A handspring is an acrobatic move in which a person executes a complete revolution of the body by lunging headfirst from an upright position into a handstand

Handstand

A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...

 and then pushing off (i.e., "springing") from the floor with the hands so as to leap back to an upright position. Handsprings are performed in various physical activities, including acro dance

Acro dance

Acro dance is a style of dance that combines classical dance technique with precision acrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character, its unique choreography, which seamlessly blends dance and acrobatics, and its use of acrobatics in a dance context...

, cheerleading

Cheerleading

Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

 and gymnastics

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...

. In artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics

Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...

, handsprings are commonly performed in the floor exercise, vault

Vault (gymnastics)

The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...

, and balance beam events.

The direction of body rotation in a handspring may be either forward or backward, resulting in a front handspring or back handspring, respectively. In a back handspring—which is also known by various other names, including flip-flops—the performer does not see where the hands will land until after the move has begun.

Body movement may be terminated upon completion of a handspring, or the performer's momentum may be leveraged so as to immediately perform another handspring or other rotational move (e.g., a flip such as a tuck or layout). Similarly, another rotational move (e.g., a roundoff

Roundoff

A roundoff is a move in gymnastics similar to a cartwheel.The roundoff is a gymnastic technique that turns horizontal speed into vertical speed ; it is also used effectively to turn forward momentum from a run into backwards momentum, giving speed and power to backwards moves such as flips and...

) may precede a handspring in order to develop sufficient momentum for the handspring.

See also

• Roundoff
  Roundoff
  A roundoff is a move in gymnastics similar to a cartwheel.The roundoff is a gymnastic technique that turns horizontal speed into vertical speed ; it is also used effectively to turn forward momentum from a run into backwards momentum, giving speed and power to backwards moves such as flips and...
  
  
• Somersault
  Somersault
  A somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which a person does a full 360° flip, moving the feet over the head. A somersault can be performed either forwards, backwards, or sideways and can be executed in the air or on the ground...