The No. 1 Way to Make Jump Rope Easier

When first learning jump rope, the whole thing can seem like a mammoth task. It can seem impossible to have that much coordination. Many of my clients protest thinking they’ll never have enough coordination to even manage one cross, let alone double unders and push-ups and the rest. But there’s one thing that I share with them all that makes the whole learning process much much easier.

The challenging thing about jump rope, and the reason it can have such a steep learning curve for some, is that it requires a lot of spatial awareness - something that most people overestimate at first. Nonetheless, this one tip can fix that. So what is it?

So what is it?

Your reflection. Instant visual feedback - or in other words - a mirror!

Using a mirror can significantly improve your spatial awareness by providing you with real-time visual feedback. Seeing yourself in the reflection of a mirror allows you to see the adjustments that need to be made, despite these adjustments not being obvious to you purely through the feeling.

The beautiful thing about this one tip is, the more you use a mirror in your training, the more you’ll begin to recognise what feels wrong because you’ll be consistently associating it with what you see is wrong. In time, you’ll then be more receptive to what feels wrong and - put simply, your spatial awareness will have improved.

The Proof is in the Pudding

How do I know this works? Because it’s already a tried and tested method in many performance arts such as dancing and acting. Dancers and actors alike use mirrors to rehearse, and to ensure what they display is seen how it is meant to be seen, and portrayed how it is meant to be portrayed.

So what can a mirror do for you when you jump rope? Using a mirror will immediately improve three essential aspects of your jump rope technique.

1 Hand Position

Can’t seem to get that Toad Cross or EB? Using a mirror will allow you to see if your hands are in the right place. Your reflection will tell you if you’re crossing far enough or at the wrong height. And if you’re a beginner, it’s also extremely useful for helping you bring your hands closer to your sides and making your overall jump rope technique more efficient.

2 Posture

Posture is really important in jump rope but as you advance onto double unders and leg crosses, it can be easy to compromise on good posture for the sake of achieving that freestyle skill you’re trying to get. If you’re using a mirror, you can trick yourself into better posture by keeping your eyes fixed on your own eyes. This will force you to keep your head up and chest up so you don’t break your gaze. This habit will then transfer into your workouts and freestyling when you don’t have a mirror.

3 Timing

Part of the reason people find it so hard to find their rhythm when jumping rope is what they can’t see. When the rope passes under your feet, it spends half its rotation behind your head. This makes it hard to time the jumps and hand placements correctly until your rope control improves. A mirror gives you the superpower to see behind your head and watch the rope the whole time, giving you better timing. This applies to beginners as much as it does experts; all freestyle skills from the basic bounce to a backwards Cross to Elephant can be broken down and understood more easily with the use of a mirror.

What do you do?

Do you use a mirror? If not, you might be missing out big time on making jump rope easier. If you are, did any of this article surprise you? Get in touch and let me know.