How to Do a Toe Touch Jump

Start with both feet together. Find a high object in front of you, just above your normal eye level. That is your goal to jump to. Think to yourself that you're going to jump in line with this object.

• Before you get into the jump (starting with the next step) and when you're ready, count off 5-6-7-8. The prep starts on 1.

On 1, put your arms in front of you in a clasp. Your arms should be bent at the elbows, held to your chest. Hold this same position on 2.

• Your arms should look almost as if they're in prayer position, but your head should remain level and your hands should be clasped together halfway between a clap and a fist.

On 3, hit a high-V motion as sharp as you can. Or you can put your arms above you, while still in a clasp (again, this is All-Star protocol). Hold this position on 4 as well. Every step works in twos.

• Again, make this sharp. You should shoot up into a high V or high clasp. Count 4 shouldn't involve movement unless you're working on super speedy drills.

On 5, swing your arms down in front of you and hit athletic position. Do not swing out – swing in and down. You want your arms to lightly cross if you're coming from a high V.

• Remember: athletic position is with your arms in front of your knees, legs slightly bent, the balls of your feet ready to jump, and your head looking out straight in front of you.
• Make sure your legs stay together with the balls of your feet firm on the ground. If you pre-jump before your toe-touch, your landing will be sloppy because you did not have enough balance during your prep.
• On 6, start your jump, finishing the swing. You want the swing of your arms to be one constant motion to keep up your speed. Your arms will finish in a T and your legs will be lifting into the air.

Hit the peak of your jump on 7 and land on 8. Remember: a toe touch is not you literally touching your toes. Your arms should be in a T motion and both of your legs should be in a straddle, or splits, in the air. Use your diaphragm to lift your legs up and sit into the stretch.^[1]

• Snap your legs back down on 8, hitting athletic position briefly before coming back up into a natural stance.
• Try to do several in a row. The more you work up your endurance, the better your toe touches will become.

Always warm up and stretch before doing toe touches. You must always warm up and stretch your legs before jumping to prevent injury. Do a light jog, some jumping jacks, and push ups to get your blood flowing. This will prep your muscles to stretch to their maximum potential.

• There are several stretches you can do to prepare for a toe touch. We'll discuss those in the next steps. Just remember to never overextend yourself – you'll find yourself unable to stretch the next day.

Sit in the toe touch position. To do this stretch, start in a straddle position on the ground. Get your legs out to your sides on the same plane as your core as much as possible. Hold this position and put your arms in a T. This is what you should look like in the air. Hold this for 10-20 seconds. Relax and then repeat. Soon this position will become effortless.

• A "T" is where your arms are directly out to your sides, so that your body sort of looks like a "T" shape. Generally, your hands will be in fists whenever you're in this position.

Do the "Coach Wallace" stretch, or squat kicks. These can be very difficult, but once you perfect this stretch you can easily perfect most any jump. To do this one, stand with knees shoulder-width apart and hit a T. Bend your knees until you are in a squat (you should be able to feel the stretch already). Kick your right leg up as high as you can without moving from your T or your squat. The rest of your body should be completely still while you kick. Do the same for the left leg.

• Try your best to keep your back straight. During the jump, you'll have to have your back straight or your jump will be hunched over. Practice makes habit, after all.

Do hip flexor exercises. If your hip flexors aren't developed, it'll be hard to raise your legs high into the air. Grab a seat on the ground in an open area. Here's how to do this stretch:

• Get into toe touch position, like in the first stretch listed above.
• With your back straight, spread your legs out in front of you as wide as possible. The more they are off to your sides, the better.
• Place your hands by your knees. The weight should be in your hands; if it's further back, that's cheating!^[2]
• Point your toes and lift your legs 4 or 5 inches (10-13 cm) off the ground.
• Work in quick cycles, lifting and lowering, lifting and lowering. Do this 10 times, take a break, and repeat 10 more.

Stretch your legs against the wall. A way to get higher toe touches is to use the wall as resistance. To get started, find a wall (wide enough for your legs to spread out on) and then lay down on your back (facing the wall). Next place your legs against the wall, pushing your butt up against the wall as far as it'll go. At this point, your body is in an "L" shape. After that, slowly open your legs until you start to feel a stretch. Stretch them as far as you can.

• As the days go by, gradually your legs should go lower and lower and it'll start to look like you're doing the splits on the wall. Do this each day for about 5 minutes.