2.6.17 Double Under Clinic Recap

What a great turnout for the double under clinic on Sunday!  It was so fun celebrating Super Bowl Sunday working on those elusive DU skills!  For those of you who missed it (and also for those who came), we wanted to recap some of the key points for the day!

HOW TO GET BETTER AT DOUBLES: To get a complex skill like DUs sometimes we need to break them into their more simple parts. Jumping without a rope, jumping with a rope, adding power jumps (and being able to accept the force they bring), single unders with power jumps, singles + doubles, stringing multiples.

• Just getting comfortable with a rope makes a difference.  Just jump.  Play.
• Practicing double unders versus using them in a workout is key.  If you only do doubles when we have them in WODs, you likely will not see dramatic improvement.  Three to five minutes before class will do wonders.
• Rope height matters.  We want the nipple level for the rope (with the handle maybe hitting your armpit).  As people advance we want the rope lower (smaller rope means faster rotation!)

WE BROKE THE DISCUSSION INTO THREE AREAS: UPPER HALF OF YOUR BODY, LOWER HALF AND LASTLY, THE ROPE TURN ITSELF.  AND THE FOLLOWING HOLDS TRUE FOR DOUBLES AND SINGLES!  

FOCUS ON UPPER HALF

• Posture: Solid and engaged core

• Elbow position: in close to your sides

• Hand position: angled DOWN

• Eye level – find a point on the horizon approx 15 feet in front of you

• Relax shoulders/traps (allows for natural wrist ‘flick’ if you are totally relaxed)

BOTTOM HALF

• Foot contact with the ground is BRIEF. You want to just “kiss the ground”

• Avoid landing “hard” – you should have a soft landing, stay on your toes

• Try holding feet together vs. hip width (decrease the variables as your body is more “one”)

• Seek very little knee bent.  Avoid getting ‘squatty’ when you land

TURNING THE ROPE :

• Rope should land a foot or so in front of your feet

• Make sure you are turning the rope to keep the elliptical shape of the rope

• Slight flexion at the elbow, most of the action happens at the wrist.

• Elbows connected to the sides, no drift upwards!  Drill but singles with a shorter rope (a shorter rope will REQUIRE you to keep your hands pointed down because as they rise, you will trip on the rope).

  LET’S GET BACK TO DOUBLES: THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES IS SPEED AND HEIGHT.    Here is a great drill progression and one we used at the clinic: Ropes down, POWER JUMPS (same points of performance as singles) Ropes down, POWER JUMPS with single taps Pick up rope, power jump singles (aim for 15 unbroken) Rope down, power jumps with double tap Rope down, 3 power jumps (or whatever you need to find rhythm) with single tap, one power jump with double tap. Stop. Repeat. Stop. Repeat. Pick up rope, three power singles, one double. Stop. Pick up rope, three power singles, one double, three singles, one double continuous Practice stringing 2, 3, etc.

CONSIDER DRILL OF SINGLES WITH EYES CLOSED TO “FEEL” THE JUMP AND THE ROPE

 

  MU- 5 Turnovers with feet on the ground into 5 dips with a 2 second pause in the bottom Pull Ups- 20 second hollow hold into 7 Pull ups with a 3 second descent on each set Toes to Bar -20 second hollow hold into 8 Straight Leg Kips 4 Rounds   Good video of how to get into a good hollow hold HERE   WOD

“Mini Jack”  10 Push Press 10 KB Swings 10 Box Jumps 10 min AMRAP   Coach’s Tip: For those that did the double under clinic we encourage you to do step up versus box jumps to protect those calves.