How the weight, weight distribution, length, and aerodynamic drag of the rope affects its performance was discussed in the last page.  Here, I'll end the discussion by seeing how handle friction, handle length, flexibility, and elasticity affects jump rope performance. Finally, we'll put it all together to see which kind of rope would be the best for different situations.

 

Handle Friction

Although many people might disagree (and many companies tout their jump ropes that have ball bearings), how easily the rope turns at the handle does not significantly affect how fast the rope will turn. According to a physicist, if there was significant friction, the handles would become hot. One fault with this argument is that friction might become more of a factor at higher turning speeds, but jumpers can't sustain those speeds long enough for the handle to become hot. In Bloomer, Wisconsin, the home of a 10 second speed jumping tournament, however, jumpers are able to jump up to 60 some times in 10 seconds using a plain hemp rope without any handles - just knots at the end.  Therefore, the rope has to flex in the hands of the jumper and doesn't turn.

Handle Length

Ropes with longer than normal handles like the rope pictured to the right and offered by Buddy Lee and others, were first invented (to my knowledge) in Japan. Longer handles make it easier to do the various skills that require you to cross your arms, which the Japanese style of jump rope competition (Nawatobi) demands. The down side to longer handles is that their length, which adds power to a given turn, will also subtract speed for doing repeated turns of the rope because it adds virtual length to the rope - and as we discussed in the last page, a longer length means a slower turning rope.

Flexibility

Flexibility, or how much force is necessary to bend a rope, is important for nearly all skills since the rope must be able to bend in the middle at the very least. It's even more important with various skills like Wraps (one Wrap technique is demonstrated by Deb to the right) and others that require the rope to bend into small loops. Therefore, beaded ropes and rhythmic gymnastic ropes (woven) which are quite flexible, work well with these skills. Speed ropes and new leather ropes are generally the least flexible since many brands tend to form kinks or irregularities that don't disappear unless the rope turns fast enough for the centrifugal force to straighten it out. Therefore, you might miss with an inflexible rope more often when it is turned at slower speeds.

 

 

Elasticity

The discussion on elasticity (how easily it stretches) can be kept short - this is not a good quality for a rope to have. Elasticity allows a ropes length to vary with rope turning speed due to the changing pull of centrifugal force. The varying length in turn makes the rope difficult to control. Unfortunately, some ropes on the market, especially some speed ropes, stretch too easily.

 

Summary:

As I hope you will agree, the physical properties of a jump rope will largely dictate how a it will handle and which one is best for which situation. Of course, personal preference and what you are "used to" also play important roles in deciding which rope you will choose. Nevertheless, here's the ideal characteristics of a jump rope for different situations.

A rope for speed events should be thin and have a smooth surface for better aerodynamics. It should also be light weight and as short as possible to decrease the centrifugal force. A rope used for endurance events should have the same qualities as a speed rope except that it should be long enough so that the jumper can maintain a more upright posture for comfort and energy savings. For both speed and endurance events then, speed ropes are undoubtedly the best choice.

Because of the great variety of skills possible in freestyle, the choice really depends on your routine. If you have a lot of speed and power skills, a speed rope will be best. Add long handles if you include a lot of difficult Cross skills. If your routine has more finesse than power, or you want to decrease the odds missing the rope, then a beaded rope which is slightly heavier and more flexible might be better.

For Double Dutch freestyle, the Wheel, and other types of jumping where the rope turns relatively slowly, beaded or woven ropes should work the best since flexibility helps to keep a smooth arc in the rope. Also because they are heavier than speed ropes, they have more momentum (mass x velocity) at any given turning speed which means that they will tend to keep going after a minor miss and keep their form.