How to Jump Rope Like Floyd Mayweather: The Complete 2021 Guide

Floyd Mayweather has made a career out of doing things differently, and his approach to jumping rope is no exception. Floyd Mayweather jumping rope is smooth, slick, relaxed, and effortless. His arms and legs become a smooth blur between rapid cross overs and double unders, side swings, all in perfect rhythm, never missing a step. Many of the skills that "TBE" displays while jumping rope are the skills that made him such an incredible boxer. No energy is wasted, inefficiencies are eliminated, no tension is apparent. As a result, Mayweather's jump rope style favors extreme endurance as well as elegance.

I've spent years studying Floyd's skipping all in an attempt to master the Floyd Mayweather jump rope technique. In this post, I'll break down everything I've learned about Mayweather style jump rope. I'll cover all of his skipping techniques, tricks, combos, and even the what jump ropes and shoes he's worn throughout the years while skipping rope. Welcome to the complete guide for Mayweather style skipping!

General Tips

Stay light on your feet: If you want to jump fluidly and rapidly, you'll need to get used to 'staying light' on your feet. To accomplish this, you should jump on your toes, and try to absorb the impact as you land with your ankles, knees, and hips. I've found it helps to imagine you're jumping on eggshells!

Staying light is important because the less force you transfer into the ground, the faster you can come back up. You also will save more of that energy for more skipping.

Stay close to the ground: This tip goes hand in hand with staying light. It will be easier to stay light if you don't jump too high off the ground. Jumping closer to the ground will also help you retain more energy, as you're using less of it to jump. It's always good to remember that rope is only a few millimetres thick! You should only need to jump a couple inches, max.

Balance to your midlines: Boxers always want to stay balanced so they can throw or dodge a punch at any time. You want your center of balance to be at your waist, and right over the middle of your foot (the horizontal and vertical center of your body). A great way to test this is to stop mid jump and balance on the ball of your landing foot. If you can land without swaying or falling over, you've found your center and the spot you should be jumping from!

Make the rope swing around you, not the other way around: A lot of people become so focused on the motion of the rope that they allow the rope to guide their motions, instead of relying on their own center of balance. Stay balanced and stable with an athletic stance (hips, knees, and ankles slightly bent) so that the rope is swinging around your center instead of the other way around.

Stay relaxed: Staying relaxed is always to goal in any jump rope. Boxers have to be efficient with their energy, and any tension where it isn't needed wastes energy. You want to only use the muscles that are necessary to complete a given move, so any muscle that isn't involved should be relaxed, doing as little work as possible.

Floyd Mayweather Jump Rope Technique 101

Head and Neck: Keep your head and neck relaxed (face included). Mayweather tends to push his head forward a bit as well, but a neutral position is just fine.

Shoulders: Keep your shoulders back, relaxed, and loose. Don't let your shoulders tense up or rise.

Arms: Swing the rope with both your forearms and your wrists. You don't want your wrists doing all the work. A collaborative effort between your shoulders, wrists, and elbows is most efficient and fluid.

Wrists: Keep your wrists loose and use them to control the arc of the rope. They should be positioned slightly in front of your waist.

Chest: Your chest should be upright, but not pushed out.

Core: Your core should be engaged throughout each movement. Don't let the rope shift your balance by keeping your core active.

Waist: Keep your waist squared forward at all times. I have found the rope tends to get tangled, especially on side swings, if you let you let your waist start moving excessively. Keeping your waist squared will help you maintain a balanced center.

Hips: Keep your hips squared and open, with your legs slightly externally rotated (like if you were performing squats). If your legs are pointed slightly outward, you will have an easier time staying stable and centered

Knees: Keep your knees pointing over your toes. A very common mistake is letting your knees cave in. Don't let your support collapse by keeping your knees bent and pointed slightly out.

Ankles: Your ankles should be relaxed so that they can absorb the impact each time you jump.

Feet: Point your feet slightly outward. You want to jump on the tips of your toes, right on the first three toes of your feet.

Rope Position: Keep the rope handles around your waist/abdomen at all times. Don't keep it too wide out to the sides, and position your hands slightly in front of your waist.

Grip: Your grip should be underhanded, with your thumb positioned along the handle of the jump rope. Your handles should point roughly 45 degrees outward.

Floyd Mayweather Jump Rope Tricks

One-Handed Side Swing

Before you start skipping, you have to get the rope's momentum started. Mayweather does this by swinging the rope at his sides. To execute the one-handed side swing, you want to grab both handles in one hand, and swing it on each side, alternating. Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed as you do this, and try to "feel" where the rope's center of rotation is. Repetition will help you to find it. Mayweather often swings in pairs on each side.

Two-Handed Side Swing

The two-handed side swing is the main transition to and from skipping in the Mayweather style. To execute the side swing correctly, you want to bring both handles to your right side side and then back to your left. Step forward with your right foot as it swings to the right, and your left foot as the rope swings back to your left.

You also want to keep the side swings at waist level, or the level you skip the rope. Be sure to keep your hips square, and don't let your knee's cave in, and don't let your feet shift from side to side. The rope shouldn't be pulling you in any direction while you keep a stable center and athletic stance.

