MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE INVERTED GIANT SWING

Authors

  • Spiros G. Prassas
  • David L. Kelley

Abstract

Strength, balance, flexibility, speed, proper timing, and stamina have long been considered a necessity for the sport of gymnastics. However, the explosive worldwide development of the sport the last decade established another factor --the mastering of swinging --to be of paramount importance for gymnasts desiring to succeed in competition. Among the different kinds of swings, the giant swing refers to those gymnastic skills which require a full 360 degree rotation of the gymnast's suspended body about a relatively fixed point. Depending on the direction of the rotation, the gymnast's body configuration and the type of handgrasp, the degree of difficulty for the various types of the existing giant swings ranges from low to high. With reference to the horizontal bar, the forward and backward giant swings are considered, for example, fundamental but of low difficulty, whereas the so called "inverted" and "German" giant swinqs are given high marks for difficulty.

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Published

2008-04-13

Issue

Section

Coaching and Sports Activities