Cartwheel Variations Explained: One-Handed, Aerial and More
Cartwheel variations change different parts of the movement: the support under the body, the way the gymnast enters or finishes, or the shape the legs make overhead. A one-handed cartwheel changes the support. An aerial removes hand contact. A kneeling entry changes where the movement begins.
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Those differences make more sense than a single list ranked from easiest to hardest. Two variations can ask for very different things, even when both look like a sideways journey over the body.
This guide helps you recognize what changes and describe it clearly. If you are learning your first cartwheel, start with our beginner cartwheel guide; the variations below are not a sequence you must complete.
Cartwheel Variations at a Glance
| Variation or family | What changes? | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Standard cartwheel | Provides the reference movement | Two hands support the body in sequence; the feet return separately. |
| One-handed cartwheel | Hand support | Only one hand supports the inverted movement. |
| Dive cartwheel | Entry into hand support | A flight phase appears before the hands take support. |
| Aerial cartwheel | Hand support is removed | The body travels through the movement without a hand touching down. |
| Different entries and finishes | Starting or ending position | Look at the position before takeoff and after the feet return. |
| Leg-shape or leg-change variations | The shape or sequence overhead | Watch which leg leads, which bends and which reaches the floor first. |
A variation can belong to more than one row. An unusual entry combined with one-hand support changes two features at once. Describing both gives a clearer picture than trying to remember a long trick name.
Watch the Differences in Rylie Shaw’s Video
Rylie Shaw’s cartwheel variations video supplies a useful collection of contrasting demonstrations. She presents 20 variations and gives her own difficulty order. Some names describe familiar gymnastics skills; others are labels used in the video.
For a focused first watch, compare the one-handed section beginning around 1:15 with the aerial section around 8:11. Watch for contact with the floor rather than trying to follow every instruction at once.
The later demonstrations include specialized balances, deep arches and partner work. They are viewing examples, not a home practice checklist. Popularity and a short explanation do not establish an appropriate progression for an individual gymnast.
First, Count the Supporting Hands
Hand support is often the easiest difference to spot. In a standard cartwheel, one hand reaches the floor before the other. A one-handed version keeps only one supporting hand; an aerial passes through without either hand supporting the body.
There are different one-handed versions. The hand used can be the one that would normally arrive first or the one that would arrive second. European Gymnastics explicitly recognizes both options in its TeamGym terminology. Calling a movement “one-handed” therefore tells you the amount of support, but not the whole sequence.
Free cartwheel and aerial cartwheel are established names for the no-hand family. “Free” refers to the absence of hand support here; it does not describe how relaxed the movement should feel.
Use the whole movement rather than one paused image. A frame captured between contacts can make a two-hand skill look one-handed. If the camera hides the far arm, the honest description may be “unclear from this angle.”
Then Check the Entry, Shape and Finish
Flight before the hands is different from no hands
A dive cartwheel includes flight before hand support. It still uses the hands later in the movement. An aerial has no hand-support phase. World Gymnastics’ terminology separates these features, so a moment with both hands off the floor does not by itself identify an aerial.
For comparison, replay from just before the first contact until the feet return. That small viewing window helps you see whether the hands arrive later or never support the movement at all.
Starting position does not tell the whole story
Entries can face different directions or begin lower to the floor. A finish can leave the gymnast in a lunge, a side-facing position or part of another movement. Describe the beginning and ending separately: “kneeling entry” answers a different question from “one-hand support.”
Keep the camera angle in mind. “Sideways” can describe the body’s action without telling you which direction the gymnast faces at the end. Useful notes are specific: facing toward the camera, facing away, or facing the direction of approach.
Follow one leg through the whole movement
When a variation changes the legs, choose one leg and track it from the starting position to the landing. Notice whether it stays straight, bends or changes places with the other leg. This is easier than trying to assess both legs and both hands simultaneously.
A bent-leg shape may be deliberate in a demonstration. It should not automatically become advice for improving a standard cartwheel. The intended movement matters: first identify what the gymnast is showing, then compare the performance with that intention.
Where the Names Can Mislead
Demonstration videos, dance classes and competitive gymnastics do not always use identical labels. A descriptive name can help a coach communicate without being an official entry in every gymnastics rulebook.
For example, Rylie calls one side-facing variation a “starfish cartwheel.” Treat that as her label. She also uses “tinsica” and “spider roll” together, while World Gymnastics associates Tinsica with a forward-walkover entry. The name alone is not enough to confirm an exact match.
Separate movement recognition from competition credit. A recognizable variation does not automatically satisfy a routine requirement, and a dramatic-looking version is not necessarily a separate credited skill. Those questions depend on the event and program.
The roundoff deserves its own distinction. World Gymnastics describes its two-foot landing and backward movement into later tumbling. Closing the feet after separate cartwheel steps is not the same observation as landing on them together. Our cartwheel versus roundoff comparison explains that difference in detail.
For movements that seem to mix families, use hand support and flight to distinguish walkovers, handsprings and aerials. Those features are more useful than assuming every sideways-looking skill belongs in the same group.
Turn a Video Into a Useful Question for Your Coach
Save the timestamp and describe the change that interests you: “This uses one hand,” or “The gymnast starts kneeling but finishes standing.” That gives your coach something specific to discuss without requiring you to know the name.
Then connect the question to your current goal. Are you trying to understand a routine, improve control in your ordinary cartwheel, or explore a dance transition? The same clip can be relevant to one goal and unhelpful for another.
Ask which feature you would need to develop and what your coach would want to see first. A video’s ranking cannot assess your balance, coordination or current technique. The broader guide to tumbling skills can help you place a variation within the movements you already recognize.
| Record | Your note |
|---|---|
| Video and timestamp | Which exact demonstration are you discussing? |
| Support | Two hands, one hand, no hands, or unclear? |
| Other change | Entry, leg shape, leg order or finish? |
| Your question | What would you like to understand or work toward? |
Final Takeaway
Recognize cartwheel variations by checking hand support first, then the entry, leg action and finish. Use the whole movement to confirm what you saw, and treat unfamiliar names as something to clarify.
A well-chosen demonstration can make these differences easy to understand. It works best as a reference for a specific question, rather than a list of challenges to attempt in order.
Main Sources
- World Gymnastics: Women’s Artistic Code of Points 2025–2028 — cartwheel, one-arm, aerial and Tinsica terminology; symbol brochure.
- World Gymnastics: Tumbling Elements — roundoff description.
- European Gymnastics: TeamGym Code of Points 2025–2028, version 1.0 — first-hand and second-hand options in one-hand cartwheel terminology, Appendix 1.
- Rylie Shaw: Learn 20 Different Cartwheel Variations — attributed demonstrations and creator terminology.