What’s the Right Jump Rope Length For Beginners?

Jump rope length is a very tricky thing to get right. There are different “right” lengths depending on where you are in your jump rope journey.

You need a longer rope when you first start jumping. As you get better and better, which will happen, you will need a shorter rope.

The great thing about MOST jump ropes is that you can easily adjust the length shorter or longer. Shortening a rope is much harder to do with weighted ropes, but I’ll show you how to change the length of each type of rope.

How Long Should Your Jump Rope Be If You Are An Absolute Beginner?

The length of your jump rope will get shorter the more skilled you get. You probably won’t be happy starting with the short length because you are more likely to trip on the rope. As you improve, you learn to hold your elbows closer to your body. This makes the ideal rope length get shorter.

According to the experts, start with your jump rope at chest height (not including the handles). This is measured with one foot standing on the rope. This is a good length for a beginner. You can also use your height plus three feet.

What’s the Best Jump Rope Length for Intermediate?

As you progress you can shorten the rope to your waist (not including the handles). This is approximately your height plus two feet.

You might find as soon as you shorten the rope that you are missing or tripping over the jump rope more often. It takes time to get used to a new length. Try jumping with your shorter rope for a week before you go back.

Is It Normal To Have Different Length Jump Ropes?

Yes! As you get more interested in jumping rope you’ll find that you start to collect different ropes that you like to use for different things. For example, shorter PVC ropes are better for practicing speed and double-unders. Slightly longer beaded ropes are better for practicing side swings and crossovers.

As you build your skipping skills, you will find that you like to use many different ropes in every workout and they are all slightly different lengths.

How to Shorten a PVC Jump Rope

To shorten a PVC jump rope, pull the rope out of the handle from the top (see step 1 below). Release the plastic lock, usually by squeezing it (step 2). Push the plastic ring down to the desired length. Push the lock back onto the ring. Cut off the extra length.

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I don’t recommend cutting the rope until you’ve used it at the new length for a week to make sure you didn’t get it too short.

How to Shorten a Beaded Jump Rope

To shorten a beaded rope is a few extra steps. It can be hard to get the adjuster out of the handle, but there should be some slack. Once you get the rope out of the handle, untie the knot that is holding the plastic ring in place. Slide a bead or two off. Put the ring back onto the rope and tie a knot.

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I recommend waiting to cut off excess rope so you can make sure the length works for you. Once you cut the rope you will need to burn the edge to keep it from fraying.

How To Shorten A Weighted Jump Rope

You can’t cut your weighted rope. The easiest way to shorten a weighted rope is to tie a knot. The downside of this approach is that it hurts like hell when the knot hits you. You can add one knot at first and see if that shortens the rope enough.

How do you know if you’ve shortened it too much? You will find that even when you try to keep your elbows close to your body, you still trip over the rope. In that case, if you’ve left the excess rope or PVC in place just adjust the rope a little longer. It’s normal to keep adjusting the lengths as you go.