Gym Coach, Vol.

4 (2010) 7-11

www.thegypress.net Clinic Transcript

Coaching the Tkatchev on Uneven Bars

Presented by Bart Roskoski
Flips Gymnastics, Minnesota, Unite States (ed. Valentin Uzunov)

Abstract
This article is a summary of Bart Roskoski’s presentation at the 2010 Minnesota Women’s State Congress on release skills
for Uneven Bars. The notes collected in this article contain instructions on teaching the Tkatchev. Bart Roskoski explains
he often teaches the Tkatchev at his gym, starting with his Level 8 optional gymnasts. He begins by first teaching falling
and re-grasping drills and stresses these are very important for athletes to master in order to safely perform this skill,
particularly at meets. He then outlines a series of drills for developing the gymnast’s understanding and spatial orientation
on floor, tramp bar (including a clever alternative training aid for clubs without access to a tramp bar), and tramp. He
argues there is no need to use all or many drills and encourages using specific drills to target individual problems. He ends
by describing training progressions on a single pit bar rail, although he personally spends most of his coaching time
between the channel-bar (which was not available at the facility at which he presented the lecture.)

Keywords: release skills, high bar, reverse hetch

PRESENTATION
Introduction of release skills begins formally at level 8. All three major releases - Tkatchev, Geinger, and Jaeger - are
introduced to all gymnasts in 2 week training blocks during the summer. During this period Bart observes how each
gymnast responds to a variety of drills and asks for the gymnast’s opinion and preferences in the skill selection. At the end
of the 6 weeks period, he and the gymnast decide which release the gymnast is most comfortable with.

FALLING AND REGRASPING

Regardless of the release skill selected, all gymnasts learn a series of fall and re-grasp drills. The idea behind this method
is that “If you want a high release skill, you need to teach them to fall from high”. The following drills were demonstrated
by his gymnasts in this sequence of learning progression: (All drills are presented by Kiki Parenteau)
(Note: Gymnasts first learn how to do these drills onto 2-3 8’’ (20cm) crash mats. As they develop competency and
mastery of the drills, they will do the drills a couple of times onto
a single 8in mat. This is to simulate a real fall situation)

1- Tap swings to front drop: From a couple of tap swings the

gymnast lets go at peak of back swing to land on stomach.
(Coach must stress to the gymnast the importance of
maintaining a hollow shape with arms by ears at back swing to
prevent over rotation and arching on release, which is extremely
dangerous. The gymnast should be looking down at the ground
and maintain a neutral head position on release.) (Video 1)

2- Small cast to front drop: From a small cast on high bar (or
low bar in the beginning) the gymnast bails away and releases to a
front drop. The same key points stressed on the front drop from
tap swings apply: maintaining hollow, arms by ears, looking down
at ground, neutral head position. (Video 2)

VIDEO 1 : Tap swing to front drop

©2010 The Gym Press. All rights reserved Gym Coach Vol.4, October, 2010 -7-
VIDEO 2: Cast to front drop (drill 2) VIDEO 3: From stand on high bar jump to front drop (drill 3)

3- From stand jump back front drop: From standing on top

of high bar, jump back to front drop. (Video 3)
These progressions do take some time, and should be introduced
during the summer while playing around with the different
releases.

Once the gymnast understands how to fall, she needs to learn how
to catch. Bart teaches this by having the gymnast stand on the
bar, jump back and catch to swing through (Video 4). He
emphasized the importance of having the gymnast throw hooks
rather than trying to grab the bar - “we teach them to throw hooks
over the bar”. This way allows the gymnast to catch whether they
release perfectly or are a little short and hit with the wrist (as it
often happens in Geinger and Jeagers releases).

VIDEO 4: Jump to catch drill.

THE TKATCHEV TECHNIQUE

Bart’s opening remark emphasized that “[a] long Tkatchev is a

safe Tkatchev”, and that is priority

“In a picture perfect world the head will be neutral on release”

and as the gymnast sits up they can look for the bar. However,
based on his personal experience, Bart he has had more success
teaching the Tkatchev with the head in at the beginning. Once
the gymnast has caught “a few thousand Tkatchev”, he will try to
fix the head position, simply for the sakes of getting it bigger, but
for consistency, he starts with head in. As a result, all drills
performed should also be done with the head in. Bart points out
that different coaches give different visual cues for the head, but
based on previous success, he emphasizes the gymnast should
look at the sternum.

Figure 1 - Courtney Kupets performing a Tkatchev. Notice a) bar 8

bend, b) toes driving up, c) Fast shoulder opening, and wrist shift
on top of bar d) late straddle
Bart felt the most common problems to look out for are:
1- Early straddle on the release
2- Lack of rotation
3- No turnover (counter rotation)
4- Head out (which, as he explained, he addresses last)

DRILLS

Bart showed a series of drills that he uses as general introductory drills to develop the Tkatchev. He does, however, use
other drills (not shown) to target more specific issues for individual athletes, or when any of the introductory drills prove
to be ineffective with a particular athlete.

