Why should I avoid wire jump ropes as a beginner?

When starting, things can be hard and finding the correct rope is critical for seeing clear progress at the beginning. Look online for your first jump rope and you’ll find many types, including wire ropes. But are these good for beginners?

Cable/wire ropes are designed for jump rope athletes, the same way carbon track bikes are designed for velodrome cyclists. They're lighter, reduce friction and allow the athlete to travel as fast as possible with minimum resistance. With clients when training speed steps, I encourage them to use beaded ropes until they can comfortably hit a minimum speed of 200bpm (200 steps a minute). Then, I get them to move onto PVC (4mm or 5mm) until they can hit over 300 bpm. After that, a cable rope is what they need to progress further.

If you're relatively new to jump rope, I'd strongly recommend a quality beaded rope, not a speed (PVC or wire) rope. Beaded ropes are the most versatile for learning, freestyle, workouts and more. They don't kink or tangle or snap, and the extra weight of the beads provides additional valuable feedback to your wrists.