So You Wanna Do a Toe Touch?

So you want to learn how to do a toe touch? It’s very important to learn the basics to entering a jump like it’s second nature. You’ll be using this every time you are in uniform and want to pump up the crowd, end a cheer, or even in the middle of a dance routine.

Basic Jump Entry

• Step 1: Start your jump entry with your feet together, your arms straight down on your side and your hands in fists.
• Step 2: Clap your hands and then put your arms into a high V position.
• Step 3: At the same time, bend your knees and cross your arms downward into an “X” position in front of your knees.
• Step 4: As you are continuing to swing your arm motion back out and up into a “T” or a “V” (depending on the final position you are executing), jump!
• Step 5: Upon landing from your jump, bend your knees slightly to absorb any shock and put your arms straight and down by your side with your hands in fists, much like step one.
• Step 6: Straighten your knees and clap for the finishing touch.

*While executing these each of these steps, make sure they are down quickly and consecutively of each other. It is supposed to look like one continual motion.

How to do a Toe Touch

Toe touches are one of the most popular and often executed jumps in cheerleading. From behind the scenes at tryouts to in front of the cameras at national and world wide competitions, chances are you’ll see this jump at least once in any of these scenarios. Toe touches are easy to perform as long as you are flexible and have great core strength. From step 4 in the above jump entry instructions, swing you arms into a “T” while bringing your legs parallel to the ground in a “V” position.

Toe Touch Tips

A couple of tips to remember while performing toe touches are to use your stomach muscles and pull your legs up towards your chest (leaning forward towards your toes will stunt the height of your jump so don’t do it). Also remember to thoroughly warm up and stretch before executing this jump.