SKILL DEFINITION
Every core skill in jump rope can be defined by whether it’s a cross or a swing.
Top tip: rope manipulation, such as wraps and releases, is an extension of the core skill definitions, so understanding how to correctly define a skill is essential for exploring your creativity and combo building.
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When both hand placements are on opposite sides of the body, the skill they form is a cross.
All crosses pass under our feet as we jump over the loop of the rope.
Top tip: skills such as Open, Leg Over and Inverse Toad Gogo are all ‘uncrossed’, and so fall into our definition of crosses here.
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When both hand placements are on the same side of the body, the skill they form is a swing.
All swings pass by our feet. Some swings can be performed under one leg, meaning the rope passes under our raised foot but still passes by our standing foot.
Top tip: skills such as Toad Swing and EB Leg Over and Awesome Annie are swings, regardless of whether the word ‘swing’ appears in their common name.
