The Effect of Seven Mental Training Sessions on Developing Roundoff and Back Handspring Skills on Men's Artistic Gymnastics

Abstract

Background: Beginner gymnasts face challenges when performing roundoff and back handspring skills, particularly in connecting the final stage of the roundoff with the initial stage of the back handspring. These difficulties arise when there is a lack of clarity in the mental image of the performance sequence, leading to inconsistent execution and, ultimately, failure. Objectives: This study investigates the effect of seven mental training sessions on beginner gymnasts learning the roundoff and back handspring skills. Methods: Sixty-two beginner gymnasts, aged 21 - 22 years, participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to two groups: Control and experimental. The mental training sessions were provided to the experimental group during the instructional sessions, with each session lasting 14 minutes and 30 seconds. The sessions consisted of three parts: Relaxation exercises, controllable control exercises, and mental imagery exercises for performance. These sessions were conducted over a period of seven weeks. The roundoff and back handspring skills were assessed using the Kinematic Coherence Scale for body parts. Results: The Kinematic Coherence Scale demonstrated a significant difference and greater improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusions: We concluded that the seven mental training sessions improved the kinematic coherence of the experimental group in performing the roundoff and back handspring skills, enabling them to connect the two skills with a higher degree of movement coherence.