How to Do Cheerleading Toss Drills

A 4- to 6-person stunt group that throws baskets is required to perform cheerleading toss drills. The stunt group consists of two bases, one top person, one front spot and one back spot. The number of people needed will vary with an all-girl stunt group and coed team. A basket is an interlocking of wrists by the bases. The wrists look like they're weaved, and that's where the term "basket" comes from. Here's the natural progression for cheerleading toss drills.

Instructions

    • 1

      Make a basket. Basket drills are the main ingredient in performing cheerleading toss drills. To form a basket, the two bases grasp their left wrist with their right hand and then grasp each other's free wrist to interlock them.

    • 2

      Begin with the Timing, Load-In, Trophy and 1-2-3-4 preliminary toss drills. The Timing drill will acquaint the bases with using the basket grip while tossing. The Load-In drill gives the top person practice loading into the basket. The Trophy drill allows the top person to practice standing straight up in the basket while the 1-2-3-4 drill helps the bases get good at catching the top person.

    • 3

      Perform the simplest tosses first. The Straight Ride is the best place to start. After that, do the popular Toe-Touch Basket and finish with the Tuck Arch Basket.

    • 4

      Follow up with the Specialty Basket Tosses-the Kick Arch, Pretty Girl and Pretty Girl Kick. These tosses involve more complicated top person maneuvers and detailed coordination by the bases.

    • 5

      Go to the Twisting Basket tosses next but only if you posses a great deal of experience and advanced skills. All team members must have these qualities in order to successfully perform the Full-Twisting Basket and Double Full-Twisting Basket tosses. High school level cheerleaders can perform twists, but because advanced skills are required, only college level cheerleaders can legally perform flip and twists.

    • 6

      Complete the toss drills with the Skills and Twisting Skills Combo Basket Tosses. The Kick Full and Kick Double-Full are the top-of-the line tosses. Top persons must have flawless coordination, and bases need precise timing and communication.