To transition to a skip, simply bring your hands back to your sides after the rope swings to your left and starts coming back overhead. This will be how you start skipping most every time!

Mayweather Boxer Step

It comes as no surprise that the boxer step is one of Floyd Mayweather's signature jump rope moves. To execute the Floyd Mayweather Boxer Step, you simply shift your weight from one foot to the other and point the toe of the foot that has no weight on it. Floyd often does this move alternating each foot, or doing two taps each foot. Be sure to stay relaxed, keep your toes and legs pointed slightly outward, and keep your feet close to the ground.

Mayweather Toe Taps

The Floyd Mayweather toe taps are a natural progression from the boxer step, and a staple of the Mayweather jump rope style. The idea is to keep your weight on one leg while reaching out with the toe of the other. Once you can do that while staying centered, you can mix it up and start stepping out and across, over to the side, or alternate rapid-fire.

Mayweather Heel Taps

The Mayweather heel taps are another very common Floyd Mayweather jump rope move. Like the toe taps, the idea here is to keep your center of gravity while reaching out with your heel and tapping the ground around you. Out in front, to the side, and across make for a challenging variation.

For an extra challenge, try jumping consecutively on just your heels!

Flat Tap

The flat tap is one of the simplest and most unique moves in Mayweather's skipping arsenal. To perform this move, simply land on your entire foot as you land (as opposed to just your toes).

The tricky part with this move is getting off the ground after you land flat-footed. Since your toes are taken out of the equation, you want to spring off the ground with your knees and hips instead.

Sustained Crossover

The sustained crossover is a play on the regular crossover where you keep your arms crossed after the initial jump.

To perform this move, you have to incorporate more wrist movement since your arms won't be able to swing from the crossed position. It also helps to keep your arms crossed over as far as possible, so take the time to get comfortable in that position. Try to cross your arms until your elbows overlap. This will give you more room to skip over the rope.

Gallop Step

The gallop step is a variation on the side swing in which you alternate your weight from one foot to the other, and "gallop" over the rope. To perform this trick, swing the rope to your right side and plant your right foot. Then swing the rope to your left side with your right foot still planted. As you separate your hands to skip over the rope, shift your weight to your left foot and jump off of it.

For an extra challenge with this move, try galloping forward or backwards!

Side Shuffle

The side shuffle is the best move in Mayweather style jump rope to cover a lot of ground. To perform the side shuffle, shift your weight from your left foot to your right foot while moving to the right, and then skip over the rope. Reverse the motion to move to the left (right foot, left foot, jump to the left).

For an extra challenge, try shuffling in a circle. This requires you to change directions while also moving slightly forwards or backwards.

Running Crossover

The running crossover is one of Mayweather's most well-known jump rope moves. To perform this trick, you want to cross your rope and shifting your weight to your right foot. As you uncross your rope, you then shift your weight to your left foot as the rope rotates under. Repeat this process to accomplish the running crossover.

As you perform this move, be sure to lean forward a bit so that the motion of lifting your legs doesn't force you to lean back and lose your center. You also want to focus on keeping on your toes and minimizing the amount of space between your feet and the floor. Lifting your feet too far off the floor will not only waste energy, but also make it tougher to perform the move more quickly. Don't be discouraged if this one trips you up a lot at first- getting your arms and legs in one continuous rhythm takes time and practice!

Double Under Crossover

In my experience, this move is the most physically taxing in the Mayweather skipping repertoire. To perform this, you have to cross and uncross the rope during a single jump. Similar to the running crossover, half the battle is figuring out the correct rhythm. You want to begin crossing the rope as soon as you leave the ground, and begin uncrossing the rope at the peak of your jump. It also helps to cross your arms as much as possible to give you more room to jump through.

This is another move that will become much easier with repetition over multiple days. There is a lot to coordinate at the same time, so do not be discouraged if it takes a bit of time.

Mayweather usually transitions into this move with one normal double under, so practicing that move (rotating the rope twice in one jump) is a great place to start.

Under the Leg Side swing

The under the leg side swing is a fancier move Mayweather uses before he starts skipping under the rope. The move consists of a side swing, lifting the opposite side leg, and then swinging the rope under the leg into your other hand.

An important tip for this move is to lean a bit forward with your upper body as you lift your leg. You want to avoid your leg forcing you to lean back and throwing you off of your center of balance.

Spin Move

The spin move is another flourish Mayweather tends to implement from a side swing. To perform this move, you want to plant your left foot as you begin turning towards the right. While you do this, you want the swing the rope on your right side, and spin around the rope by rotating around your planted left foot. At the end of the spin, the rope will be on your left side.

For this move, you want to feel where the rope's center is and cooperate with it to perform the spin smoothly. The first step with your left foot is also crucial- the further you turn to your right on the first step, the easier the move will be. During the spin, it also helps to hop on your pivot foot (left) to help complete the rotation.

Reverse Jump

This is one of Mayweather's rarest moves, and one of his most impressive. To perform this move, you want to start with a boxer step. As the rope is coming overhead for the next skip, you then bring both handles together on your right side and rotate your body 90 degrees to the right. As the rope is swinging on the side, and you will take another 90-degree jump to complete the turnaround. The rope will now be swinging backwards and on your left side. You then have to separate the handles so you can skip over the rope as it is now rotating backwards.

