1. Drills
  2. Gymnastics
  3. Flexibility

Shoulder Stick Pass-Throughs

Open your shoulders for handstands, bridges and swing.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Hold a broomstick wide with straight arms in front of you.

Core: Mild tension. Never push into pain.

Ages
14 and up
Time
8 min
Players
Just you
Space
Gym or court
Bring
Broomstick or band
Level · skill
Advanced · Flexibility

The steps

How it works

  1. Hold a broomstick wide with straight arms in front of you.
  2. Lift it slowly over your head and behind you.
  3. Bring it back to the front the same way.
  4. Do 3 sets of 10. Move your hands wider if it pinches.

Coaching point

Slow and straight arms.

Safety: Stretch to a gentle pull, never pain. Nobody pushes you down; you go only as far as you can on your own. Pain in your lower back, worse when you bend back, is never normal: stop and tell a parent or coach. Keep back bends few and gentle.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Stretch and tell: hold each stretch while your partner reads a fun fact or tells a short story. Swap, and breathe slowly.

Challenge

Gentle levels: Less (reach a little), Core (mild tension), More (add a slow breath out). Never push into pain.

Story

You are a cat waking from a nap, stretching long and slow.

My best

Beat your own count

Never push into pain. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

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