A drill starting with a simple star will help your team work out fall rates and basic body control. From the star, go to a no-contact star and work to stay in your slots and on level.

When learning 4-way, you have to start with simple drills and work your way up, learning good habits from the get-go. Using video on every jump will save hundreds of practice jumps.

Devote the first few practice jumps to finding a compatible fall rate and mastering basic body control. Build a star, then drop grips and adjust your fall rates to the fastest-falling jumper.

Using a combination of weights and different suits, it might take several jumps to get fall rates and body control worked out, but it is important.

For the next drill, from a no-contact star, two jumpers across from each other turn 90 degrees in place while the other two jumpers stay put. Then switch pairs. Practice this drill for two or three jumps, then 360-degree turns instead of 90-degree turns.

Start with simple random formations with no one turning more than 90 degrees between moves.

Once your team can fly no-contact and turn in place, you can start on randoms (single formations) selected from the 4-way dive pool, published in USPA's Skydiver's Competition Manual. Let a coach map out the moves so the team can focus on performance.

New teams should dedicate several jumps to exit practice. Using a coach, start with simple exits where all jumpers can look into the center. Experienced 4-way teams transition to the second point right off the plane while the formation is semi-upright relative to the ground.

It might take weeks before your team has a breakthrough, but when you do, you'll see it in each other's eyes in freefall. And, most importantly, you'll see it in your score!

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