Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE GYMNASTICS CENTRE OF GRAVITY & STABILITY SKILLS & TECHNIQUES

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES Balance is important in the activity of gymnastics

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES EQUILIBRIUM An object or person is in a state of equilibrium when their motion is not changing Static equilibrium is used to describe a stationary object or person

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES EQUILIBRIUM An object or person is in a state of equilibrium when their motion is not changing Dynamic equilibrium is used to describe an object or person travelling at a constant speed, in the same direction

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES STABILITY STABILITY is important in many activities, it affects the control of your movements. If you are off-balance when making a hockey tackle you can stumble and fall which could make the tackle fail and hence allow the attacker through closer to his target.

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES BALANCE This is about maintaining the equilibrium (Balanced position) of your body. STATIC BALANCE is a balance without movement. (for example, you may do a handstand) Here is a female gymnast doing a handstand, with a variation, on the beam

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES BALANCE This is about maintaining the equilibrium (Balanced position) of your body. DYNAMIC BALANCE is a balance whilst moving, for example a badminton player moving across the court, playing a shot. and moving back into the ready position Here is a badminton player reaching out to play a low return

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES Being BALANCED depends upon your CENTRE OF GRAVITY

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES Gravity is the force pulling an object or a person to the ground

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES is the point at which gravity acts upon the body. is the point at which your weight is evenly balanced is the point about which your body will rotate THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES Stability depends on: X The height of the centre of gravity The point of the Centre of Gravity The base of support The Base of Support The line of the centre of gravity falls inside the base of support The line of the Centre of Gravity

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES How to be MORE stable The LOWER your centre of gravity the MORE STABLE you will be The Centre of Gravity is at a different height

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES How to be MORE stable The LARGER the area of your Base of Support, the MORE STABLE you will be The Base of Support is larger The Base of Support is smaller

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES How to be MORE stable The CLOSER your centre of gravity is to the centre of your base of support, the MORE STABLE you are. The Line of Gravity falls outside of the centre of the Base of Support

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES How to be MORE stable The HEAVIER you are, the MORE STABLE you will be. Greater force acting down through the line of gravity

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES How to be MORE stable The MORE YOU LEAN into an oncoming force, the MORE STABLE you will be. Direction of the Force

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES How does the centre of gravity play a part in this balance? The Base of Support The Line of Gravity The Centre of Gravity

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES Question: Which of the following gymnasts is the MOST STABLE? Gymnast A Gymnast BGymnast C

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE Gymnast A is the most stable because: They have the lowest centre of gravity They have the largest base of support And like gymnast C their centre of gravity is in the centre of the base of support SKILLS & TECHNIQUES X X X

Physical Education Department STANDARD GRADE SKILLS & TECHNIQUES Summary In many activities balance can be very important. Gravity plays an important part in balance. Gravity is the force pulling a person or object to the ground. The point at which gravity on the body is known as the centre of gravity. This will change depending on your height, shape or the position in which you stand. Balance is not difficult while a person’s centre of gravity is directly above their base of support, but when it moves to one side, the force of gravity act more on that side causing the person to topple over