Gymnastics Twisties: What They Are and What Helps

What gymnasts mean by “the twisties”

The twisties is gymnasts’ word for a sudden loss of air awareness during a twisting skill. A gymnast who has done a skill hundreds or thousands of times can no longer feel where they are in the air, which way they are turning or when to stop. The skill that used to run on its own stops feeling reachable, and the experience is frightening because it is not just nerves. It feels like the body has stopped following instructions.

Many people first heard the term in 2021, when Simone Biles withdrew from events at the Tokyo Olympics and said she had the twisties. Gymnasts, coaches and parents at every level recognized the word, because the same thing happens far below the elite level.

What is known, and what is not

There is very little formal research on the twisties themselves, so it is worth being honest about what can and cannot be said. No one can tell you exactly why it happens to one gymnast on one day. What coaches and sport psychologists commonly describe is a mix of factors that tend to show up together: stress or pressure, fatigue, a recent fall or scare, a change in routine or coaching, and a gymnast who suddenly starts thinking about a skill that used to be automatic.

That last point matters. Well-learned skills run largely below conscious thought. When fear pulls attention onto the details, such as where the arms go or when to open up, the automatic pattern can be disrupted. Trying harder tends to make that worse, which is why “just push through it” so often fails.

Safety comes first

Twisting skills with no air awareness can be dangerous. Whatever else is going on, these points are not negotiable:

• The gymnast does not throw the skill to prove something. Decisions about what to attempt, and with what spotting or equipment, belong to the gymnast and the coach.
• Anyone who has fallen, hit their head or has pain should be seen by a doctor before returning to training.
• Rebuilding the skill happens in coach-led progressions, with the right surfaces and spotting. Mental coaching does not replace that.

What the mental side of recovery can look like

When the physical safety plan is in place, the mental work is about the fear, tension and overthinking that surround the skill. In practice that usually means:

1. Taking the pressure down. A gymnast who is afraid of failing in front of coaches, teammates or judges is carrying a second problem on top of the first. It helps when the people around her stop treating the skill as a test.
2. Working on the fear response. Fear is an automatic reaction, not a character flaw. The aim is to train a calmer response so attention can return to the skill instead of the threat.
3. Rehearsing in the mind, at rest. Visualization lets a gymnast practice the feeling of a clean skill with no risk. This is done sitting or lying down, never while attempting a skill.
4. Building a routine and a reset. A short pre-skill routine and a reset cue give the gymnast something steady to do instead of scanning for what might go wrong.
5. Returning in small, successful steps. Confidence usually comes back through easier versions of the skill done well, guided by the coach, not through one dramatic attempt.

Where hypnosis fits

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention. Used alongside cognitive behavioral techniques, NLP methods and visualization, it can help a gymnast rehearse calm, focused responses in the part of the mind where automatic reactions live. Sessions with Robert are private and one-on-one by Zoom, and they are always done at rest, never in or near a gym, on equipment or while a skill is being attempted.

What parents and coaches can do

• Believe the gymnast. This is not laziness or drama, and they cannot snap out of it on command.
• Do not force it. Pushing a gymnast to throw a skill they cannot feel is how injuries happen.
• Keep the skill and the person separate. A bad day with one skill does not define a gymnast or their season.
• Get the right people involved. The coach, a doctor if there has been an injury or head impact, and if you want it, a mental performance coach.

Working with Robert

Robert Barnett works with gymnasts of all ages and levels, including top competitors, and with their parents. For gymnasts under 18, a parent or guardian starts with a free 20-minute phone consultation. You can read more on the gymnastics mental coaching page, or see the broader athlete coaching overview.

This article is for general education. It is not medical or mental health advice and does not replace care from a doctor or licensed clinician. Mental coaching complements, and does not replace, your coach’s training. Results vary.