In the Corner
Whether you’ve got your rope cocked or you’re holding the horn, your first swing out of the corner needs to be intentional. If you’re just bringing your rope up and swinging for the heck of it, you’re going to have a lot harder time getting the angle of your rope to cover both horns when you’re actually in position.
Adapt and Change Your Swing with Jackie Crawford
Mouth of the Box
On good steers in most jackpot scenarios, you want your first swing going up as you hit the mouth of the box. To be able to do that, you need to be in an athletic position, with weight on your feet and your shoulders forward. If you get rocked back in the saddle, you’ll lose control of the tip of your rope.
Loop Over Chute
On slower steers, when you’re seeing your start and getting to the front of the saddle, you need to visualize your loop starting by going over the Priefert Chute. That makes your angle correct from the first swing. If it comes from the hip up, it’s hard to get the dead weight back around. When that first one goes out there, it’s got power right off the bat. If it goes right over the chute, it’s big and even. Now when you get in position, you’re ready on those slower cattle. If you’re in position and fighting the swing, you’ll make a good steer bad. On those slow steers, if you’re ahead of it, it makes up the time. If your swing is down and you throw, you’re going to rope one horn—the right one. And that doesn’t quite work.
