I know gymnasts are trained like the guy in the link below, but is the summersaults necessary and why?
For example this: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8qzw3IjqVu/?igshid=1mgbq5jwob8uj
In: Physics
When you have left the ground your trajectory is fixed until you hit the ground. There is very little you can do to change your trajectory to get higher unless you have something to push off. However the part of you that have the trajectory fixed is your center of mass. You are able to move your body around as much as you want around your center of mass. So sometimes it can be beneficial to do a somersault to get higher. For example your feet are further from the center of mass then your head, so you can get your feet higher up then your head. Or you can arch your back so that the body part over a bar is always the highest part of your body meaning you can jump over a bar even if your center of mass is lower then the bar.
Latest Answers