Flip (acrobatic)

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A front aerial performed as part of an acro dance routine. FrontAerial.gif
A front aerial performed as part of an acro dance routine.

An acrobatic flip is a sequence of body movements in which a person leaps into the air and rotates one or more times while airborne. Acrobatic flips are commonly performed in acro dance, free running, gymnastics, cheerleading, high jumping, tricking (martial arts), goal celebrations, and various other activities. This contrasts with freestyle BMX flips, where a person rotates in the air along with a bicycle.

Contents

Acrobatic flips can be initiated from a stationary, standing position, but they are often executed immediately following another rotational move, such as a roundoff or handspring, to take advantage of the angular momentum generated by the preceding move. Generally, the hands do not touch the floor during the execution of a flip, and performers typically aim to land on their feet in an upright position; however, this is not required for the move to be considered a flip.

Classification

Many variations of flips exist, with their usage depending on the specific type of activity. In gymnastics, for example, flips adhere to a small number of specific, rigorously defined forms and movements. However, in activities such as free running and tricking, there are seemingly endless variations of flips, many of which are derived from fundamental gymnastics flips. As a result, gymnastics terminology is often applied to flips found in other disciplines. Flips are generally categorized according to the direction of body rotation; for example, the body rotates forward (face first) in a front flip and in the opposite direction in a back flip.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics flips are performed in both men's and women's gymnastics on various apparatus, including the balance beam, vault, and floor. In all cases, gymnastics flips require the hips to pass over the head. Four body forms are commonly used in gymnastics flips:

Many gymnastics flips are descriptively named based on the direction of rotation and the body position assumed during execution. For example, a front flip performed with a tucked body position is called a front tuck. When initiated from a stationary, standing position, it is referred to as a standing front tuck.

Variations

Acro dancers perform a pitch tuck. PitchTuck.gif
Acro dancers perform a pitch tuck.
Peggy Bacon is airborne while executing a variation of a back pike, with legs apart. Bondi Beach, 1937 Peggy Bacon in mid-air backflip, Bondi Beach, Sydney.jpg
Peggy Bacon is airborne while executing a variation of a back pike, with legs apart. Bondi Beach, 1937

Common modifications

These modifications can be applied to many types of flips:

Tucks

Layouts

Tricking and B-Boying

A virtually unlimited number of flip variants have emerged across various activities, many with proprietary nomenclature.

See also

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