[VIDEO] How to Get Double Unders

I first saw the double under about six years ago and was definitely intrigued. Over the years I have watched lots of athletes learn double under and the one common thread besides whip marks on the legs is a good dose of frustration. Jumping rope is one of those activities that we remember being able to do as kids, but somehow can’t get these adult bodies to perform with the same playful success.

Jumping rope is all about being able to repeat the same shape with your body over and over again. This is where the difficulty comes in. In a double under, not only is it necessary to repeatedly jump a little bit higher than normal, you have to simultaneously be able to spin the rope at double speed and time that with your bigger jumps. You can imagine the opportunities for failure are abound.

The look on athletes faces when they miss is commonly a mix of pain and puzzlement – OUCH! “Why the hell did I miss?!?” Then, their shoulders tense, their rhythm changes, and the misses continue. We all know the landslide of agility bashing that ensues. I have definitely been there. It almost feels like you just woke up and double unders weren’t there that day. Then, double unders come up in a workout and athletes will just select singles and not give doubles a try. Granted there a days in class where double unders are the focus of the skill work, and many days they are not. Either way, I wanted people to have a way to work on them.

I wanted a simpler way to talk about jumping rope then just having people keep trying. I wanted a defined drill that people could separate out different elements and practice. This is a way to diagnose your individual issue with the rope.

The video above is a drill that has helped some people find some success. It has helped me further my double unders, and I have seen lots of people get their first, and even string some together in under ten minutes. Give it a try and I wish you the best with your double unders.

 

Danny Lesslie
@dannylesslie