Once you understand the different types of cheerleading jumps, it is time to learn how to actually do one. For some beginners, learning these counts and understanding the flow make take a few tries, but with a little bit of practice, I know you’ll get the hang of it.
The motions that are performed leading up to the jump are called the “approach,” and today we will look at two in particular: the high V approach and the whip approach. I have created this video to demonstrate, but have also broken down each count with pictures below for both approaches.
High V Cheer Jump Approach
We will start with my personal favorite, and the one I would strongly recommend for beginners, the high V. This cheer jump approach is simple, clean, and it restricts the amount of unnecessary bouncing that a cheerleader can do. I have found that when first learning jumps, approaches that have a clap or squat (or both) before the swing can lead to adding extra bounces or baby hops as the cheerleader tries to use those to build momentum.
We will start by standing in a clean position, feet all the way together and arms pressed tightly to the sides. We will hold this for 5, 6, 7, 8.
On 1 (holding on 2), bring the arms up sharply to a High V. Make sure the arms stop slightly in front of the face and don’t fly back.
On 3, the arms swing in front of the body as you bend your legs and prepare to jump. The arms will cross slightly at the bottom, and should stay straight throughout the swing.
On 4, bring the legs up quickly and hit the jump!
Just as quickly as they came up, snap your legs back down to land right on count 5. Hold this squat position on 6. Check with your coach whether they prefer you to look down or at the crowd when you land. Some coaches love a big ponytail flip when you stand up – others despise it!
Stand quickly in a clean on count 7 (hold 8). If you are doing your jump following a chant, don’t forget to hit the crowd and spirit!
Whip Cheer Jump Approach
The other common cheer jump approach we will learn today is the whip approach. The key with this one is to make sure it stays sharp, and doesn’t move into bouncy territory.
Like before, we will hold 5, 6, 7, 8 in a clean position. Feet should be together and arms squeezed tight to the sides.
On 1, bring the hands into the chest for a clasp. You may choose to squat with this clasp or stay standing straight.
On 2, extend the clasp overhead. If you chose to squat on 1, you will stand back up here.
On 3, bring the clasp straight down in front as you squat, only breaking the clasp apart once you hit the bottom.
On 4, hit the jump just like before. The rest of the counts remain the same for landing and standing.
And that’s all there is to it! Let me know in the comments which approach is your favorite, or if your team does something completely different. If you found this post helpful, be sure to share with your coach or teammates!
