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Straight-arm press: spot and fix your mistakes

In the straight-arm press, SkillTrack checks whether your hips are over your shoulders at lift-off, and how you arrive in the handstand at the top. If an attempt fails, SkillTrack shows why: your feet don’t come up, you sink back down, or you don’t hold the handstand at the top. SkillTrack is a web app that analyzes your phone video on your device.

How do I spot a mistake in my straight-arm press?

A video of yourself shows which point is off:

• Hips not over the shoulders at lift-off: the hips stay behind the hands (straddle from the floor).
• Banana at the top: in the handstand after the press the hips bend and the lower back arches.
• Shoulders not fully open: the upper body still leans over the hands at the top.
• Knees bent: the legs are not straight when you arrive at the top.
• Failed attempt: your feet don’t come up, you sink back down, or you don’t hold the handstand at the top.

Why aren’t my hips over my shoulders in the straight-arm press?

Compression: actively bend at the hips and round your back. More forward lean only helps with a lot of shoulder strength.

Tip: round your back, belly to your thighs, hips high over your hands.

These exercises help you get your hips over your shoulders

• Seated straddle leg lifts, back to the wall: lift your straight legs a little off the floor in a straddle sit.
• Cat-camel on hands and knees: practise actively rounding your back so your hips come up in the press.
• Press position hip raises: in a straddle stand, shift your weight forward and lift your hips until you are on your toes.

Why do I end up in a banana after the straight-arm press?

Either your shoulders aren’t fully open yet, or your tension fades at the top. Both end in an arched back.

Tip: arms right beside your ears, belly and glutes tight.

These exercises help against the banana at the top

• Hollow Body Hold: active core tension lying down that later keeps your body in line.
• Puppy pose with pulses: stretches the shoulder in exactly the direction that is missing at the top.
• Handstand shrugs against the wall: actively push your shoulders up in the handstand.

Why are my knees bent in the straight-arm press?

Hamstring mobility: the back of the legs holds you back when the hips are deeply bent.

Tip: lock your knees, point your toes.

These exercises help against bent knees

• Seated straight leg lifts: strengthens the hip flexors with locked knees.
• Pancake (straddle forward fold): lean forward between your legs with a straight back.
• Boat pose, let go of one leg: hold one straight leg up with your hip alone.

How does SkillTrack check your straight-arm press?

You film yourself with your phone from the side or pick an existing video. The analysis runs on your device: the video and body points never leave it.

SkillTrack detects the angle you filmed from and only checks mistakes that can be measured from that angle. If the angle doesn't fit, the app rejects the recording instead of judging wrongly.

You get the finding in one sentence, the reason behind it, and matching exercises.

What comes next?

In SkillTrack, the path to the straight-arm press has two stages: straddle with feet elevated and straddle from the floor. Which mistakes are measured depends on the stage.

What does SkillTrack cost, and what can it not do?

• Free: every skill for 7 days from your first result, as often as you like.
• After that, currently a one-time payment of €9.99 (founder price), no subscription. Then you can keep checking as often as you like, for every skill.
• SkillTrack does not replace a coach and is not a medical product.
• You need a phone with a camera or an already filmed video. On first start the app downloads the recognition model once.

Frequently asked questions

Check my straight-arm press in SkillTrack

Last updated: 31.10.2026