What level do gymnasts learn a Beam Full Turn?

Gymnasts usually learn a Beam Full Turn between Levels 3 and 4. That is a typical range, and every gymnast and gym moves at a different pace.

How long does it take to learn a Beam Full Turn?

About 5 weeks once a Step-On Mount is solid, as a rough estimate. Starting from a Step-On Mount, the whole progression adds up to about 6 weeks. These are estimates; real timelines vary a lot from gymnast to gymnast.

What should my gymnast learn before a Beam Full Turn?

Step-On Mount comes directly before it. The full progression is Step-On Mount, then Beam Full Turn. Helpful but not required: Wolf Turn.

What are the most common deductions on a Beam Full Turn?

The ones to watch for are Incomplete Turn (usually about 0.1), Balance Check (usually about 0.1), Heel Drop During Turn (up to 0.10 each) and Poor Turn Position (usually about 0.1). Judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is.

How to do a Beam Full Turn

A Beam Full Turn is a turn on balance beam that gymnasts usually learn between Levels 3 and 4, once a Step-On Mount is solid.

Also called: full turn on beam, 360 turn on beam, beam pirouette.

Quick facts

Apparatus	Balance Beam
Typical level (estimate)	Levels 3-4
Difficulty (Stickd rating)	4/10
Time to learn after the prerequisite (estimate)	About 5 weeks
Whole progression (estimate)	About 6 weeks from a Step-On Mount
Fear factor (Stickd rating)	2/5

Levels, ratings and timelines are Stickd estimates for planning, not USAG requirements.

What to learn before a Beam Full Turn

Work through these skills in order. Each one is a required step toward a Beam Full Turn.

Step-On Mount (Levels 1-2)

Helpful but not required

Wolf Turn

Step-by-step progression

The path to a Beam Full Turn has 2 steps. Week counts are typical estimates for regular training.

1
Step-On Mount
Learn a Step-On Mount until it is solid, usually between Levels 1 and 2. About 1 week (estimate).
2
Beam Full Turn
Learn a Beam Full Turn. Allow about 5 weeks once the step before it is solid (estimate).

Drills that build a Beam Full Turn

What good form looks like

360-degree turn on one leg with body control on beam.

supporting_knee: straight
posture: upright

Common deductions on a Beam Full Turn

Deduction	What it means	Typically
Incomplete Turn	Turn not completed to required rotation (e.g., under-rotated)	0.1
Balance Check	Wobble or pause to regain balance on beam	0.1
Heel Drop During Turn	Heel touches floor during turn when relevé required	up to 0.10 each
Poor Turn Position	Body position not maintained during turn (leg position, arms)	0.1

Typical values; judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is, and the judges' score is the official one.

Watch an example

Watch a Beam Full Turn tutorial on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

Frequently asked questions

What level do gymnasts learn a Beam Full Turn?: Gymnasts usually learn a Beam Full Turn between Levels 3 and 4. That is a typical range, and every gymnast and gym moves at a different pace.
How long does it take to learn a Beam Full Turn?: About 5 weeks once a Step-On Mount is solid, as a rough estimate. Starting from a Step-On Mount, the whole progression adds up to about 6 weeks. These are estimates; real timelines vary a lot from gymnast to gymnast.
What should my gymnast learn before a Beam Full Turn?: Step-On Mount comes directly before it. The full progression is Step-On Mount, then Beam Full Turn. Helpful but not required: Wolf Turn.
What are the most common deductions on a Beam Full Turn?: The ones to watch for are Incomplete Turn (usually about 0.1), Balance Check (usually about 0.1), Heel Drop During Turn (up to 0.10 each) and Poor Turn Position (usually about 0.1). Judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is.