The double under can be the bane of some people’s existence. It takes timing, rhythm, patience, and a lot of practice to master. Utilizing drills and correct movement patterns that work towards the full movement are an integral part of learning the double under. 

Tip 1: Rope Measurement

It is important to have the correct rope length when skipping so that there is enough rope to clear the top of your head comfortably, but also not to have too much excess – wasting unnecessary energy. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your rope length (excluding handle length) is approximately 2.5ft to 3ft longer than your actual height. So if you are 5ft, your ideal rope length is approximately 8ft. 

Another method for measuring rope length is to stand on the middle of the rope with one foot while holding both handles in one hand. Pull the rope tight and upward. The end of the rope (handles excluded) should be inline with your sternum / lower chest. This is a good basic gauge of rope length if you do not have a way to measure your rope. 

Tip 2: Hand positioning 

Ideally we want our hands to be as close to our body as possible with slightly bent elbows. This just means we can have the rope as short as possible whilst still being able to make successful skips. A shorter rope means we will be more efficient and waste less energy. Your hands should be down by your pockets and not too far forward or behind your body as this brings the rope closer to the front or back of your feet, making it more likely to trip. Also strive to keep your hands relaxed as your grip will tend to burnout if you are tightly squeezing the handles. 

Tip 3: Body Position 

Relaxed, long, and straight. This is the ideal body position when jumping. Making sure our entire body is long and relaxed and not tensed up causing unnecessary bends at the knees or hips. You want to keep your legs, hips, feet, and torso relatively straight also as this position will help you stay relaxed and increase the amount of skips you can complete. 

Tip 4: Practice but don’t over do it 

It is both exciting and frustrating when learning a new movement. Practicing through the means of varying drills or even trying the movement itself is important, but with a movement that places high demand on smaller muscle groups such as your feet, achilles, calves, and shins, we need to be careful with the volume we are doing. Lots of contractions happen in the lower legs when we skip, so doing multiple repetitions each day can be quite stressful and lead to injuries if the volume and recovery isn’t monitored. Making recovery a priority is important for longevity of those smaller muscle groups and spacing out how often you are practicing, while make sure you aren’t overloading the muscles.