Front Handspring Series
Two or more Front Handsprings connected as a continuous forward tumbling series. The first Front Handspring must do more than simply land: it needs to deliver the athlete into a controlled, powerful and correctly aligned position from which the next Handspring can be produced without stopping, collapsing, twisting or losing shoulder-block quality.
Athletes should already have a consistent independent Front Handspring before repeated connected Handsprings are prioritised. Stop or regress for pain, repeated elbow collapse, head-contact risk, uncontrolled landing, significant twisting or increasing fear. Hands-on spotting must remain within appropriate qualification and practical coach competence.
What Is a Front Handspring Series?
Two or more connected Front Handsprings performed as one continuous tumbling pass.
The athlete completes the first Front Handspring with enough shoulder block, body speed and landing organisation that the finish can immediately feed into another Handspring.
A strong series should not look like one good Front Handspring followed by a weaker skill that has to rescue the first landing.
Ideally, the athlete preserves or improves body speed, direction and block quality through the pass.
The exact foot pattern and technical connection may vary according to the athlete's established legal technique, but the series must remain controlled, continuous and mechanically sound.
Prerequisites
Reliable Front Handspring
Athlete can perform the single skill independently with straight arms, active shoulders and controlled landing.
Active Shoulder Block
Athlete visibly pushes away from the floor rather than sinking passively through hand support.
Useful FHS Landing
The athlete lands in enough control to redirect force rather than collapsing forward or sideways.
Straight-Arm Endurance
The athlete can tolerate repeated dynamic hand contacts without elbows progressively softening.
Controlled Rebound
Athlete understands how to redirect force through the feet rather than absorbing everything into a deep landing.
Strong Heel Drive
Both Handsprings need active lower-body contribution rather than simply forward momentum.
Fast Leg Join
The athlete moves away from Front Walkover timing and can organise the legs quickly through the skill.
Consistent Travel Line
A series magnifies small direction errors, so the single skill should already travel predictably.
Weak Second Half
If a single Front Handspring finishes very low with no rebound potential, adding another Handspring is premature.
Series Flow
The First Front Handspring Sets Up Everything
Don't Over-Run
Excessive approach speed often makes the first skill harder to organise and leaves the second one chasing control.
Produce the Inversion
The rear leg actively drives the first Handspring instead of being carried by the run.
Create Separation
The athlete pushes away from the floor so the body can move efficiently toward the first landing.
Finish Ready
The first Front Handspring should deliver the athlete into a position from which another skill can be created.
FHS #1 → FHS #2
The series lives or dies in the connection between the two skills.
The Second Handspring Should Not Be the Weak One
✓ Series Quality Maintained
- Second skill has useful speed.
- Reach remains long.
- Heel drive stays aggressive.
- Elbows remain straight.
- Shoulders block actively.
- Legs still join efficiently.
- Travel direction remains consistent.
- Landing is as controlled as the first.
✕ Series Deteriorates
- Second skill becomes shorter.
- Hands land too close.
- Elbows bend.
- Shoulders sink.
- Back arches excessively.
- Legs separate.
- Second landing becomes very low.
- Athlete falls forward out of the pass.
Block Every Handspring
First Block Creates the Connection
A weak first block usually produces a heavy landing and leaves very little usable energy for FHS #2.
Don't Coast Through Support
The second Handspring still needs an active shoulder push. The athlete cannot simply rely on speed from the first.
Maintain Arm Quality
Elbows and shoulders should not progressively soften as more contacts are added.
One Travel Line
Land on the Line
Each set of hand contacts should remain consistent with the intended travel direction.
Stay Square
Minor hip rotation in the first skill often becomes a large diagonal by the final skill.
Avoid Lateral Landing
If the feet consistently move sideways after each skill, trace the error back to the hands, hips or entry.
Know the Travel Distance
Coaches should account for total pass distance when planning formations and safe training lanes.
Build the Series Without Losing the Single
Confirm entry, heel drive, straight arms, block, leg join and landing.
The athlete demonstrates ownership of the first landing rather than immediately covering faults with another skill.
Introduce deliberate force redirection while maintaining posture and line.
