your legs up halfway and keep them in control. Keep practicing, as it takes a while to improve a round off.

It sounds like you're landing flat-footed. Try landing more on your the balls of your feet. If that does not help, then use a gymnastics mat to soften the landing and protect your feet.

Practice turning your hips when you're about to land. This will help you get in the right direction when you finish. Doing a round off takes time, so just keep practicing and eventually you will learn.

Maybe try some ace bandages for your ankles. If that doesn't work, then refrain from landing fast and practice landing slower.

You can practice joining your legs together in the middle of the cartwheel or doing handstands. You can also practice hands and hops and handstand snap downs. Remember to push off with your shoulders before landing.

A round off is not just a cartwheel; you land on both feet at the same time, and in the middle of the round, you do a handstand and land on both feet at the same time. Knowing how to cartwheel might be helpful in your sense of balance and strength when executing the round off.

You must keep your body straight and tight. Your arms should never be going away from your ears, and your kick needs to be strong. Lunge with your shoulders above your knee, and your knee over your heel.

You could push through your shoulders a little bit more, and focus on pushing with both hands at the same time to pop off.

You need to bring your legs all the way together to land both feet at the same time.

Flexibility is not important in doing a round off. You just need to be able to do a cartwheel and add speed, keeping your legs together when you land.

When you take of from the lunge position, try to stretch and tense your leg muscles to try and keep them straight.

No, but knowing how to do a split can help keep your cartwheel straight. It can also help you do a cartwheel on the balance beam.

You can try to run and hurdle into the skill, which should give you more power and make you go straighter. You can also get something like masking tape and use it to make a line on the floor or ground to help aim your landing better.

Start at a soft surface, such as a trampoline. Then soon as you have it down pat, try it on a floor mat.

Practice balance skills. Also, just practice landing. To do that, jump up, then land on your toes.

Slowing your pace when going into the Round Off will cause you to have less momentum and give you more time to spring off.

Just go for it. Try it on a mat or maybe with a pillow and slowly progress from it. Once you do it you shouldn’t be scared anymore.

Not exactly, but it will make your connections look a lot better, and it will get you your roundoff back handspring and other skills if you wish to get them.

On a wall, go into a handstand. Then, have a spotter put a hair tie on your ankles. Hold it for a second, then twist your body and act as your finishing a round off. Keep doing this, and you'll get the hang of it.

You should put your legs together when your legs are in the middle of the air. Some tips for a good round off: don't land with your butt out and get a lot of momentum.

You don't want to put your feet together in the middle of the cartwheel because it could stop you from being able to brace yourself on your landing.

Because it's your strongest and you will balance better that way.

You have to squeeze your legs tightly to bring them together, but don't worry about the beauty of your round off when you're first learning. Continue to focus on your form.

The correct way to do a round-off is to pop. Try doing some handstand pops to practice.

You are supposed to land with your legs bent. If you land with your legs straight, you could hurt your knees.

Try doing it on a mini trampoline where you put your hands on it and whip around. It is basically a cartwheel, but when you get to a handstand position snap your legs and push off. The momentum from the push should help bring your legs up together.

Try to straighten them from the beginning and then lock your knees throughout the roundoff.

Just like in a cartwheel. Put your hands down sideways, and rotate your entire body.

You're not turning in the air. You're doing a handstand mid air, which brings you down into a round off. It's easier than it looks.