Introduction Jumps are one of the most exciting and well-recognized parts of cheerleading, but many squad members develop bad habits because no one teaches them proper technique. Laid out below are instructions on the four most common jumps and what, as a coach, to look for and correct. Practice these techniques together as a squad and you will see clean lines, higher jumps, and steadier landings. The Prep Each cheerleading jump begins with a prep. There are several acceptable preps, and it is up to the coach or the squad to determine which prep works best for them. The most important thing to remember is that the purpose of the prep is to give momentum. One common prep starts with the arms in a High V, swings them down in front of the body, and ends with the arms in a T. Another common prep begins with the arms clasped above the head. They then swing straight down in front of the body and end in a T position. Whatever prep a squad chooses, the arms should always end in some variety of the T position to maximize the height and flexibility of the jump. Arms should always be in front of the legs during a jump. Finally, the arms should be whipped down from whatever prep is chosen and stopped in the T variety. The whipping motion gives momentum for the jump, and stopping them from continuing past the T position forces the body upward. Foot Position Foot position is another choice a coach and squad must make. Jump height is maximized when the feet are kept flat on the floor throughout the prep and only leave the ground during the actual jump. Some squads choose to rise up on the toes to get increased height, but many run the risk of losing balance before the jump begins or adding a small hop. Such hops should never be encouraged or allowed because rather than give power to the jump, they actually absorb the power into the ground and leave the jumper unable to explode off the floor. Correct Jumping Technique There are several general rules that apply to all cheerleading jumps. Toes should always be pointed. Although one of the most well-known jumps is called the toe touch, the idea - 1 -
of the jump is not to actually touch the toes. That mentality leads squads to flex their toes in order to reach them. It is better for a jump to be lower with pointed toes than have great height and flexed feet. On all jumps, the head should be up at all times. Training squads to lift their eyes higher than normal helps maintain their posture and increase height. A good rule is to look where the ceiling meets the wall, unless circumstances require another fixed point. The back should always be straight during a jump. This gives the jump more height and makes it look cleaner in the air. Jump 1: The Toe Touch The staple cheerleading jump is a toe touch. The jump involves kicking the legs out to the side as far as they will go and snapping them back together. The jump should resemble the middle splits in the air. The key to a toe touch is rotating the hips backward to increase range of motion. An easy way to explain this concept is the idea that one s shoelaces should point to the sky or backward, if possible. Another way to conceptualize the motion is to sit into the jump. Ideally, the hips should be lower than the feet if the hips are truly turned out. Legs should then be snapped back together. When the jumper lands, the feet should be completely back together and under control, so that the person can hold the landing position with no fidgeting. 1 1 The left picture is of a toe touch with the legs extended straight, but not hyper-extended. Increased flexibility will allow a hyper-extended jump, such as the one at right. Jump 2: The Herkie Another common jump is the herkie. One leg is kicked out straight, while the other is bent with the knee pointing to the ground. Either leg can be straight, depending on the preference of the squad member. - 2 -
This jump should be taught so that squad members kick both legs out at the same time and land at the same time. The body should stay facing straight and the arms should be out in a T position. One variation of this is to put one arm on the hip and have the other in a T, opposite of which leg is bent and which is straight. The straight leg should be turned out as in the toe touch to give more height and range of motion. Jump 3: The Side Hurdler A variation of the herkie is the side hurdler. The movement is the same, with one leg extended straight and the other leg bent at the knee. In the side hurdler, instead of pointing the knee down to the ground, it is pointed out to the side, making a line from the tip of one toe to the knee of the other. Arms are generally out in a T position for this jump. The picture on the left is of a herkie, with the knee turned down. The right features the side hurdler, with the knee facing front. Generally, side hurdlers are performed with the arms in the T position. Jump 4: The Front Hurdler The last essential jump to any repertoire is the front hurdler. The motion is similar to the side hurdler except the body is facing the extended leg, leaning out over it. When performed for a crowd, the front hurdler is done to the side, giving the audience a profile view. To teach a front hurdler, have squad members jump with one leg in front, as high as it will comfortably go. The other leg should be to the back, bent upward at the knee. The body should be leaning slightly forward, as if reaching beyond the extended leg. Arms for this jump are in the Touchdown position. A major mistake made with the front hurdler is the inability to land with one s feet together. This is usually the result of trying to get the front leg higher than it can 2-3 -
naturally go. In an effort to raise the front leg, a jumper will lean into the back leg during the jump, forcing that leg to land sooner than the front leg. To fix this problem, have squad members focus on keeping the weight over the front leg during the jump, even if this decreases the stretch of the jump. Jumpers who try this should find it easier to land with both feet together, making the jump look clean and wellexecuted. An example of the front hurdler Strengthening and Stretching Exercises Sitting Straddle Stretch Squads should stretch together, focusing on the straddle stretch. To do this stretch, squad members should sit on the floor and spread their legs as far to the side as is comfortable. Toes should be pointed, but legs should be relaxed. Members should lean forward into the stretch, making sure to keep the lower back as flat as possible. This will stretch the hips more than the hamstrings, which is essential to seeing a difference in the actual jump. The Importance of the Hip Flexor The hip flexor is a very important part of jumps as well. It helps jumpers whip their legs out and back together, ensuring that the jump is quick and lands together. If a squad member consistently lands her jumps with her feet apart or at slightly different times, teaching her this hip flexor exercise will dramatically improve her ability to land smoothly. Hip Flexor Exercises To strengthen the hip flexor, squad members can sit on the floor in the straddle position with their arms in front or behind them for stability or wrapped around the body for added difficulty. Members should raise one leg at a time, holding it steady above the floor or pulsing the leg up and down for a bigger workout. The leg should be turned out at all times to train 2-4 -
the hips which position to hit in the air. After doing each leg separately, the legs can be lifted simultaneously to work both at once. Throughout the entire exercise, the lower back should be kept as straight as possible. Letting the back curve lessons the impact and puts strain on a different part of the leg. Dead Arm Drill An exercise to improve the height of jumps and increase the squad s awareness of the importance of using the arms in a jump is to leave them at one s sides. Making the squad try several jumps without using the arms forces the body to rely more on the legs and showcases the importance of the arms in a jump. Conclusion Remember, the most important thing to improving jumps is consistent practice. Squads should stretch and jump together, getting individual feedback from coaches and other squad members. Take some time out each practice to talk about jumping technique and you will soon see higher, tighter, and more flexible jumps. - 5 -
Notes 1 http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cheerleading.about.com/library/graphics/jumps/ justine_toetouch.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cheerleading.about.com/od/jumps/l/bljump_justine.htm&h=225&w =300&sz=19&hl=en&start=14&tbnid=pCloBycyR9CvzM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3 Dtoe%2Btouch%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG 2 http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cof.ens.fr/cirque/pompom/pics/hurkie.jpg&imgre furl=http://www.cof.ens.fr/cirque/pompom/sauts.html&h=200&w=200&sz=6&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=2rn OQKJdfK_JCM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dside%2Bhurdler%26svnum%3D10%26 hl%3den%26lr%3d%26sa%3dg - 6 -