How do you perfect a cheerleading toe-touch jump?
A toe-touch is the stereotypical cheerleading jump. It is easy if you train, and make sure that your technique is correct.
To Train:
- You need to make sure that your leg muscles are very strong in both your inner thigh and your hamstring. Hamstrings are important to launch you in the air and your inner thighs are important for snapping your legs back together.
- Stretch a lot! The more flexibility you have, the further you will be able to extend your legs in the split position.
- Work on your timing. Making sure your arm swing is in sequence with your jumping is extremely important. Practice on a trampoline.
To Execute:
- Prepare your arms in a high-V (above your head).
- Keeping them straight, swing your arms inward crossing them above your knees, and bending your knees at the same time in a chair sit.
- Keeping the fluid motion, jump upwards as you bring your arms to a T position, extending your legs and pointing your toes.
Pro-Tip: The harder you point your toes the easier the jump will be! There is nothing worse than a beautiful toe-touch with flexed feet. - Snap your legs back together, landing with knees bent and your arms stiffly at your sides.
For more info see the video on How to Do a Toe-Touch Jump.
