How to Be a Good Flyer in Cheerleading

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: April 15, 2021 References Approved

A cheerleading flyer is the person who is lifted up into the air during a stunt. They are usually very strong and have excellent balance while in the air. If you are a flyer or about to become one, you can do well by keeping your body held tightly in a stunt, communicating with your fellow cheerleaders, and keeping yourself in shape.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Doing Stunts

1
Lock both of your legs in a thigh stand. Put both of your feet on either thigh of your 2 bases. Keep your legs straight so that your bases can grab onto your legs easily and hold you up. Keep your core tight and your arms in a solid V pose for the entire time you are holding this stunt.^{[1]
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- If you have a spotter behind you, they can help you jump or step up onto the bases.
2
Keep your feet flat and your legs locked in a prep. Place each of your feet into the hands of your bases. Make sure your feet are flat and that you aren’t rolling onto the sides of your ankles. Keep your weight centered over both of your legs and lock your knees so that they stay straight.^{[2]
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- Use your thighs to propel you upward from a squat position to a standing position.
- The bases will only lift your feet up to their chins. This is a preparatory stunt to get you comfortable in the air.
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3
Hold your body tight in an extension stunt. An extension is similar to a prep except you are propelled higher into the air. Keep your muscles squeezed tight as the backspot pulls up on your ankles and the bases lift your feet above their heads. ^{[3]
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4
Keep one thigh perpendicular to the ground in a liberty. A liberty is an advanced stunt. As your bases propel you into a prep or extension, pull one leg upward so your foot touches your other knee. Keep the thigh of your bent knee perpendicular to the ground and hold your core tight to keep your balance.^{[4]
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5
Cradle your body as you fall to dismount. To get down from a stunt, hold your body tight as the bases throw you up into the air. Lean back slightly and hinge at the waist to let the bases catch you on your back in a cradle position. Drop your feet to the ground to stand up.
- Keep your arms tucked in close to your body so that you don’t accidentally hit one of your bases.
- Once you're comfortable with a regular dismount, you can try more advanced moves. Do a toe touch and snap your legs back together before the bases catch you. Or, once you're propelled into the air, lean back, straighten your legs, cross your arms over your chest, and spin around once.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Keeping Your Balance in the Air

1
Lock your knees when you are in a stunt. Keeping your legs bent throws off your balance even when you are on the ground. When you are in a stunt, squeeze your legs muscles as tight as they can go with your legs as straight as possible. This will help you keep your balance in the air.^{[6]
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- Locking your knees will also make it easier for your bases to hold you.
2
Keep your supporting foot flat in a stunt. If you roll onto your toes or the sides of your feet, you will throw off your balance. Keep your feet or foot flat when you are holding a stunt to maintain your balance and your body strength. This will also make it easier for the bases to keep you held up.^{[7]
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3
Keep your entire body flexed tightly in stunt positions. It is important to hold each stunt position with your entire body to keep your balance and make sure you don’t fall. Start with flexing your rear muscles together as tight as they can go. Then, hold your legs, arms, and torso in place by flexing those muscles as well.^{[8]
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- Try using the “pinch-a-penny” method where you imagine there is a penny in between your bum cheeks. Squeeze them tight so your imaginary penny doesn’t fall out.
4
Avoid looking down when you are in a stunt. It can be tempting to glance at the floor while you are up in the air. However, looking down can throw your balance off or even make you fall. Keep your head up and focus on something straight forward or high up.^{[9]
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- You may also seem like you lack confidence if you keep looking at the floor.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Performing with Confidence

1
Smile at the crowd as you do your stunts. Part of being a flyer is putting on a performance. Keep your head held high and your smile outward as you are in the air. Project your face upwards and toward the crowd to look more confident.^{[10]
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- Looking upward will also help you keep your balance in the air.
2
Use sharp, precise movements. Your stunts will require your body to be in very specific positions. Make sure your arms and legs are hitting each movement strongly and with confidence. Straighten your arms if you are holding them up and keep your supporting leg strong.
- If you are being judged in a competition, the judges will reward you for your precise movements.
3
Project your voice outward and upward. A big part of performing is cheering and projecting your voice. Tilt your head upwards and out toward the crowd so that your voice can be heard from far away. Make sure you know all of the cheers by heart so that you can project them with confidence.^{[11]
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4
Communicate with your bases and spotter. Your bases are the people holding you in the air as you do a stunt, and the spotter is the person standing behind you. You need to be able to talk to them clearly and directly to communicate if you are feeling unsafe. Develop a level of trust with your bases and spotter by getting to know them and telling them if you are unsure about a stunt.^{[12]
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- Many cheer coaches will tell you to shout “DOWN” if you are falling during a stunt. Make sure your bases know what you will say if you start to fall.
5
Try new stunts if you are comfortable doing them. Once you’ve mastered a few basic stunts, your coach might ask you to try some more advanced ones. Only try new stunts if you feel comfortable and confident in your positions and your body. It’s okay to be nervous when you are trying something new, but if you ever feel unsafe, let your teammates and your coach know.^{[13]
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- Coaches will appreciate it if you are willing to try new things.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Getting in Shape and Controlling Your Body

1
Get in shape before the season starts. Being a flyer in cheerleading requires a ton of body strength to keep your balance. Keep up your exercises even when you aren’t cheerleading to be ready for the season ahead. Practice leg exercises, upper body exercises, and core exercises to be able to do any stunt that is asked of you.^{[14]
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- Ask the other cheerleaders on your team if they want to work out with you during the off-season. That way, you can all keep each other motivated to stay in shape.
2
Stretch every day to become more flexible. Fliers need to be able to do movements like leg lifts and the splits while in the air. Do stretches every single day so that you keep your flexibility up. Try doing stunt moves, like scorpions and leg lifts, on the ground so you are stretching the right muscles. Pratice holding them as you stand on the ground to maintain your balance.^{[15]
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- Always warm up your body for at least 10 minutes before you stretch, or you could injure yourself.
3
Practice good balance on the ground. Your balance will be constantly shifting while you are being held in the air. First, do your stunt positions on flat ground. Once you have those mastered, try your stunts while standing on a cushion or pillow. This will mimic the balance corrections you will need to do while being held in the air.^{[16]
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- Practicing your stunts on the ground will also give you more confidence in your body movements when it comes time to be held by your bases.
4
Be aware of your body. It can be easy to get distracted by the fliers next to you, your bases, or even the crowd you are performing for. Keep your mind on your own body positions and balance to make sure you are doing your stunts to the best of your ability. Practice doing your stunts in front of a crowd so you know how to focus when there are distractions around.^{[17]
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- Being aware of yourself will also help you avoid injury and avoid injuring your bases.

Community Q&A
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Question

I am going to middle school soon and I want to try out for cheerleading. I am a smaller girl and I know I can be a flyer, but I'm nervous. What if I fall or do something wrong?

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It's okay to be nervous when you are trying something new. Make sure you are confident in what you are trying and ask questions if you feel uncomfortable. If you do fall, that's okay! Get back up and try again. Everyone is there to learn just like you.
Question

How can I stand straight up when I'm being lifted up?

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Squeeze your upper body muscles tightly as soon as you start to get lifted up into the air. Once you reach your stunt position, lock your knees to keep yourself standing straight up. Usually, you don't need to reach a standing position until you are fully in the air.
Question

What do I do if I try to put my leg up but my bottom leg is not straight?

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If your bottom leg isn't straight during a leg lift, you might be bending it to compensate for a lack of flexibility. Work on stretching your hamstrings to lift your leg properly. If you are already flexible enough and your bottom leg still isn't straight, focus on locking your knees as soon as you pick your leg up.