Event
Balance beam

Skill type
Turn

Value
D

Known as
Double turn
Double spin

About
At a D (0.4) value, the double turn can be an incredibly useful composition choice on beam, but only for those who are supremely confident in their turning precision. Most of the best beam gymnasts in the world will not include a double turn in their routines because it’s just too risky for a wobble, especially when that same D value can be gained from so many less finicky acro elements.

The double turn did gain some popularity on beam toward the middle of the 2010s with the rise of Dutch-style beam: beam routines that eschew high-value acrobatic flight elements in rebounding series in favor of non-rebounding combinations of leaps and turns to build the difficulty score. The double turn can be a cornerstone of that strategy.