Step-By-Step In this post, we’re going to provide a lot of details on how to do double unders so make sure to bookmark this post and refer back to it as you’re practicing.
Step 1: Master Basic Jump
Before you learn double unders, your basic jump technique has to be solid.
Your jumping needs to be powerful and controlled so you are landing in a balanced position on your midsoles to allow for quick rebounding.
Quick Tip: a basic jump is when the rope passes underneath your feet once while you’re jumping low to the ground. To progress to double unders, you should be able to do basic jump without pausing between rotations or doing a double hop.
Step 2: Practice Explosiveness
The next step for learning double unders is to get the hang of a power jump.
Your form for double unders will stay the same as it is for basic jumps, except your jumps will be more explosive.
The best way for you to learn the proper bounding for double unders is to practice a nice slow basic jump and gradually bound higher off of the ground.
Step 3: Do Your Penguin Taps
For the third step, you’re going to put your jump rope aside.
This double under tip is a lot of fun, and it’s going to have you looking like a penguin, but stay with us.
The height of a power jump is very personal, and it varies from person to person, so you need to figure out what works best for you.
Some people can get a lot of air in their power jumps, leaving them lots of time for a double rotation. Others don’t have a huge vertical, so the timing is tricky.
So how do you improve your double unders?
Practice penguin taps.
You’re going to do your power jump without a rope, but when you’re in the air, you’re going to tap the sides of your thighs twice quickly.
By practicing your penguin taps, you’re going to get the wrist rotation’s feel that’s key for controlling the rhythm and pace of your double unders.
Now, if you want to do multiple consecutive double unders, you need to be able to do penguin taps over and over.
1 penguin tap = 1 double under.
You’ll likely be working on this step for a while before using a jump rope again. But trust us, once you’re thinking like a penguin, you’re going to get the hang of double unders really quickly.
Step 4: Put It All Together
Now it’s time to pick the rope back up and start putting everything together.
So let’s recap:
- Master basic jump
- Practice explosiveness
- Think like a penguin
Once you can string 10 to 20 double unders together, you’re ready for some advanced double unders tips.
Advanced Double Unders Drills
The advanced tips we have lined up next will help you increase the speed of your double unders and help you make fewer mistakes.
Again, we only recommend moving to these drills once you feel comfortable with your basic jump and you're able to consistently string together a set of 10-20 DUs.