Jump Rope Tricks Tutorials

The Side Swing is the foundation for a world of other jump rope tricks. Bring both wrists together—not touching—in front of your body at hip level. Then, move your hands in a figure-eight motion to swing the rope from side to side. If you wanna get fancy, follow @chris.alberts.fitness’s lead.

As soon as you jump your rope, tuck the handles underneath your armpits (like the Chicken Dance) so the rest of the rope circles over your head and hits the front of your body. Once it hits your shins, untuck the handles and throw the rope out in front of you. Then, jump!

Start with a backwards side swing (see above). Then, lift your leg opposite to the swing. Bring your hands back to standard jump form with one hand tucked under the lifted leg. Jump over the rope with your standing leg, and repeat until it looks awesome.

The Caboose is a great way to change your rope’s direction mid-session. While opening your legs into a straddle position, bring your arms up and around like a standard jump, then smack the rope to the floor. From there, align your handles with your feet and pull the rope between your legs. Cross your arms beneath you, then flip your wrists to rotate the rope forward (this is where the directional change happens). Jump over it while you crouch, then uncross your arms and pull the rope back out from beneath your legs to get back to a standing position.

The goal here is to get the rope to pass underneath your feet two times in one jump. @thebunnymethod recommends practicing without a rope while double-tapping your sides to get the quick motion down. Tuck your elbows, keep your arms down by your side, and make sure to maintain high, vertical jumps without tucking your knees or feet.

First, practice your speed steps. Separately, practice crosses between every jump. Combine the two moves so you’re shifting from one foot to the other while crossing your arms. Speed it up once you’re comfortable enough.

Are you ready for an advanced move? You’ll need to know how to do basic crossovers, a toad, and a Crougar (see above) to pull off an Awesome Annie; it’s a combo of all three tricks. Your bottom hand will be switching from the opposite arm to the opposite leg while your top hand makes a figure 8 motion.

This trick is a combination of a side swing and a full 360-degree jump. Jump and twist while initiating a left side swing. Follow the swing around and up behind you, then bring the rope back down once you’re facing front. Jump over the rope as it contacts the ground.

Spice up your routine by combining these three moves: Boxer Skip, Side Swing, and Side Cross. The key is to get the transitions down so you can seamlessly switch between moves. @jump_15_official recommends practicing the individual moves in units of four jumps before freestyling. Once you feel comfortable, you can switch between moves as you please.

Picture a Side Swing and a Standard Jump, all in one move. First, learn how to do a Side Swing 10 - 15 times without messing up. Then you’ll be ready to hit the ground with your rope (Side Swing) and let it pass under you (Standard Jump), all in one jump

Side Swing to the right, Side Swing to the left, and jump! Alternate between which side you swing to first, and you’ve got this combo nailed.

Grrr! Swing your rope backwards, squat, and let the rope catch on your legs so you can grab it from between your thighs. Drop the handle between your legs, then use your front hand to push the rope around your body like a tail! Catch the handle with your opposite hand, then unwrap the rope by bringing your hand up and around your body.

This is a tricky one. Practice some Side Swings, but be sure to move your opposite wrist on top of the other on either side. Next, try holding onto one handle and spinning your loose rope clockwise with your dominant hand. It should have momentum and a circular movement. Combine these two motions. The next time you Side Swing into your dominant side and your wrists are stacked, let go of the rope. Don’t chase the handle, it should come spinning back to you for a solid catch.

Slow down for this release. Cross your arms and let go of the rope with your bottom hand when the rope is passing above you. Quickly move your bottom hand above your top hand while the handle is still floating in front of you. @wejumprope advises against stopping your non-catching hand while switching.

We can break this move down into five steps: 1) Side Swing with your outside hand extended. 2) On the first rotation, swing the rope once so it wraps around your extended wrist. 3) On the second rotation, cross the rope to the other side and then, 4) Unwrap. 5) Finally, move your unwrapped hand back to the other side to get back to a Standard Jump position.

Do you know how to slow down your jump rope? Good! First, perform a backwards swing. Before the rope goes back over your head, cross your arms and catch the loop on your arms. Pull the rope taught into an “X” shape, and show it off!

The building blocks for Polly Pockets are Hip Twists and Alternating Heel Taps. Put ‘em together and speed it up! Jump over the rope between taps.

To get this trick down, start without a rope. Practice some jumping leg skips to the side, four at a time. Kick one foot out in the direction you’re skipping, tapping the ground with your heel. Once you’re ready to add a rope, speed it up and get to jumping.

Inject a little 80s hip-hop into your routine. Combine high knees and forward straddles. To start, @celina.jumps demonstrates practicing the moves separately between jumps before removing the jumps between.

Practice this dance move without a rope first. Here is the breakdown: 1) Cross your right foot over your left foot. 2) Kick out your left foot. 3) Cross your left foot over your right foot. 4) Kick out your left foot. Jump over the rope between every step. A handy tip from @apinyajunps: Always kick out the leg that is crossed behind.

Grrr! Swing your rope backwards, squat, and let the ropae catch on your legs so you can grab it from between your thighs. Drop the handle between your legs, then use your front hand to push the rope around your body like a tail! Catch the handle with your opposite hand, then unwrap the rope by bringing your hand up and around your body.