Couple Flare Questions

1) Should the head face forward or face down?

2) Should the back be arched or piked on the planche portion of the skill? I've heard arched, but that would seem to be problematic if going from flare to airflare since airflares are done piked.

1. Look at the ground in front of you.

2. Tight arch. Think just like a circle. But for many the body will be piked. Such is the difference between ideal and reality. You can get away with the pike because your legs are straddled. Can't really get away with having a piked body on the back of a floor circle though you can on a pommel horse.

ifnyou have a great straddle you have to stay with hips extended all the time, bboy usually take the hips pikes and they pass the legs under the body and not on the side, this let the hips to be piked...i prefer for the transition to airflare or 1990 or elbowairflare to take the body extended arching a little bit on the back and pike the hips in the transition to the other skills