Backward Roll Ending in Hollow Push Up as Flyaway Drill

I just watched the following backflip ("leaf drop") introduction for little kids, uploaded by Al Fong:

I once did a similar drill setup for a guy who came into LASG for a private lesson on learning a standing back tuck. I believe I started him out with backward rolls on the cheese wedge since he had zero tumbling experience- not even rolls (rather uncoordinated person). Eventually, one of the stations I set up was to put a big octagon barrel in front of the pit and had him jump onto it, landing on his back and rolling off backward into the pit to get used to the sensation of jumping and spinning over backward.

It was my lazy man's way of spotting a "big kid" like him who had quite a ways to go, yet.

When I visited Aerials Gymnastics, Tom Forster showed me from his laptop a similar drill like this for flyaways.

Strangely enough, Thea and I got around to filming the drill just this afternoon:

She isn't executing it perfectly, but we were on our way out the gym when I remembered I wanted footage of this drill. So she dressed back down in her leo and we did a quick take with no rehearsal and only a brief, generalized description of what I wanted; but you get the idea.

Not sure how much I'd actually incorporate this drill into teaching a flyaway. I just found it interesting and might make for a nice additional station. I suppose its value is in emphasizing body shape on the release and open shoulders.

It's reminiscent of the back extension roll on a panel mat, only higher up. I believe Tom's instructor Zach might have come up with the exercise. The emphasis is on getting the gymnast to hit the candlestick shape and pop the shoulders open to simulate the release of the bar. The gymnast lands in a hollow pushup position. I think Tom told me that one drill Zach does for layout flyaway release is when he spots them from the bar, he'll have them land in a hollow push up there as well. There is no concern on the drill for landing on the feet. Just body shape on the release and through the air.

I think another compliment to this would be George Hery's suggestion of using gainers on trampoline as flyaway drill.

Put the two concepts together, and you have your flyaway mountain wall...and also something else that your coach probably shouldn't recommend you try, since we have this thing called "litigation" in this country.