Jump Rope Skills Tutorials for Beginners: Intro to the Heel Tap
This skill is a really fun one that you will find yourself doing every time you pick up a jump rope. It feels more like dancing than a lot of other skipping steps.
The heel tap is really the combination of two steps: 1.) Kick out and tap heel and 2.) switch feet.
Once you get comfortable doing the heel tap, you can start to jazz it up a little by rotating slightly from side to side.
Facts About Heel Tap
- Difficulty – This skill ranks a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. It requires switching feet, but there are no rope skills required.
- Best Rope – This skill can be done with a PVC rope easily, but you can really do it with a weighted rope too. Since the rope is just doing a standard swing, it’s based on your preference.
- Prerequisites – To be able to do this step you need the basic bounce and to be able to alternate your feet.
Tips and Drills To Learn the Basic Bounce
Tip: The easiest way to get this step is to learn it without the rope. Have some fun and get the steps down before you add in your jump rope. Watch this video for a slow-motion tutorial with and without the rope.
Drill: Try kicking your foot out four times and then tapping your heel four times.
Tip: Keep your elbows pulled in to make the rope less likely to get caught.
Tip: Stay off your heels, keep your weight slightly forward.
Masters of This Skill
If you want to watch jumpers who have mastered this skill check out @pollyjumps.
If you want to see more beginner skills, here’s a list of 21 jump rope skills to learn.
