Higher

When I started off cheerleading, toss to hands was something very new in Singapore. After doing 7 months of basics, I was finally introduced to toss to hands officially, and get to see it live. (JCA workshop). I was so happy to do it after a relatively short time of about 1 month. Nowadays, toss to hands has become a common thing, and people are learning and trying it even on their first week of starting cheerleading. With the right flyers, every base can do a toss to hands now and with the right base, every flyer can also do a toss to hands.

The question now is how to toss higher, to extention. I picked up doing toss to hands real quick, but I was stuck at doing up to hands for over a year plus, almost 2 years, 2004 August to 2006 June. (Not considering unusually light flyers at less than 35 kilos.) Even then toss to extension was more like a gamble, certain days can certain days cannot. And it stayed this way for another year, till 2007 June, sometimes can sometimes cannot.

During this 3 year period, I must have done at least over 10000 toss to hands. (Taking 150 training days a year for 3 years doing 25 tosses each day, a very modest estimate.) And I have been sourcing through the web the whole of this period looking for tips. Below are some tips that I found...

How to get a higher toss

1. (flier) lean back - Lean slightly back into the base. It will give him an opportunity to feel your center of gravity and get your timing.

2. (flier) jump - Take a good jump off of the ground and don't rely on your base to just throw you.

3. (flier) quick flick - First make sure you flick with your base, then make sure it is quick and strong. Again don't realy on your base to flick by himself.

4. (bases) follow her - Feel her timing and follow her as she bends and jumps.

5. (bases) allow her to jump - Don't lift her too early before she jumps.

6. (bases) jump off the ground - Get you legs into the toss by jumping off of the ground as you throw her.

7. (bases) finish your flick - Make sure you are releasing at full extension and quickness. Don't give a have flick at minimal height. That will give you poor results.

8. (bases) extend - Make sure you are extending your arms when you toss. Don't flick when your arms are bend.

How come toss is so low

Fliers

1.) Gives a little jump
2.) Drops her chest
3.) Gives a little flick
4.) Flick is off with base
5.) Body loose on the way up
6.) Butts back into the base
7.) Jumps flat-footed
8.) Head is down
9.) Flick is NOT quick

Base

1.) Won't let flier to jump
2.) Flick too early
3.) Grip is too hard
4.) Flick is off with the flier
5.) Doesn't use his legs
6.) Doesn't extend his arms/flick
7.) Not strong enough
8.) Not fast enough


Doesn't it all sound so simple? It all makes sense too, and I fully understood what the tips meant, but applying it is a completely different story. How many times have your seniors teach you how to do a stunt, and they go: "Just use more strength, just toss harder, use your legs, toss up not back, or just toss lo, etc etc" and yet you still cannot do it after hearing your senior repeat over a hundred times till you want to bash up him up?

Well I may not be as good as the pros who provided the tips, but here is my tip for doing a toss to extension...

Just keep tossing!!

No matter how many tips you hear or read, its not going to get you anywhere without practicing.

Disclaimer:
Some may be able to to it immediately after reading the tips.
All this is coming from an untalented base who can only depend on hard work.
勤能补拙