This move might be the trickiest of Mayweather's entire move set, so don't be discouraged if it's overwhelming at first. I wouldn't recommend trying to get this move down before you are very experienced with all of the previous moves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Jump Rope does Floyd Mayweather Use?

In studying Floyd Mayweather's jump rope technique, I've seen him use a few different jump ropes. First, I'll differentiate the different types of ropes so I can explain what Mayweather uses:

Basic Jump rope Specifications

Throughout his career, Floyd Mayweather has primarily used a jump rope that is:

• PVC Plastic Material
• Direct Connection

PVC refers to the material that the rope is made of (basically plastic). This gives the rope a certain weight that allows for smooth rotations and solid feel, without being so heavy as to prevent agile movements. Direct connection is the way that the rope connects to the handle. This diagram from muaythaipros.com explains the different types of rope connections effectively:

With the basic specs covered, now we'll cover Floyd Mayweather's jump rope brands, and what types of rope he usually uses.

Floyd Mayweather Jump Rope #1- Ex-U-Rope

In some of the earlier videos of Mayweather jump roping, he is seen using a distinctive black and white PVC jump rope. It took a while for me to find it, but I believe he was using the Ex-U-Rope Licorice rope. You can find it on Amazon right here.

Floyd Mayweather Jump Rope #2 – TKO Lightweight Skip Rope

Mayweather has also been seen using a TKO rope circa 2009 during his preparation to fight Marquez. This rope is currently sold out on Amazon, but you can find an identical model under the garage-fit brand right here.

Floyd Mayweather Jump Rope #3 – Ampro Adjustable Speed Rope

Maybe Mayweather's most well-known rope, this is the rope that Mayweather has used most recently. Skippers in the UK can buy this rope on amazon here, but if you're in the States (like myself), you can get an identical model under the rush athletics brand here. If it's just the handle you're after, you can get a cheap rope with those exact handles from Buyjumpropes on amazon here.

How Long is Floyd Mayweather's Jump Rope?

While it is tough to tell exactly how long Floyd keeps his jump rope, there are a few pieces of information we can use to make an educated guess.

First, instructions on the back of the Ampro Speed Rope (the rope Floyd most commonly uses), instruct you to adjust your rope length so that when looped under your feet, the handles reach your armpits.

Second, you can see in various photos and videos that when Floyd hangs his jump rope around his neck, the rope reaches his waist. This is about where it would reach if Floyd used the armpit measurement that Ampro instructs.

So the answer is, more than likely, that Floyd keeps his jump rope long enough to loop under his feet the handles reach his armpit. I've been using this system and have found it to be ideal for Mayweather style.

What Shoes Does Floyd Mayweather Wear While Jump Roping?

Floyd has worn quite a few different shoes while jump roping over the years, but here's a general breakdown.

Past Shoes

He can be seen several times wearing different brand boxing shoes in different videos. Adidas and Asic brands all show up.

Current Shoes

But in his most recent years, Floyd's been wearing a custom Reebok Boxing Boot. NOTE: The boot in the link is not identical to the one he wears. Floyd wears a custom made reebok boot with a different logo on the sides, that apparently is only supplied to professionals. They are impossible to purchase unless you are a Reebok sponsored boxer. I found this info in a boxing forum.

And of course, in Floyd's most recent fight against Connor McGregor, he wore custom Adidas Box Rivals.

How Should I Store My Rope?

To figure out the best way to store my rope for Mayweather style skipping, I studied footage of his training footage. I found a couple clips of Floyd wrapping his rope up at the end of his routine:

You can see that Mayweather grabs both handles in one hand and then wraps the rope around his fist. I've tried storing my rope like this, and have found that it keeps the rope relatively tangle-free. To keep it wrapped, I use a small velcro strip and fasten it around the loop, like so:

Why do my side swings not look like Floyd Mayweather's?

If you want to know if someone really has the Mayweather Style mastered, watch how they perform their side swings. It took me a long time, but I finally figured out the trick to emulating Mayweather's side swings when I noticed a certain detail in his technique. You want to swing the rope to your right side so that the rope crosses over the outside hand, like so:

You can see it in slow motion here:

This is an incredibly subtle detail, but it creates a signature look to the Mayweather style. The handles should be about on the same level as you swing the rope to your right, and the right handle comes over the left as you swing it to your left, allowing you to smoothly separate the rope for skipping.

Why does my rope become tangled when I perform side swings?

A common issue with this trick is finding that the rope gets tangled. To avoid this, try to swing the rope evenly on both sides. If you swing it 4 times on the right side, get 4 swings on the left as well to untangle the rope. There is wiggle room for a few swings extra on one side or the other, but keeping it even will generally prevent tangling.

The Ultimate Floyd Mayweather Jump Roping Youtube Playlist

While studying the Floyd Mayweather jump rope style, I've gathered quite a few videos of Mayweather Jump roping. You can find them all in this massive video youtube playlist!