Double Under Fix

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This week we are going to take a look at jump rope and double unders.

When we are trying to improve our efficiency and ability to jump rope or pump out double unders, we really should focus more on decreasing variables. Just like any high skilled movement, the less variables there are, the more accurate you will be over time.

There are two big variables with the jump rope that people neglect to address.

The first one is foot position. To me, it makes the most sense to hold your feet and knees together. This makes your legs act as one single unit instead of two separate units. This will increase the variability of foot, ankle, knee, and hip motion that can show up from one jump to another. When things change every jump, it is hard to be consistent. By holding your feet together, you are taking that completely out of the equation.

The second big variable that I rarely see addresses is spinal control with jumping rope. A ton of athletes let their low back just go along for the ride and get cranked on every jump they do. Rather than hold their core tight and propel themselves efficiently with their feet and ankles, they lose all the tension through their low back.

We can address this issue by training ourselves to create more muscular contraction around the core while the ankles move. You can achieve this by going into a push up plank position, holding your core tight, and rocking at the ankles. This will train the brain to understand the pattern of foot/ankle motion with a very controlled core. Use the window of opportunity following this drill to then lock in this new pattern with the actual jump rope.

Watch the video for a more in depth explanation and details!