Ruddock Handstand, Balance

The Ruddock handstand comes from gymnastics coach Nick Ruddock. I like to use the Ruddock handstand balance as a tool to teach balance in the handstand. Why? Well, when the knees are bent, there is slightly more room for error than compared to the straight handstand. Here's how it works. Start by kneeling on the floor with your knees and hips touching the wall and your feet behind you with your ankles dorsiflexed and toes on the floor. Visualise a line on the floor where your toes are. This is where you will place your hands when you kick up to perform the Ruddock handstand. The three main focus points during the Ruddock handstand are the posterior pelvic tilt (PPT), pulling the ribcage down, and keeping the shoulders elevated. You can practice these cues while kneeling on the floor. First is the posterior pelvic tilt. With your arms held overhead, focus on contracting your glutes and tucking your tailbone between your legs. Next is the ribcage down. While maintaining the PPT, pull the bottom rib down towards the pelvis while sucking your belly button in towards your spine. And finally, elevate the shoulders by reaching for the sky. Now repeat all of this while upside down and then find balance on your hands. To make things easier, we will use the wall and remove the need to control the kick-up and allow us to set the Ruddock handstand shape before we start balancing. Place your hands on the floor with the knuckles on top of the imaginary line. Then, kick up to a handstand with the heels of your feet on the wall. From here, bend your knees to 90 degrees and slide your feet down the wall. Keep the knees and inside edge of the feet pressed together. Start by making sure the shoulders are elevated, and you're pressing tall. There should be minimal daylight between your shoulders and ears. Your eyes should be stacked vertically above the imaginary line that you placed your hands on. From here, set a posterior pelvic tilt by contracting your glutes and tucking your tailbone between your legs. Then, pull the bottom rib down, or in this case up, towards the pelvis and suck your belly button in towards your spine. From a side view, your back should be flat or slightly rounded. Once the shape is set, plantar-flex the ankle so only the tips of your toes are touching the wall. Then, use the wrists and fingers to push down into the floor and pull the toes off the wall. As you do this, the wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips and knees will be stacked in a straight line, and your weight should be balanced over the middle of your hands. Pay close attention to the weight under your hands and perform small corrections to control the balance. Aim to hold the balance for 10-30 seconds. It's best to video yourself from a side view to coach yourself between sets. Is the alignment straight? If not, what do you need to do to straighten it? Give it a try, and see how you go. If you've got questions, please leave them in the comments. If you found this video helpful, please hit the like button and subscribe to the channel. Music By Scott Holmes