Basic Stunting Techniques
Introduction
Stunting is one of the most impressive parts of cheerleading, but unless squad members are trained in proper technique, it can also lead to injury. Below are guidelines for a thigh stand, shoulder sit, and an extension prep.
This report will refer to the squad members on the ground as bases, the members in the air as flyers, and those on the ground providing extra support as spots. During a description of the stunts, the spots will be designated as back spots and front spots, depending on their role in the stunt.
Correct Technique
Spots
For all stunts, spots should be nearby to assist. When spotting, especially as a designated part of the stunt, the squad member should have their eyes fixed on the flyer at all times. This will help the members catch a flyer when she is falling, as well as allow the spot to see problems that may be missed by the coach or the other members in the stunt.
Flyers
The flyer should begin every stunt with her eyes on a fixed point, preferably above eye level, since she will soon be in the air. This forces her momentum up and helps her avoid wobbling. She must always keep her legs “locked out,” or as straight as possible with the knee tightened, and her glutes held in tight to stabilize the stunt.
Bases
The bases should maintain a straight back throughout any stunt. As with any lifting, the legs should absorb the weight to keep strain off the back and arms. Once in the stunt, the bases must avoid movement as much as possible. The steadiness of the stunt depends on those holding it, so any fidgeting will make the flyer more likely to fall. Finally, bases’ eyes must always remain on the flyer, so they can catch her if she falls.
Falling
Falling is an inevitable part of stunting, and just as with any other move, it must be taught properly. To avoid causing injury, coaches need to decide with their squads which falling technique to employ.
There are two common ways to come down from a stunt that is too unstable to hold. The first is the cradle fall, where flyers sit back into a cradle position and bases and spots catch her, as they would any normal stunt. If your squad is not ready for cradles, try the pencil fall.
In the pencil fall, the flyer pins her arms to her sides or above her head, whatever is most comfortable. She comes down straight, like a pencil, to be caught around the waist by the spots and the bases. They should cushion her landing, but she should remain upright enough to land on her feet.
Whichever fall is chosen, coaches must ensure that flyers to not flail their arms in an attempt to protect themselves or hold onto a stunt that is falling. Doing so can injure the bases and make it impossible for them to catch the flyer.
Bases and spots, in turn, must always be ready to catch a falling stunt. It is essential that the flyer never hit the ground, even if that means someone else does. The back spot’s most important job is to protect the flyer’s head and neck. She will be fine if she smacks her legs against the ground, but the same cannot always be said for the head and neck.
Spread Eagle
A spread eagle is almost like a toe-touch jump, except your knees and laces face forward. Your arms go in a "High V" or a "T" motion.
Pike
A pike is when you bring both of your legs straight out in front of your body. Your arms are usually in a "touchdown" motion, but parallel with your legs.
T and Tuck
A "T" jump is pretty much as basic as it gets. It's a good starter jump for beginners. It's also a good jump to do for warm-ups, or to use with conditioning exercises. All you do is simply jump up with your legs straight and together, and bring your arms in a "T" motion. It makes the illusion of your whole body looking like a capital "T".
A tuck jump is when you jump and tuck your legs into your chest, but make sure you don't bring your chest down. Your arms should be in a "T" motion.
Counts, motions, and jumps may vary within levels of cheerleading and squads. Use this information as a beginning step to help your squad get started. For explanations on the motions listed, please refer to the Motion Technique page.
Attire and Hygiene
All cheerleading stunts should be done in cheerleading shoes with flat soles. This is especially important for flyers, who can injure their bases by wearing the wrong footwear.
Hair should be out of the face and stay tucked back, even during strenuous movement. Fingernails must be cut short. Long fingernails can scratch other stunt members and make it impossible for them to sufficiently support the stunt.
Stunt 1: The Thigh Stand
Step 1
Bases line up in opposite lunges, creating a pocket with their bent legs. Their feet should overlap to give the stunt more stability.
Step 2
The flyer places one foot in the pocket of one base. It does not matter which foot the flyer chooses; it is her preference. She places her arms on the bases’ shoulders. The back spot firmly supports her waist, lifting up to take weight off the bases.
In this variation, the flyer gives her hands to the bases before starting, instead of using their shoulders for momentum
Step 3
On a designated count, the flyer pushes off the foot on the ground and straightens her arms, giving her the height to place her other foot in the pocket of the other base. When she is steady, she can hit different arm motions to add variety.
The back spot should assist the flyer with height, guiding her upward and maintaining her hold on the waist to stabilize the stunt when it is in the air.
Bases should wrap one arm around the leg of the flyer, holding her securely at the knee.
The bases’ arms are wrapped around the flyer’s knees, their legs are overlapping for stability, and the spot is holding the flyer securely by the waist.
Step 4
To dismount, bases should take their free hand and reach up to grab the hands of the flyer. They then release their other hands and pop her up slightly, enough to dislodge her from the pockets in their legs. They should support her weight as she comes down on her feet, and their free arm should come to rest on her upper arm.
The back spot should help the bases pop the flyer up slightly and should help guide her down, making sure she lands on her feet with no problems.
Variations
This stunt can be made more difficult by taking away one base, making it a one-base thigh stand.
To begin, the stunt group sets up as normal, with one base, a flyer, and a back spot. In this variation, the flyer gives her hands to the base before starting.
On a designated count, the flyer pushes off the ground, using the base for momentum. When her leg is straight, she pulls the other leg up to her knee, creating a liberty position. The base wraps her arm around the flyer’s leg, as described above, to provide stability.
To dismount, the base grabs the flyer by the waist and pops her slightly, guiding her down with the help of the back spot.
The back spot can be eliminated in this stunt if the coach feels the stunt is solid.
