Ballistic stretching consists of repetitive bouncing, or using the swinging momentum of the trunk or limb, to provide a stretch force. The end position of the stretch is not held. Ex. A grand battement, which involves a ballistic stretch of the hamstrings.
Ballistic stretching can increase flexibility in the short-term, however, the problem with ballistic stretching is that it is not well controlled, making it easy to exceed the extensibility limit of the soft tissue and overstretch/strain the muscle.
Note: These movements should only be performed when the dancer is well warmed up. Without a proper warm up, ballistic stretching can potentially cause injury to muscle tissue, tendons or muscle connective tissue.
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