How to Do a Front Handspring

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 23, 2024 Approved

The front handspring only takes a few seconds to execute, but it requires many hours of practice to get it right. Before you try a front handspring, you should be comfortable doing a handstand and front walkover, and it is required that you have a strong upper body. You should have some experience in gymnastics and a soft surface, like a mattress, trampoline, or a gym mat for practice!

Things You Should Know

On solid ground, run, hop and plant your hands on the ground. Then, throw your legs up while bending your arms and pushing yourself forward. Release the bend and land back on the ground on your feet.
To do this move on a vault, run towards the apparatus, jump onto the springboard, throw your hands onto the vault, push off with your arms, and land back on your feet.
Over time, practice drills and strength exercises to make performing a front handspring easier to do.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Doing a Front Handspring on Level Ground

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1
Run and hop. In order to gain momentum, start by running a few steps and then doing a hurdle. A hurdle is a quick hop or skip that allows you to start the handspring. Hop from your dominant foot, land on your dominant foot, and then quickly step with your non-dominant foot.^{[1]
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- Raise your arms straight up in the air when you hurdle.
2
Plant your hands on the ground and kick your legs up. Use the momentum from your hurdle to propel yourself forward and direct your arms and upper body towards the ground. Plant your hands on the ground and then kick your legs up to get your body vertical.
- The distance from where you last stepped to where you plant your hands should be about one body length.^{[2]
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Just before your body becomes completely vertical, focus on keeping your legs together and not bending at any joints. This will help you straighten out your body. ^{[3]
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While keeping your arms next to your ears, continue to propel yourself forward with your hands and land on the balls of your feet. Focus on keeping your legs as straight as possible while finishing the handspring.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Doing a Front Handspring on Vault

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Build up some momentum by running towards the vault. It’s necessary to run fast so that you have a powerful handspring.^{[5]
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When you’ve reached the springboard, do a hurdle onto it in order to move horizontally through the air towards the vault table. Make sure to keep your legs slightly bent, your backside tucked under, and your core squeezed.^{[6]
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Plant your hands onto the vault table at about a 20 or 30 degree angle and use your momentum to bring your legs up into a handstand.^{[7]
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Once you’ve reached a vertical position, quickly turn your vertical momentum into horizontal momentum by shrugging your shoulders and pushing off the vault table. This pushing motion is called blocking.^{[8]
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As your legs are coming down, focus on making sure your feet contact the mat slightly in front of where the rest of your body is. This will allow you to rebound upwards instead of shooting forward or falling back.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Practicing Drills

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Practice doing hurdles. Hurdles are very similar to skipping. Push off from your dominant foot, land on your dominant foot, and then leap onto your non-dominant foot.
- Start off by skipping like you normally would around the room if you’re having a hard time understanding the rhythm of the hurdle.
- Once you have the motion down, try using it to go into a simpler gymnastics move, such as a cartwheel or a roundoff.^{[10]
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Once you’ve got hurdles down, it’s time to master the handstand. Practice your handstands in whatever way you’re most comfortable with. This could mean doing a handstand against a wall or doing a handstand into a high bridge position on top of a gymnastics block.^{[11]
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While being spotted, try doing front handsprings over a gymnastics barrel.^{[12]
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If you have access to a tumble track, which is basically a long, narrow trampoline, force your forearms and ankles together with two bands, and practice your front handsprings this way. This will help you to learn and maintain good form in your front handspring.^{[13]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Building up Strength

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1
Do lunges to strengthen your legs. Lunges can help you to develop a strong hurdle. Stand with your legs together and place your hands on your hips. Step forward with one foot and bend both of your legs until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Then, stand back up and repeat with the other leg.
- If you’re using weights, keep your arms by your sides.
- Keep your upper body straight and look forward as you do the exercise.
- Keep your front knee above your ankle and your back knee off of the ground.^{[14]
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Build your glute muscles with hips lifts. Start by laying on your back with your arms flat on the ground and your knees bent. Squeeze your backside and lift your hips to the ceiling. Hold for a couple of seconds and then lower your hips back down.
- Keep your back straight while doing this exercise.^{[15]
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- By doing hip lifts, you can gain the strength needed in your backside and the back of your thighs to push off the ground and also control your landing.
3
Strengthen your core with planks. Start in a pushup position and either hold yourself off of the ground with your palms or your forearms/elbows. Squeeze your legs, backside, and core while you hold the plank position.
- Keep your shoulders over your elbows.
- Focus on keeping your body in a straight line all the way from your head to your feet.^{[16]
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- Having strong stomach muscles will allow you to hold your body tight while you complete front handsprings.^{[17]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I master handstands?

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.

Monica Morris

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Answer

I recommend doing scapular pull-ups. This exercise strengthens your serratus and intercostal muscles, which benefits handstands. To do this find a bar or pole that you can hang from. Grip it firm, hang freely, and focus on rotating your shoulder blades (scapulae) up and down in a small and controlled motion. It’s about a three-inch movement—lower your body slightly and then lift back up, using your shoulders rather than your arms. Think of it as a mini-pull-up that targets the specific muscles required for stability during a handstand. Incorporating this exercise into your routine can help you build the shoulder strength and control needed for handstands. Pair this with core exercises and regular practice to improve your balance and coordination.

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I keep landing on my butt! What am I doing wrong?

Community Answer

Make sure your legs aren't too close together. It might also be that you need to make your handspring longer.

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I'm really scared of falling and hurting myself. How do I do to get over that?

Community Answer

Practice doing a handspring over pillows and with a spotter until you can confidently complete the move, then practice without the pillows but still use a spotter.

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Tips

Spring off with your hands as soon as you can. Do not wait for your legs to be overhead.

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Helpful 28 Not Helpful 5
Always keep your neck long, and head completely facing the ceiling, looking up. Your chin should be completely faced to the ceiling.

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Helpful 17 Not Helpful 3
Don't forget to stretch before you try to do a front handspring.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Make sure you know how to land a front limber and front walkover to help you land a front handspring.
Before you start doing front handsprings on the floor, landing on a bean bag or crash pad.
Try to jump with your whole body and make sure your hands are completely over your head.
Have a spotter help you until you’re comfortable doing it by yourself.

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Warnings

Don't take your hands off the ground until your legs are definitely above your head and not before. Otherwise, you are more likely to injure yourself.

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Your first attempt at a front handspring should be on a padded surface, ideally a mat, and with the help of a spotter.

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You must have basic gymnastics skills before you attempt a front handspring. You should have developed your upper body strength and be comfortable doing a handstand.

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Make sure a trained professional is nearby when you perform your front handspring, as the trained professional can make sure you don't injure yourself.

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