Stunt 2: The Shoulder Sit
Step 1
The base lunges, bending either leg, like in the thigh stand. The flyer places her inside foot in the pocket of the leg, with her hands on the base’s shoulders. This means that the flyer should be behind the base slightly and overlapping her, because she needs the leg closest to the base to be free.
Step 2
On a designated count, the flyer pushes off from the ground, using the base’s shoulders for momentum. She swings her free leg around the shoulder of the base, and follows with the leg that was in the pocket. The base stands up and wraps her arms around the flyer’s knees. The flyer should tuck her feet behind the base, hugging the base’s back for more stability.
Step 3
To dismount, the flyer should unhook her legs from the base’s back. The base should bend her knees slightly and shove upward, popping the flyer off her shoulders. The flyer pops off backward, landing on her feet behind the base.
For a more difficult dismount, the flyer unhooks her legs from the base’s back and gives her hands to the base. The base leans forward and tucks her head down, bouncing the flyer over her shoulders. The flyer should land in front of the base on her feet.
A spot can be used in this stunt but is generally not needed. The spot can assist the flyer in climbing into the stunt, but does not touch the flyer when she is stable. To help dismount, the spot can grab the waist of the flyer as she comes down to slow her descent and make sure she lands smoothly.
Stunt 3: The Extension Prep
Step 1
Two bases face each other and squat, keeping their back straight. Their arms are bent at 90 degrees and held tight to the sides. The palms are up and the hands are cupped in order to grab the flyer’s shoe.
Step 2
The flyer can enter the stunt in two ways. She can step in, by putting one foot in the bases’ hands at a time, or she can jump in, by putting both feet in at the same time.
The step in technique will be explained here.
The flyer puts one foot in a base’s hand and puts her hands on their shoulders, supporting herself.
There should be no weight in the base’s hand at this time. On a designated count, she pushes off the ground and places the other foot in the other base’s hand, supporting herself on their shoulders. Again, there should be very little weight in the base’s hands at this point.
The spot grabs the flyer around the waist and bounces with her, supporting her weight and helping her get into the bases’ hands. She should assist the bases in pushing the flyer up.
Step 3
Once in the bases’ hands and squatting, the flyer should push off their shoulders at the same time that the bases straighten their legs. The flyer must keep her legs pulled in tight to avoid pushing her bases out too far. She must keep her knees locked and her eyes up.
The bases, once they have the flyer squatting in their hands, bend their knees slightly more for momentum and straighten the legs, taking their arms to chest height and settling there. The flyer should be standing on their hands at chest height with the spotter’s hands supporting the flyer’s ankles and pulling up to take some of the weight off the bases.
To jump into this stunt, the flyer will start with her hands on the bases’ shoulders and push off the ground, putting her feet into their hands at the same time. The stunt is then ready for Step 3 and finishes the same as the walk in prep.
Step 3
To dismount, the flyer should unhook her legs from the base’s back. The base should bend her knees slightly and shove upward, popping the flyer off her shoulders. The flyer pops off backward, landing on her feet behind the base.
For a more difficult dismount, the flyer unhooks her legs from the base’s back and gives her hands to the base. The base leans forward and tucks her head down, bouncing the flyer over her shoulders. The flyer should land in front of the base on her feet.
A spot can be used in this stunt but is generally not needed. The spot can assist the flyer in climbing into the stunt, but does not touch the flyer when she is stable. To help dismount, the spot can grab the waist of the flyer as she comes down to slow her descent and make sure she lands smoothly.
Step 4
To dismount, squads can either use the cradle or the walk down. The walk down is where the flyer will lean forward slightly, keeping her knees locked, and takes the hands of the bases. This means the bases will have to support the flyer with only one hand for a short time.
The bases then pop the flyer upward slightly and release her feet, guiding her to the ground with their hands. The spot pushes up on her ankles to help the pop and grabs the flyer’s waist, softening her landing.
The cradle landing is more advanced and may require many spots at first. The bases and spot bend their legs and pop up at the same time, pushing their arms all the way up and releasing the legs of the flyer.
The flyer must keep her legs locked throughout the entire cradle, letting the bases push her into the air. Once in the air, she should bring her arms down to her sides and ride the cradle as long as she can.
When she hits the top, she should whip her body into the pike position, bending at the waist and letting her arms come out to the sides.
After releasing her feet, the bases and spot make a basket for the flyer to land in, overlapping their arms for more stability. The spot should have her arms out straight with her hands in blades, not fists. The spot will grab underneath the flyer’s arms when she lands. It is important to avoid fists because if there is jostling in the cradle, the spot may punch a base or the flyer.
The flyer comes down and wraps her arms around the bases, helping support her weight. Her toes are pointed and her legs are together. This requires core muscle strength to keep the cradle from collapsing.
The bases absorb the landing by bending their knees slightly. They then pop her out of the cradle by taking their arms forward and up, helping her land on her feet.
Extension Prep Drills
To practice timing for the bases, the flyer can place her hands in the bases’ hands, as if they were her feet. She puts pressure on them, and the bases, on a designated count, push upward, watching each other to ensure they push at the same time and with the same amount of power.
To practice timing for the cradle, the spot should firmly grab the wrists of the bases and call out the timing. The bases should bend and pop together, making sure to bend the same amount and let go at the same time. The spot should be able to feel whether or not the bases are together, and can call the drill as many times as is necessary to make sure everyone bends at the same time.
Conclusion
Regardless of the stunt being performed, it is important for coaches to watch for negligence by
squad members. Bases and spots should always have their eyes on the flyer. The flyer should
always have her knees locked out straight and her body pulled up tight to keep from wobbling.
If a stunt is going to fall, members need to use either the cradle fall or the pencil fall to avoid
injury.
By teaching members these safety techniques, you will help your squad memorize healthy
practices and perform solid stunts!
Notes