Floor Drills

He starts off teaching the Tkatchev with a series of floor drills, but
does not spend a lot of time doing them.
1- Back extension roll to bridge
• Legs must stay straight (big focus)
• Head on sternum
2- Back extension sit-up to straddle pull through
• Feet can’t be too high (or gymnast will have problems
with rotation over bar)
3- Back extension sit-up to straddle pull through down slope mat.
• Simply requires the gymnast to work harder.

Even though he does not spend a lot of time on the floor drills, he
will always go back to them at meets. He feels that “at a meet you
need something that the gymnast can do, to make a correction,
got to have some way to go back to something at meets”.

VIDEO 5: Floor drills 1 - 3

He uses the tramp bar mostly to teach the Tkatchev, however for
gyms that do not have one they can use a swiss ball (exercises ball) although this alternative is more coach laborious
(Video 6)

Tramp bar drills.

1- Back bounce to bridge. (straight legs, and emphasis on legs

together at the beginning. Shoulder on top of the bar and not
in front or behind)
2- Back bounce bridge, stand up forward (bar behind)
3- Back bounce bridge, ‘pop’ stand-up let go, straddle stand on
bar. Grab bar and push over to pancake.
4- Back bounce to Tkatchev (feet can hit the bar so PAD IT!)
5- From low bounces really fast hyper shoulder opening (not
to bridge), continuous in series to develop strength in opening
of shoulders and throwing of the bar

Since Bart no longer has access to the tramp bar in his gym, he
uses a swiss ball (exercises ball) as an alternative, which can Video 6- Using a exercises ball as an alternative to a tramp
be equally effective but much more coach laborious. bar, to perform most tramp bar drills
Video of these drill was posted by Bart on his YouTube
channel -- View Video

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Trampoline drills
1- Back extension roll to pancake – same as the floor drill, but
done on tramp as it’s a bit easier.
2- Back drop to straddle over to front drop (to simulate turn over
and joining legs together)
3- Back drop straddle front to HS (Bart does not spend a lot of
time on this, never gets to HS. Instead of reaching
forward the idea is to sit-up and reach under)
4- Tkatchev from back extension roll (it’s a little easier than on
floor, and allows them to get a good feeling for the skill.
5- Using a swimming noodle to simulate the bar, the gymnast
does 2 back bounces and on second back bounce the gymnast
throws the noodle underneath (like pushing the bar back behind
you), sits-up and catchs it on other side.

He makes a point to say that he does not spend much time on

tramp drills in general. Most of the drills he uses are with the
tramp bar if available, and also require use of the channel bar.
VIDEO 7: Trampoline drills 1 - 5. For drill 5 the gymnast was
not able to fully perform the drill, but the concept is clear

Pit bar & Bar Progressions

While working over the pit, Bart will put a sting (or substitute) to simulate the low bar so that the gymnast gets used to a
low bar behind her before transitioning to the real bars. The drills listed were done over the pit first and then on the
uneven bars. Once the gymnast can perform the first drill over the pit bar, she can move it to the uneven bars, and then
begins working on the next drill over the pit bar.

1- From swings, tap turnover to stand. (In beginning can pike up

on front swing and snap into arch to cause counter rotation)
2- Once they can land to feet, they can straddle in air to front
drop.
3- Sit-up straddle front into pit (Does not use this drill a lot but
rather only when a gymnast is having a problem such as not
enough rotation
4- Cast to HS timer – Gymnast does bail, tap and snaps to bridge
onto of bar without releasing. (Initially coach must spot, but
gymnast needs to learn how to do independently). Wrists must
shift on top of the bar, drive the hamstrings down, push on the
bar. Bart felt that as a coach you will not get the tap you want for
the real thing, so he does not spend too much time on it. But the
gymnast does need to master that motion on the bar. One
common mistake is the gymnast no shifting the wrists, and it is
paramount that they understand how to keep pressure onto the
Video 8 – Pit bar progressions 1- 4, and Kiki performing a bar.
Tkatchev,
Once the gymnast can perform all four drills, if the coach has can
be assisted by another coach they can double spot the gymnast and take them through the Tkatchev , otherwise he can
single hand spot them. If coach has to single spot, Bart warns that the coach has to move fast to dodge the straddle. He
has also found harness systems very effective for teaching the Tkatchev to older, heavier high school gymnast or College
gymnasts.

Eventually, and once the gymnasts understands the technique and is able to go over the bar safely, the coach can step away
and the gymnast can perform the skill by herself over the pit. The coach or another athlete can slide a safety mat over the
bar in the beginning as a safety measure.

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DISCLAIMER
Every care is taken to assure the accuracy of the information published within this article. The views and opinions expressed within this article are
those of the author/s, and no responsibility can be accepted by The Gym Press, Gym Coach or the author for the consequences of actions based on the
advice contained herein

REFERENCE

Roskoski B. (2010). “Release skills on Uneven Bars “. Minnesota Women’s State Congress. Minneapolis, MN. August 2010

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