Best Ranch Ropes For Beginners
Best Ranch Rope For Beginners
I can still remember the first rope I ever bought, the black and white speckled Uoza. I was so excited when it came in and couldn’t wait to throw it at anything. Since that first poly, I have had the opportunity to throw hundreds of different polys, nylons, and cottons. With that being said, this is going to be a short list of ropes that I think are perfect for beginners. Below, I will give you a couple of options for ropes that you can not only learn with but also take out and do the job once you're comfortable. I will also give you some tips on how to practice and improve your skill set quickly. If you want to learn more about the different kinds of ropes, our system for labeling the different types, and the best application of each different rope, then check out this article on Choosing A Ranch Rope. Let's jump right in.
The Black and White Speckled Uoza
The B&W Speckled has been our best-selling poly for years for one reason: consistency. This rope is a great size for beginners. The B&W Speckled comes in a 9.0mm in 30’, 40’, 50’, and 60’ lengths. This rope has tons of weight and a good balance between body and life. All polys by nature are very soft, but the added weight gives this rope an amazing feel when you're first starting out. This will allow you to feel the tip of your rope throughout the swing. As you get more comfortable, another added benefit from the weight is the ability to throw long shots. The B&W Speckled is also one of the best everyday working ropes I have ever used, so you can not only learn with it once you're feeling good about your roping, you can use this doing just about anything on the ranch.
This purple nylon is hands down my most favorite nylon I have ever used. It comes in a ⅜ super scant with a 5-strand construction and has a braided core. This braided core gives this rope great weight for a nylon and allows you to still have some distance on your shots. The body of this rope in a xxs is just about perfect for someone wanting to learn to heel in a branding trap. The forgiveness this rope provides heading or heeling will be a great confidence boost for anyone just starting out.
If your aim is to get really handy with all the big fancy shots, this is the rope for you. The Shamrock is a 9.5mm 4-strand lead-weighted poly. The bright green color gives us an advantage when learning the del’s, turnovers, and big loop shots, allowing us to keep track of what the rope is doing at all times. Abby and John both used this rope all year at every big loop event we roped in for this very reason. If you want to learn these loops, this is the rope for you.
How to Improve Your Skill with a Rope
Now let's discuss some techniques on how to improve your skill set quickly. I look at roping similar to the ABC’s; you need to start at A and work your way to Z. With this in mind, there are certain shots you need to learn and be comfortable with before you move to the more difficult shots. Here is a list of head and heel shots to start with:
Head Shots:
- Side Arm
- Tip Over
- Houlihan
Heel Shots:
- The Heel Trap
- The Drive By Trap
- The Hip Shot
310 has a full line of educational videos for beginners that will help you with all of these shots. Check them out here. Once you have these shots, you can pretty much go anywhere and make a hand with your rope. Gaining confidence in your ability is going to go a long way when you find yourself in a real-life situation. Focus on becoming comfortable with your coils, rebuilding your loop, and managing your rope. The more comfortable you can be with these three things, the more your horse will be comfortable with you using your tool. The main goal of any ranch roper is to be as consistent and versatile as possible, so keep that in mind as you practice. You want to be able to head and heel the calf from pretty much any position. We are here to help and would love to answer any questions you might have; check out the 310 EDU Website, and we will see you in the next video!
Sincerely, Dalton Darnell