Teach the athlete to move from the first landing into a useful second-skill entry without collapsing.
Build the second inversion without yet requiring maximum pass speed.
Connect the skills using coach-selected progressions, equipment and assistance appropriate to the athlete.
Athlete performs both skills without external assistance and preserves technical quality.
Travel distance, hand placement and final landing become predictable across repetitions.
The series remains technically sound on count, under fatigue and alongside teammates.
Front Handspring Series Drills
Single FHS → Stick
Confirm that the first skill remains independently competition-ready.
FHS → Rebound
Teach the athlete to redirect rather than absorb all of the first skill's energy.
Rebound → Tall Position
Prevent the chest dropping dramatically between the two skills.
Repeated Handstand Blocks
Develop the ability to reproduce active shoulder elevation across repeated contacts.
Straight-Arm Support Sets
Build the endurance required to keep elbows strong through a series.
Heel Drive → Leg Join
Reinforce the lower-body timing needed in every Handspring.
Series Along a Floor Line
Expose gradual drift before it becomes normal technique.
FHS #1 vs FHS #2 Video
Compare hand distance, shoulder angle, block, leg shape and landing height between the two skills.
Two FHS → Stick
Require control at the end so the final skill does not disappear into uncontrolled forward momentum.
Short Coaching Cues
Common Series Problems & Fixes
| What You See | Likely Cause | Coach Should Check | Training Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| First FHS is rushed | Athlete is already thinking about skill two | Entry and first heel drive | Return to single FHS → stick. |
| First landing is extremely low | Weak block or late feet | First FHS second half | Improve the single before reconnecting. |
| Athlete pauses completely | Connection is not yet automatic | Landing confidence | Build FHS → rebound → entry progression. |
| Deep squat between skills | Energy is being absorbed | Landing posture | Train a quicker, more organised redirect. |
| Chest drops dramatically | Feet are late or landing is too heavy | First block and snap | Improve first Handspring finish. |
| Second FHS is much shorter | Momentum lost in connection | Rebound and reach | Rebuild connection rather than forcing speed. |
| Second FHS is very long and flat | Athlete throws momentum forward | Second heel drive and block | Restore active inversion and shoulder block. |
| Second elbows bend | Upper-body fatigue or poor line | Straight-arm endurance | Reduce series volume and rebuild support. |
| Shoulders sink more on second skill | Athlete relies on speed instead of blocking | Repeated shoulder action | Train repeated block drills. |
| Head moves toward floor | Arm or shoulder support fails | Safety | Stop series and regress. |
| Second FHS arches excessively | Chest/hips are poorly organised entering skill two | Connection body shape | Improve rebound posture and core control. |
| Legs separate in skill two | Leg-join timing deteriorates | Lower-body speed | Return to heel-drive → leg-join work. |
| Second knees bend | Fatigue or insufficient leg tension | Body-line quality | Reduce repetition volume and rebuild shapes. |
| Hands get progressively wider | Athlete loses shoulder alignment | Hand placement | Use line and hand-target work. |
| Series drifts sideways | Small directional error compounds | First point of deviation | Film from rear and use floor-line reference. |
| Series crosses another athlete's lane | Travel distance or direction not controlled | Space planning | Do not use in group tumbling until predictable. |
| Second landing is very low | Second block or snap is weak | FHS #2 second half | Train the second skill as an isolated single. |
| Athlete falls forward after series | Final feet are late or momentum uncontrolled | Final landing | Practise two FHS → stick. |
| Third FHS becomes dramatically worse | Series length exceeds current capacity | Quality of second skill | Return to a high-quality two-skill series. |
| Wrist, elbow or shoulder discomfort grows | Repeated loading volume may be excessive | Training volume | Stop and follow injury / workload procedures. |
| Athlete becomes fearful midway through series | Connection has become unpredictable | Confidence and progression level | Return to trusted single and connection drills. |
| Pain occurs | Possible injury | Stop activity | Follow academy injury procedures. |
What Supports a Strong Series?
Repeated Block Strength
Athlete must reproduce active shoulder elevation on every hand contact, not just the first.
