What do you think is the best way to get better splits and more flexibility? Like a good oversplits pancake (for Tkatchev for example), pike stretch (for toe on toe shoot for example), over splits moves, etc...

To get oversplits, good to first warm up doing splits on the floor, then with one foot on a panel mat, higher and higher as you get better at it. To get a better pancake and pike stretch sometimes it can be better and easier to get someone to push you down a little and help you go down further and further - when you got the stretch pretty good, then it's easier to do it by yourself. To increase the flexibility on pancake you can put your feet on a small mat to be a little higher, and then higher and higher as you get better at it. The ways of coach stretching oversplits can also help with pike stretch and the ligaments stretching - as long as it's not too extreme and you don't pop!

Manual passive coach stretching can help a lot, for oversplits and also for pike stretch because it helps stretch the tendons. It's bad if the stretching is too hard and harsh though - a couple of gymnasts at my gym actually popped their leg from 2 of the coaches that stretch too hard and harsh; it took some months before it healed and they could do splits again. Stretching by other gymnasts is bad for lots of reasons - better by a coach that is trained in gymnastics coaching and has experience. Some coaches have the gymnasts stretch each other, to save time or maybe to put peer pressure on the gymnast to get stretched and not cry....I don't know. Anyways, it's good to be patient, stretching too hard and too fast like you're in a rush does more bad than good.

practice it a lot! and also coach helping you stretch too.

Practice, practice, practice! Also, you'll probably feel more flexible and loose after a hot shower. Easier for splits and bridges, walkovers.

What's the point of doing the pike stretch with your feet on top of a mat? It seems like the angle is the same as doing it on the floor? Maybe you get a better position that is easier to stretch foward? Or do the coaches like to stretch you in pike that way so it's harder to get out of it!

Good ways. Here is another one: vibration technique to increase flexibility, studied vs. a control group of static stretching, but static stretching done by themselves, not aided, manual stretching: [quote]CONCLUSION: This study showed that vibration can be a promising means of increasing range of motion beyond that obtained with static stretching in highly trained male gymnasts.[/quote] The rest of the summary: [quote]INTRODUCTION: The most popular method of stretching is static stretching. Vibration may provide a means of enhancing range of motion beyond that of static stretching alone. PURPOSE: This study sought to observe the effects of vibration on static stretching to determine whether vibration-aided static stretching could enhance range of motion acquisition more than static stretching alone in the forward split position. METHODS: Ten highly trained male volunteer gymnasts were randomly assigned to experimental (N = 5) and control (N = 5) groups. The test was a forward split with the rear knee flexed to prevent pelvic misalignment. Height of the anterior iliac spine of the pelvis was measured at the lowest split position. Athletes stretched forward and rearward legs to the point of discomfort for 10 s followed by 5 s of rest, repeated four times on each leg and split position (4 min total). The experimental group stretched with the device turned on; the control group stretched with the device turned off. A pretest was followed by an acute phase posttest, then a second posttest measurement was performed following 4 wk of treatment. Difference scores were analyzed. RESULTS: The acute phase showed dramatic increases in forward split flexibility for both legs (P < 0.05), whereas the long-term test showed a statistically significant increase in range of motion on the right rear leg split only (P < 0.05). Effect sizes indicated large effects in all cases. [/quote] "Flexibility enhancement with vibration: Acute and long-term.", Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):720-5: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16679989&ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Active stretching also good - leg kicks: front, back, and to each side Even cartwheels stretch out your legs too - better warm-up first though! You can really feel that when you're sore or have something pulled.