The press to handstand is a skill that opens a lot of doors in the world of hand balancing. It is also one of the primary movements that can distinguish someone to be "above amateur status".
This movement is a combination of strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and timing. It is an impressive display of body control and awareness once it has been mastered.
Here are four common mistakes often made in the learning process toward achieving this skill:
1. Downward Shoulder Collapse
Shoulder tension is what supports the upper body and allows the legs to lift. It is crucial to have the shoulders set prior to transferring weight to the hands.
During the weight transfer it is crucial to maintain the same shoulder position. This will take greater tension as more weight is applied.
As soon as the shoulder break form, the rest of the body follows.
2. Forward Shoulder Collapse
The goal for the press is to minimize shoulder lean as much as possible. This makes the movement more efficient and reduces strain on the wrist.
Stronger people tend to bend their arms when they press mainly because they lean too far forward and either lose leverage or are trying to relieve the pressure on their wrists.
It takes more flexibility and coordination to minimize the lean, but this technique can save a lot of energy. The feeling should be that the force is applied downward into the floor, not forward.
3. Early Hip Extension
In a press, timing and order is everything. The hips should be the last thing to open on the way up. However, it is easy to make the error of opening the hips before the shoulders and back have aligned. This causes misalignment and will have a higher energy cost.
For more information on order of operations, see this article I wrote while back: www.yuri-mar.com/blog/2014/2/1...
4. Failure to Articulate Spine
A lot of work in this movement is performed from curling and extending the spine. It creates another way to keep the legs close to the body, which will help to minimize shoulder lean.
The back should not remain as one piece here, but rather act as an intermediary between the shoulders and hips.
The flaw here can be either a lack of mobility or simply the inability to coordinate the rounding of the back.
I hope this is helpful. Don't forget to follow my facebook and instagram for regular hints, tips, and thoughts.
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The name of the song is "Resolve" by Nathan Lanier