Our choreographers have struggled time after time with trying to make stunts hit in the middle of competition season halfway through a tough, sweaty, & stressful practice. This makes us the perfect resources to help with all of your stunt technique needs! Here are some solid tips for solid stunts!

The Basics 

• Using Legs
  • That’s right! One of the simplest ways to get solid stunts is to make sure bases are dipping with their legs before doing any type of stunt at all!

Drill – Have Bases dip with legs and stop at the bottom of dip before doing the skill.

• Staying Close
  • Hopefully all the cheerleaders have been practicing good hygiene! This tip is all about making sure bases are close together and tops are keeping their legs close together as well.

Drill – Have bases step their right foot forward when building a stunt so that their legs are crossing if you’re watching from the front. Also have tops get in prep while pushing and pulling their legs apart and together to show how strong they are.

• Load In Focus
  • When it comes to pyramids and beginning stunts not much is more important than making sure flyers, bases, and backspots are having great technique when beginning.

Drill – Tops hold their weight in arms while bases let go of her. Bases practice 90 degree arm angles while holding feet. Backspots are grabbing ankles. 

• Less Time
  • One mistake coaches often make is having their athletes try a new skill for the first time for too much time. Instead of making your groups hold a position until it’s strong just have them hold for less time.

Drill – Use show-n-go’s to safely and successfully introduce new skills. Especially extensions and liberty’s!

Release & Twist

• Same Leg
  • Keeping the same leg in release stunts is a great way to make sure that your tops are capable of maintaining their body positions and control while in the air! 

Drill – Have stunt group do a switch up without the switch. (Start on opposite leg and stay on that leg.) You can also hit a lib then switch to extension instead of the regular lib.

Drill – In tic tocs have your bases do the same thing. Dipping and pressing the flyer while she maintains the same leg.

• Lift With Grip
  • A large part of completing solid stunts that twist is making sure bases have solid grips and that everyone involved lifts UP before twisting.

Drill – Have bases start with twisting grip. Group will dip and lift without twisting starting with a show-n-go then progressing to holding the stunts with the twisting grip.

That’s all of our tips for today! We’d love to hear any of your suggestions below in our comments! Share what works for you and help countless others!