The balance beam is the name of an elevated wooden bar on which gymnasts perform movements and the name of the event, which is an Olympic event for women. Women compete in the balance beam event in gymnast meets. According to Kids Health, some balance beam competitors prefer shoes with rubber soles to help guard against slipping on the beam.
Balancing Drills
Performing movements and routines on a balance beam requires an ability to hold positions while maintaining balance. Balancing drills, as well as other balance beam drills, should be practiced on the floor and the low beam before attempting on the regulation beam. A drill for maintaining balance while performing a hand stand is to assume the hand stand position on a low beam while focusing on a spot on the beam. A chalk mark on the beam can serve as the spot. Practice maintaining a scale, which is one foot on the beam and the other held in various positions, while staring at a spot 2 feet in front of the beam and not on the beam itself.
Cartwheels
Practice cartwheels on a floor mat and then a low beam. An instructor or teammate can provide feedback on your cartwheels. Your hands should be close together but not so close that your balance suffers during the movement. Your feet should travel directly over the beam. If they are off to the side, your balance can be thrown off. Your teammate or instructor can confirm if your feet stay vertically over the beam during the cartwheel.
Split Leaps
A split leap is a movement in which the gymnast performs a leg split during a leap on the balance beam. According to certified strength and conditioning specialist Karen Goeller, a gymnast should, from her very first day in the gym, have as a goal keeping her hips square during a split leap. This movement can be practiced on a floor mat and low beam with an instructor or teammate at the end of the beam in order to provide feedback about whether or not the hips remain square. Flexibility is important in this movement, and so the importance of stretching is elevated.
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