How to Do an Aerial Cartwheel: Drills, Timing and Common Mistakes
An aerial cartwheel, also called a side aerial, turns through a cartwheel action without either hand supporting the body. In the familiar step-out version, the gymnast takes off from one leg, passes upside down with the legs apart and lands one foot before the other. USA Gymnastics calls it a free (aerial) cartwheel.
Contents
Learning it takes more than making a cartwheel faster or trying to avoid the floor with your hands. The kicking leg and takeoff leg must work together so the body can travel through the movement without hand support. This guide explains that coordination, useful progressions and the mistakes to discuss with your coach.
The Aerial at a Glance
| Phase | What to notice |
|---|---|
| Entry | A controlled step or hurdle prepares the takeoff leg and free-leg swing. |
| Takeoff | The free leg swings upward while the supporting leg pushes against the floor. |
| Flight | Neither hand supports the body. The straight legs travel over the top in a split. |
| Step-out landing | The kicking leg returns first, followed by the other foot, with control through the finish. |
What to Master First
Start with a controlled cartwheel on the side you will use for the aerial. Your coach checks that it travels on its intended line, passes over the top and finishes consistently. Improving those features gives the aerial a better foundation.
Other checks include a coordinated leg swing, enough strength to push from the supporting leg, usable hip mobility and confidence in the chosen progressions. A handstand develops useful upside-down body awareness. Readiness depends on how these abilities work together in the aerial preparation.
Learn the airborne skill in a properly equipped gym with a qualified coach. The coach chooses matting and assistance for your stage; this is not a skill to test from furniture or on a backyard trampoline.
How an Aerial Works, Step by Step
Gold Medal Gymnastics coach Amanda Borden compares two takeoff arm actions in this Gymnastics Tips video. She favors an arm circle for the demonstrated gymnast. Her preference is a coaching cue for that example, not a rule requiring identical arms in every aerial.
- From 0:04: compare the first arm action with the arm-circle example introduced around 0:19.
- Around 0:21–0:28: follow the hips through flight and the feet returning in sequence. Borden discusses the extra lift she sees in that example.
- From 0:30: watch the group finish in a lunge. Look for a controlled finish, not merely feet reaching the floor.
The connected aerials after 1:02 demonstrate a later application. They are not a beginner drill to copy.
- Prepare the entry. Use a controlled, repeatable step or hurdle that prepares the leg swing and push.
- Coordinate the kick and push. The free leg swings backward and upward as the supporting leg prepares to push. Both actions matter; the aerial is not powered by the kick alone.
- Travel through the inverted split. The legs pass over the top without hand support. Keep the movement on its intended line rather than swinging around the side.
- Complete the step-out. The kicking leg lands first, then the second foot arrives. Let the torso recover through a balanced finish rather than deliberately holding the chest down.
USA Gymnastics’ compulsory description permits a step or hurdle and optional arm positions during entry and flight. Your coach’s cues should help you achieve the movement, rather than force you to imitate one isolated pose from a video.
Drills Coaches Use
Each progression should solve a particular problem. Your coach selects the order and judges when the movement is consistent enough to progress.
One-handed cartwheels
A coach may use a one-handed cartwheel to develop the leg action while reducing hand support. Tumbl Trak demonstrates a far-hand version as preparation for aerial positioning. Here, “far hand” means the hand that normally contacts the floor second. Other one-hand variations exist; use the version your coach assigns.
Raised and downhill mat progressions
A coach-set raised or downhill station changes the relationship between takeoff and landing. Tumbl Trak’s raised-start aerial drill aims to improve the kick-over action and the finish. The coach selects the height and matting, then assesses how that movement transfers to the intended floor surface.
Entry, kick and arm timing
A coach can isolate the entry before combining the full movement. The useful question is whether the arm action and leg swing work with the push. USA Gymnastics permits different arm positions. Match each coaching cue to its intended phase, especially when discussing the chest position during takeoff and landing.
Assisted aerials and controlled finishes
Assistance lets the coach work on the complete movement with an appropriate setup. Readiness to reduce that help depends on repeatable takeoffs and landings, not one successful attempt. A sprung track and a floor behave differently, so the move between surfaces is another progression to assess.
Common Aerial Mistakes and What to Check
The same visible error can have several causes. Use these observations to guide a coach’s review rather than diagnose the problem from a single freeze-frame.
| What happens | What to review |
|---|---|
| A hand goes down | Entry timing, lift, confidence and whether the current progression is appropriate. Do not solve it by forcing the hands away. |
| Hips stay low | Coordination of the free-leg swing and supporting-leg push; whether the arm action pulls the entry downward. |
| Legs travel around the side | Alignment through the cartwheel preparation and aerial. A longer run or harder kick alone may not correct the path. |
| Knees bend in flight | Leg control, mobility and timing. Bent knees do not prove that flexibility is the only issue. |
| The finish twists or stumbles | Direction at takeoff, foot placement and the torso’s recovery. Review the whole movement, not just the landing. |
Where Aerials Count in USA Gymnastics
On Development Program Level 5 floor, an aerial cartwheel is one of the alternatives alongside a front tuck and a front aerial. That is a routine choice, not a statement that every gymnast must learn an aerial at a particular age.
Xcel treats aerials and saltos separately for some requirements. An aerial cannot replace a required salto merely because both turn over without hand support. Use the Level Requirements Finder to check the relevant program and event; eligibility on floor does not establish eligibility on beam.
Side Aerial vs. Front Aerial
The side aerial follows a cartwheel action. A front aerial follows a forward walkover action without hand support. They require different movement preparation, and there is no universal rule that a front aerial must come next. Our walkover, handspring and aerial comparison explains how to recognize the families.
What Comes After the Aerial
The first goal is a repeatable, controlled aerial on the intended surface. Connections, other aerial variations and beam work are separate goals with their own preparation. One isolated aerial is not enough to establish readiness for a connected combination or a narrower surface.
Common Questions
Is an aerial a cartwheel without hands?
That describes a side aerial’s basic shape. It does not mean you should simply stop putting your hands down in a normal cartwheel. The takeoff must create the unsupported flight.
How long does it take to learn an aerial?
There is no reliable number of days or weeks. Progress depends on your starting skills, coordination, confidence and coached practice. Judge progress by consistent movement rather than a deadline.
Is an aerial a flip?
In everyday language it may be described that way. In gymnastics rules, aerial and salto can be distinct categories, so “flip” is not precise enough to determine routine credit.
Can you learn an aerial at home?
Learn the flight skill with a coach in a gym. Between sessions, follow any familiar non-inverted preparation your coach has specifically assigned for your available space.
Final Takeaway
A useful aerial progression builds a coordinated entry, an effective kick and push, an inverted split and a controlled finish. Use the video to understand those features and discuss cues with your coach. Consistency matters more than removing hand support as quickly as possible.
Main Sources
- Gymnastics Tips: How to Do an Aerial Cartwheel, featuring Amanda Borden — takeoff comparison and demonstrated finishes; arm-circle preference attributed to the coach.
- USA Gymnastics: 2021–2029 compulsory replacement pages, June 2021 — Level 5 floor aerial entry, flight and landing description, printed page L5 Floor–4.
- USA Gymnastics: Xcel Code of Points updates, August 2026 — aerials distinguished from saltos for floor Special Requirements.
- Tumbl Trak: One Arm Drop Cartwheel — Aerial Drill — purpose of the far-hand progression.
- Tumbl Trak: Added Height for a Lever Advantage in an Aerial — raised-start training purpose.