Physical Education Department

GYMNASTICS

CENTRE OF
GRAVITY &
STABILITY

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Balance is
important in
the activity
of
gymnastics

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department
EQUILIBRIUM
An object or person is in a state of equilibrium
when their motion is not changing

Static equilibrium is used

to describe a stationary
object or person

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

EQUILIBRIUM
An object or person is in a state of equilibrium
when their motion is not changing

Dynamic equilibrium is used to

describe an object or person
travelling at a constant speed,
in the same direction

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

STABILITY
STABILITY is important in many activities, it
affects the control of your movements. If you
are off-balance when making a hockey tackle
you can stumble and fall
which could make the
tackle fail and hence
allow the attacker
through closer to his
target.

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

BALANCE

This is about maintaining the equilibrium

(Balanced position) of your body.

STATIC BALANCE is a
balance without
movement. (for
example, you may do a
handstand)
Here is a female gymnast doing a
handstand, with a variation, on the
beam

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

BALANCE

This is about maintaining the equilibrium

(Balanced position) of your body.

DYNAMIC BALANCE is a
balance whilst moving,
for example a badminton
player moving across the
court, playing a shot. and
moving back into the
ready position
Here is a badminton player reaching
out to play a low return
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Being BALANCED depends

upon your CENTRE OF
GRAVITY
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Gravity is the force pulling an

object or a person to the
ground

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY

•is the point at which gravity acts upon

the body.

•is the point at which your weight is

evenly balanced

•is the point about which your body will

rotate

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Stability depends on:

The point of the

•The height of the centre of Centre of Gravity
gravity
X
•The base of support
•The line of the centre of The line of the
gravity falls inside the base Centre of Gravity

of support

The Base of Support

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

How to be MORE stable

The LOWER your

centre of gravity the
MORE STABLE you
will be
The Centre of Gravity is
at a different height

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

How to be MORE stable

The LARGER the

area of your Base of
Support, the MORE
STABLE you will be

The Base of Support The Base of Support

is larger is smaller
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

How to be MORE stable

The CLOSER your

centre of gravity is to
the centre of your
base of support, the
MORE STABLE you
are.

The Line of Gravity falls

outside of the centre of
the Base of Support

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

How to be MORE stable

The HEAVIER you

are, the MORE
STABLE you will be.
Greater force acting
down through the
line of gravity

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

How to be MORE stable

The MORE YOU LEAN

into an oncoming
force, the MORE
STABLE you will be.
Direction of the
Force

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

How does the centre of gravity play a part in this

balance?

The Centre of
Gravity

The Line of Gravity

The Base of Support

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Question: Which of the following gymnasts is the MOST

STABLE?

Gymnast A

Gymnast B Gymnast C

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Gymnast A is the most stable because:

•They have the lowest centre of gravity
•They have the largest base of support
•And like gymnast C their centre of gravity is in the centre of the base of
support

X X

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE
 Physical Education Department

Summary
In many activities balance can be very important.
Gravity plays an important part in balance.
Gravity is the force pulling a person or object to
the ground.
The point at which gravity on the body is known
as the centre of gravity. This will change
depending on your height, shape or the position in
which you stand.
Balance is not difficult while a person’s centre of
gravity is directly above their base of support, but
when it moves to one side, the force of gravity act
more on that side causing the person to topple
over

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
STANDARD GRADE