Straight-Arm Endurance
Repeated dynamic supports demand enough capacity to prevent elbows softening through the series.
Progressive Load Tolerance
Series multiply hand contacts quickly, so volume should increase gradually.
Trunk Control
Helps prevent each later Handspring becoming progressively more arched.
Repeated Heel Drive
Each skill needs active hip extension rather than simply coasting on momentum.
Fast Feet Recovery
Supports the repeated feet-to-floor action required between skills.
Force Redirection
Strong ankle control supports connection mechanics and the final landing.
Repeated Power
The second Handspring still needs active lower-body force.
Quality Under Fatigue
Athletes need enough capacity that technique does not collapse simply because two skills are connected.
Front Handspring Series Safety
A series is not the place to learn basic Front Handspring support mechanics.
Repeated elbow collapse means series work should be reduced or regressed.
Stop immediately if failed arm support brings the head close to the surface.
Two Handsprings double the hand contacts of one repetition; three increase them again.
Athletes should have sufficient forward and lateral space for the entire expected travel distance.
More momentum is not a substitute for repeated shoulder block and landing control.
Series quality often deteriorates rapidly once shoulders and wrists fatigue.
Wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck or back pain should not be trained through.
Physical spotting and equipment progression require appropriate practical coach education.
Hotshots Video Library
Side view showing first block, connection, second entry and final controlled landing.
Compare hand distance, block, body shape, leg join and landing height.
Rear view showing straight travel versus gradually drifting off line.
Is the Series Ready?
GREEN · Ready
- Pain-free.
- Independent single Front Handspring.
- First skill remains competition-ready.
- Strong first block.
- Feet return quickly.
- Connection remains controlled.
- No excessive squat between skills.
- Second skill has strong heel drive.
- Second elbows remain straight.
- Second block remains active.
- Travel line remains predictable.
- Both skills show strong leg shape.
- Final landing is controlled.
AMBER · Developing
- Small pause between skills.
- Slightly low first landing.
- Second skill slightly shorter.
- Minor elbow softness.
- Leg join occasionally late.
- Slight directional drift.
- Final landing occasionally needs a step.
- Quality varies with fatigue.
RED · Regress
- Pain.
- Single Front Handspring unreliable.
- First landing collapses.
- Deep uncontrolled squat between skills.
- Second elbows collapse.
- Head approaches floor.
- Series twists significantly.
- Athlete crosses the training lane.
- Second FHS becomes a falling bridge.
- Significant fear.
- Coach must complete either skill.
Cleaning Front Handspring Series
Match More Than the First Skill
- Same approach count.
- Same FHS #1 hand-contact timing.
- Same FHS #1 block timing.
- Same first landing timing.
- Same connection rhythm.
- Same FHS #2 hand contact.
- Same FHS #2 block.
- Same final landing.
Match Travel Distance
Athletes can hit every count together and still look untidy if one travels dramatically farther than another.
Establish safe lanes and consistent start positions before judging the final formation.
IASF 2026–27 Context
Front Handspring(s)
The current IASF Level Appropriate document, updated 4 June 2026, explicitly lists Front Handspring(s) under Level 2 Running Tumbling.
The plural wording directly accommodates Front Handspring series within the current Level Appropriate framework.
Handspring Series
The current IASF 2025–2028 Level 2 Running Tumbling rules explicitly permit Handspring series.
Airborne twisting is not permitted at Level 2 running except for Round-Offs.
Front Handspring Series Checklist
Can They...
- Perform a competition-ready single FHS?
- Block actively through straight arms?
- Return the feet quickly?
- Control the first landing?
- Redirect force without a deep squat?
- Maintain chest organisation?
- Reach effectively into FHS #2?
- Drive the heel again?
- Maintain straight arms again?
- Block actively again?
- Stay on one predictable line?
- Finish the series under control?
Have You Checked...
- First FHS quality?
- First shoulder block?
- First landing height?
- Connection rhythm?
- Chest position between skills?
- Second heel drive?
- Second hand placement?
- Second elbow extension?
- Second shoulder block?
- Total travel distance?
- Final landing?
- Current IASF legality?