Double unders still alluding you? Here are a few tips from our friends over at the Hot Shots Jump Rope team.
Kicking feet forward (piking) on the jump:
Focus on keeping shoulders back and having a soft bend in the knees. Practice repeated jumps using proper form until it is mastered without the rope. The rope can then be added turning at the side and then progress to double unders turning the rope under the feet.
Hunching Over:
Focus on keeping shoulders back and jumping up leading with the top of the head and shoulders. Practice repeated jumps using proper form until it is mastered without the rope. The rope can then be added turning at the side and then progress to double unders turning the rope under the feet.
Jumping Stiff Legged:
Work on jumping with a soft bend in the knees rather than stiff legs. Practice repeated jumps using proper form until it is mastered without the rope. The rope can then be added turning at the side and then progress to double unders turning the rope under the feet.
Not jumping high enough/too high:
Work on the height of the jump without the rope first. The height of the jump should be 15-20 cm off the ground. Keep practicing without the rope until this height is reached.
Raising Arms during Double Under motion:
Raising the arms during the double under motion will cause the rope to get caught on your feet because the rope is being held higher. To correct this error, focus on keeping your hands at the same height that they were at when you are doing basic jumping. If you are still struggling with this action, try a longer rope. You will need to turn with more power as the rope is longer but the added length will compensate for the raised arms.
Rope too short:
Having a rope that is too short will cause the rope to get caught on your feet because there is less clearance for the rope to pass under the feet. To correct this error, focus on keeping your hands closer to the body. If you are still struggling with this action, try a longer rope. You will need to turn with more power as the rope is longer but the added length will compensate for the raised arms.
Rope too long:
When using a longer rope, you will need to turn with more power and jump higher because there is added slack on the rope. Try gradually shortening rope. It is very common to need a shorter rope for double under skills.
Turning with/from the elbows:
Turning a double under from the elbows rather than the wrist is more difficult. The wrist is able to turn a faster motion for double unders. The reason is that it is used more readily in fine motor skills so the quick double under motion is more efficiently executed using the wrists. If you are turning from the elbows, try to gradually shorten your rope. The shorter rope will force you to keep your hand in tighter to the body and encourage a smaller turning motion from the wrists.
We encourage you to have your own jump rope that is sized to fit you! We carry Surge Ropes you can purchase at the box for $25.