Notable gymnasts have always stood out because they had their own original style of gymnastics with the most amplitude, most difficulty or a completely unique style.
Tip #1 – Develop a Signature Skill or a Signature Skill Combination
While it may seem like all of the tricks on bars have been done, since there are literally thousands of possible bar skill combinations, a new unique bar combination is always a possibility. We used to develop new original bar skills by watching bar routines backwards.
Tip #2 – Develop a Signature Stick Position
Olga Korbut was known for signature stick position with an extremely arched back. There are many acceptable and stylish variations on a standard stick position, that you can work on and develop looking in a mirror. This is style that any level gymnast can develop.
Tip #3 – Flair Your Skills
Any release move (from the simplest to the most difficult) can be done with flaired arms, which adds a distinct style and an added level of apparent difficulty. Practicing and mastering flaired release moves over a loose foam pit is the best place to work on and master this. Floor bars are the perfect place to work on and master pirouettes and to develop your own style of flaired arms, or arm by your side, during the pirouette. So use floor bars to practice flairing your arms on pirouetting skills and flair your arms on release moves.
Tip #4 – Speed Giants
While men use speed giants or Chinese giants with an exaggerated tap, you don’t see any women doing that yet. Swinging between the bars with a perfectly orchestrated exaggerated tap swing will add both power and style to your bars. This is definitely an area of potential new style for women on bars.
Tip #5 – Ultimate Amplitude
On both release moves and dismounts, gymnasts doing maximum amplitude on these skills are few to none. How high can a release move or dismount go? The gymnasts who show us will have personal style and more. For ultimate bar style – Extend, extend, extend. Maximize every move.
Tip #6 – Style Makes Gymnasts Stand Out
Style makes gymnasts stand out in the minds of the judges and the spectators. It is more fun to do and practice skills and routines with style, than just to do them without any variety. Visualize what you want to do in your mind. If you can think it, you can do it. See yourself as graceful and with your own unique gymnastics style and then go ahead and create for yourself. You and the sport will be the better for it.
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