How to Do a Straddle Press Handstand Beam Mount

Clear straddle press to handstand mount

Start with your hands placed on the balance beam from the side.

Push up to front support.

Push your legs up. As you do this, try to center your hands on the beam. Here are some tips to help you keep your balance: Look at the middle of your hands. Keep your legs are higher than your hands.

Get your legs high enough, then push your legs back up into a straddle.

Press up into a handstand. To do this, don't forget to stay tight. Don't lean forward––instead, keep pushing up to stay balanced. Tighten your stomach too.

To come down from the handstand on a 4 inch beam, it takes a lot of balance. Center yourself. Keep your legs in a wide straddle.

After your back into a straddle hold, take of your hand. To complete your mount, get into the squat position, and stand up. Be aware that this mount might take a while to learn. Always get a spot, especially if it's your first few times attempting this.

Straddle press handstand to cross handstand mount

Be adequately prepared. To be able to do this mount, you need to be able to do a straddle press handstand from a standing position. It is also recommended that you are able to do it from a sitting position, but you don't really need to be able to do that. You also need to be able to do a quarter turn (pirouette) from a handstand.

Get into a front support. Jump into a straddle that is close to full splits.

Lean back, and stay balanced.

Jump up, but not over. Do a straddle press handstand. Hold it for a few seconds, depending on your skill level.

Look at the middle of your hands, and take of one of your hands, to turn.

To make sure you stay balanced, here are some tips that could help: Squeeze your ears Tighten your stomach Lock your elbows.

Be quick with your turn, to prevent injury.

Lean back, and kick down to a normal standing position. This mount is also a tricky mount; again, it is likely to take a while to learn. It should only be learned in the presence of a spotter.

Straddle hold mount

Jump to front support.

Jump to a straddle hold. Make sure your legs are high. Lean slightly forward, but not in front of your hands. Keep your body balanced at the center of your hands.

As quickly as you can, turn yourself. Do this by quickly switching your hands, from facing the side of the beam, to the cross side of the beam (forwards).

Keep holding for a few seconds. Don't over-hold; doing so could create a wrist injury! If you are doing a lot of difficult skills that consistently hurt your wrists, get wrist supports, such as tiger paws.

Swing your legs down and stand up. Once you have perfected this mount, you could add the press handstand part.

Note that this mount could be hard to practice on the low beam, so just practice it on a medium beam. Be confident and always use a spotter when learning it.