I've included some diagrams of some Whirls below to
give you a better idea of some of its variety. Admittedly, these skills
are often difficult to demonstrate with static pictures. In the
future I hope to add some animations to give you a better idea of what
they look like.
Swings are the most basic
skills you can do with a jump rope and yet are quite important to
master if you want to learn to control the rope in many different
positions.
The skill to the left is a "Front Swing."
The rope can also be turned in a circle to the left, to the right,
overhead ("helicopter"), or behind the back.
The "Figure-8 Whirl" is also a
basic whirl and is essentially alternating "Side Swings" done
from side to side.
The "Front-back Figure-8" is
another key skill for learning how to move the rope in all
directions. This skill is essentially a Front Swing
alternating with an Back Swing.
Believe it or not, if you only mastered Swings and
Figure-8's in all directions well, many people will think that you
are a true master of the jump rope event though they are fairly
basic skills.
The "Matador Whirl" is
thumbnailed to left. At first glance, it appears to be a Figure-8.
However, the rope makes two turns to each side and the hands roll
over each other as the rope is crossed from side to side.
The "Open Layout Whirl"
thumbnailed to the left is a bit difficult to describe. Many
Whirls require "finesse" in handling the rope and are difficult to
adequately describe or even diagram.
The "Low Horizontal Lariat" is
one whirl where you only hold the rope at one end. It's easier to
execute with a rope that has no handles or very light handles on the
ends.
