If at first you don't succeed...try a different approach!

We’ve all heard the saying "If at first you don’t succeed…try, try, again." I’d like to propose an amendment to this saying to apply it to tumbling. I’d like you to believe…"If at first you don’t succeed…try a different approach".
Think about it. How often do you try a skill over and over and over and bust and bust and bust? How often do you hear your coach say the exact same thing over and over and over to you? It is great to try, try, and try again, but what if you are just making the same mistake over and over and over again? Maybe it is time to try something different. If you are doing a back handspring and falling on your head over and over and over, ask your coach what to do differently. If that doesn’t work, ask again. A bigger arm swing, a faster jump, stronger arm muscles, the position of your wrists, etc all factor into your landing. Maybe you haven’t figured out what to fix yet. If you do not try a different approach, you might not be able to land off of your head. Try a different approach.
Think about that one skill that scares the daylights out of you. How many times do you do the skill on the floor with a spot? You can try and try and try again but if you are not mentally ready to throw the skill alone, maybe it is time to try something different. Instead of throwing a standing back on the floor with a spot 48 times, maybe try and throw it on the tumble track alone. If the thought of throwing a standing back tuck alone makes you want to cry, maybe try a round off back tuck or a jump to back tuck first. Try a different approach.
Think about a time when you feel like you were just stuck. Maybe you’ve had a back handspring for three years but never progressed beyond that. Instead of just trying and trying and trying the same skill again, maybe it is time to try something different. If running tumbling just isn’t your thing yet, maybe try some back handspring stepouts or be really motivated and try a standing back tuck. If you feel stuck with the same skill set, try a different approach!
Next time you feel you are getting into a tumbling rut, talk to the instructor that you work best with and work most often with. Ask him/her what can I do DIFFERENTLY? What different skill can I try, what new technique can I try, what work at home can I try, where in the gym can I try and throw, etc. You can always email
HeatherAskHeatherCF@yahoo.com and I will answer! Remember, "If at first you don’t succeed…try a different approach!"