[Rec] Challenge! A roundup of jump rope tricks and techniques
One exercise everyone is familiar with: jump rope.
Of course it’s a playground game, but since it’s also part of elementary school P.E.
classes, people of all ages have tried it.
That said, jump rope is also a prestigious sport with world championships.
Which means there are lots of so-called “tricks” as well.
In this article, we’ve compiled jump rope moves and techniques!
We’ve picked a wide range—from the most basic ways to jump to those that require quite a bit of practice.
It’s content we hope both adults and kids will try!
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[Recreation] Challenge! Jump Rope Skills and Techniques Summary (1–10)
Side-open
The “side open” is where you swing the rope once at your side, then do a forward jump.
Swing it once on your right side, open your hands and do a forward jump; then swing it once on your left side, open your hands again, and do another forward jump.
The key to the side open is crossing your hands while you swing at your side.
Crossing first and then opening not only looks better, but also makes the rope less likely to tangle, which greatly increases your success rate.
If you add a higher jump, it will look stylish—almost like you’re combining it with a double under—so give it a try!
criss-cross double under (jump rope)
The “cross double under” involves doing double unders with your arms crossed.
Many people may know it by names like “Swallow” or “Flying Squirrel.” First, master the cross jump, where you make a big arm cross while jumping, and the double under, where you swing the rope twice in a single jump.
Once you can do both continuously, try the cross double under! You can start from the crossed-arm position or build momentum with regular forward jumps before crossing.
Practice using whichever timing feels easier to grasp.
forward jump
Let’s start here by really mastering the basic forward jump.
It’s easy to think, “That’s simple,” but for kids just starting with jump rope, doing consecutive forward jumps can be tricky.
Two prerequisites are: keep the handles fixed pointing outward, and match the timing of the rope swing with your jump.
These are the absolute basics.
It might help to begin by holding the rope in one hand and swinging it at your side to get used to the rhythm.
From there, speed up bit by bit, and before you know it, you’ll be a forward-jump master!
[Recreation] Challenge! Jump Rope Tricks and Techniques (11–20)
running jump
Running-in-place jump rope, known as “jogging steps,” is a basic technique, but it’s surprisingly easy to trip up and hard to keep going for long.
There are two variations: jogging with alternating left and right steps while the rope makes a single turn, and switching feet once with each turn of the rope.
For both, effective practice methods include “air jump rope” (imagining the motion without holding a rope), “one-hand jump rope” (swinging the rope with one hand while jogging), and “hop-on-one-foot jumps.” Give them a try!
caboose
“Caboose” is a jump rope trick where you thread both hands from the front through between your legs so your hands end up behind you, then swing the rope and jump.
If you keep the threaded hand position to turn the rope, it’s called a “Caboose Open,” and if you cross your arms after threading, it’s called a “Caboose Cross.” Because you have to spin the rope and jump while squatting in an unstable position, the trick is quite difficult, but once you can do it, you’ll definitely impress others.
If you’re comfortable with basic moves like side swings, cross jumps, and double unders, give it a try.
Kruger
“Kruger” is one of the leg-over moves where the hands pass under the leg.
You pass the rope-holding hands from the inside to the outside of your leg and do a basic forward jump with one leg lifted.
First, thread your hands through and lift your leg, check your form, then try jumping.
Once you can do that, practice entering the Kruger position from a regular forward jump and actually execute the jump.
When returning from Kruger to a forward jump, you can switch directly, but inserting a side cross (one rotation at your side) or a regular cross (jumping with crossed hands) helps you transition smoothly—give those a try as well.
butt hop
Jumping seriously is great, but why not try getting some laughs with a goofy way of jumping too? If that sounds fun, give the “butt jump” a try! The butt jump is exactly what it sounds like: sit with your legs straight out, hold the rope in one hand, swing it sideways, and hop over it using your butt.
You’ll need a suitable spot since you’ll be sitting on the ground, but it’s perfect to show off as a funny performance.
After you’ve grabbed some laughs with the butt jump, switch to a more serious trick—the contrast will definitely captivate your audience!