In a cheerleading toe touch position, your feet are straddled out to the side with your knees facing up. Your toes are always pointed. Stretch your arms in a T motion, straight out from your shoulders and parallel to the ground. In spite of the name, never reach your arms to touch your toes. Instead, lift your feet up to your arms, even hyperextending them so they pass the point of horizontal and V-up behind your arms if possible.
Seated Toe Touch
A seated toe touch is a training exercise used to improve your toe touch position. Sit on the ground with your knees bent in a tuck position. Your arms should be just outside your legs with your elbows pointing down and your fists in front of your shoulders. Balance on your rear end with your feet off the ground. Shoot your arms and legs out to a toe touch position, and quickly return to the tuck position. Do not allow your feet to touch the ground at all during this exercise. Start with three sets of five seated toe touches. Work up to doing all 15 in a row without a break.
Toe Touch Jump
In a toe touch jump, you hit the toe touch position in the air. Stand with your arms in a high-V motion. Rise up on the balls of your feet, and swing your arms down crossing them in front of your body. Dip deeply with your knees as your arms approach perpendicular to the ground. Begin the upswing of your arms as your explode off the ground shooting your arms and legs out into a toe touch position. Land your jump with your knees slightly bent and your fists against your calves. Pause in this position for two counts before popping out to feet hip-width apart and fists on your hips to finish your jump.
Double Toe Touch
A double toe touch is an advanced variation of a toe touch. You should not attempt this jump until you have a strong toe touch. Complete a toe touch as described above; however, when you land your first toe touch with your knees slightly bent and your fists touching your calves, immediately explode back up into another toe touch by bringing your arms straight out to a T motion and your legs back up into a straddle. Do not place a preparation jump in between the two toe touches. Finish off your jump as above, pausing in the bent landing position before popping up.
Toe Touch Basket Toss
A toe touch position is also used as a skill executed in a basket toss. This is an advanced stunt that should never be attempted without the supervision of a qualified cheerleading coach. In a basket toss, two main bases interlock their hands. A front base places her hands underneath the platform formed by the hands of the main bases. A top person with her hands on the main bases' shoulders, jumps up and lands on the platform of hands. This position is held until a back base can get her hands underneath the platform. All four bases dip down and toss the top person into the air. At the top of her ascent, with a snapping motion, the top person hits a toe touch position before descending into the arms of the main bases and the back base. The front base does not assist with the catching phase of this stunt.
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