The Boxer Skip: How to Learn Boxing's Signature Jump Rope Step

Watch anyone who has spent a few years in a boxing gym pick up a rope, and they all do the same thing. Their feet barely leave the floor, their weight rocks from one side to the other, and they look like they could keep going for an hour. That step is the boxer skip. It is the first rope technique worth learning after the basic bounce, and short, regular practice sessions are enough to get it.

What the boxer skip is

In the basic bounce, both feet land together on every turn of the rope. In the boxer skip, you shift your weight from one foot to the other on each turn. One foot takes most of your weight while the other only brushes the floor, then they swap.

Both feet stay close to the ground the whole time. You are not lifting your knees and you are not running. Seen from the front, it looks like a small rocking motion at the hips with the head staying level.

Why boxers prefer it

The basic bounce loads both calves on every single jump. In the boxer skip, each leg gets a short break on every other turn, which is why people can hold it for several 3 minute rounds when the basic bounce burns them out in one.

It also rehearses something you need for boxing. Shifting weight from foot to foot while staying light is what your legs do when you move around a bag or reset after a combination. The rope forces you to do it on a steady beat, hundreds of times per round.

Before you start

You need a reliable basic bounce first: a few dozen turns in a row without tripping. If you are not there yet, start with our guide to jump rope when you can’t jump rope yet and come back.

Check your rope length as well. A rope that is too long slaps the floor early and catches your feet, and you will blame the new step for it. We explain sizing in how to choose a jump rope for boxing.

Learn it in four steps

1. Without the rope. Stand with your feet a few inches apart and bounce lightly from one foot to the other. Put your weight on the right foot while the left toe taps the floor, then switch. Keep the bounce small, about an inch off the ground.
2. Rope in one hand. Hold both handles in one hand and swing the rope at your side while you keep shifting your weight. You get the timing of the rope without any risk of tripping. Aim for one shift per turn.
3. Two bounces per side. Now jump for real, but stay on each side for two turns: right, right, left, left. It gives your brain time to plan the next shift.
4. One bounce per side. Cut it down to a single turn per side. That is the boxer skip.

Expect step 3 to feel fine and step 4 to fall apart for a few days. When it does, go back to two bounces per side for half a minute, then try again.

Mistakes that slow people down

• Running instead of shifting. If your heels kick up behind you or your knees rise, you are jogging in place. That is a different technique, and a more tiring one.
• Jumping too high. The rope is thinner than a pencil. An inch of clearance is plenty.
• Swaying the upper body. The shift happens at the hips and ankles. Your head and shoulders stay still.
• Speeding up the rope. Your hands turn the rope at the same pace as in the basic bounce. Only your feet change.
• Feet too far apart. A wide stance makes each shift a big movement. Keep your feet under your hips.

How much to practice

Short and often works better than one long session. Take three rounds of 2 minutes and alternate 20 seconds of boxer skip with 20 seconds of basic bounce. The basic bounce is your rest. Over the next sessions, stretch the boxer skip portions until you can hold it for a full round.

Your calves and shins take the load here. If they are sore the next day, take a day off the rope before your next session.

Practicing it in the app

If you train with a boxing app, the Shadow Boxing App teaches the boxer skip on day 2 of its Learn to Jump Rope program. You get a 1 minute tutorial video, then a 23 minute workout called Boxer Skip where you practice the step and throw some combos.

Once the step is automatic, set your jump rope level to Beginner or above in the app and the rope workouts will start calling for it. From there, the next thing to try is moving forward and back while you skip, then the wider set of jump rope techniques in the app.