Reach for the stars AND a longer cartwheel!

When connecting tumbling skills to a pass or series, let's say a round-off to back-handspring, there is a relevance to the length of the tumbling pass. In general, the goal is to make your round-off back-handspring as long and stretched out as possible. The Tumbl Tape is a tool that helps athletes see improvements in the length of their tumbling skills.

Most athletes need more help correcting a skill than a verbal cues like, “Next time, open your shoulders!” or “Keep your head in line!” Clever coaches aim to teach using drills and stations that reinforce these shapes and allow an athlete to feel or sometimes see the corrections.

The first place to achieve a longer tumbling pass is in the lunge and reach phase of the round off. Early learners can start reaching farther in simple skills like bear walks or bunny jumps where the idea is to reach hands “way far away” before placing them on the floor followed by the feet walking forward. The colors on the Tumbl Tape are a great visual marker to encourage preschoolers to reach for the next color!

When starting beginner lever drills, handstands, or cartwheels, athletes should aim for a big lunging step in preparation for a long reach toward the floor.   Velcro numbers, placed on the Tumbl Tape will help athletes keep track of their progress with reaching farther and farther as they gain confidence in their own strength.

Before you know it, this reaching habit that started with a reaching bear walk has translated into an efficient, powerful round-off….. And from there, the sky is the limit! So reach for the stars, and reach for your cartwheel!

Check out the Tumbl Tape and Numbers in action here!