In breakaway roping, even experienced ropers can struggle with a swing that lacks crispness—but as Justin Maass explains, the difference between a loop that simply catches and one that snaps comes down to a few key fundamentals.

“I see people all the time that have trouble roping the neck sharp,” Maass explains. “Even people that catch fairly consistently, their loop’s just not crisp. It’s just not sharp.”

In this Roping.com video, the Reserve World Champion tie-down roper shares the most common swing mistakes he sees and the habits that separate an average delivery from a sharp, confident one.

1. Not Delivering Your Coil with the Loop

One of the biggest problems Maass notices comes during the throw itself.

“Delivering the coil into the loop is one of the biggest ones,” Maass says. “This coil’s got to go with your loop.”

When a roper holds the coil back instead of allowing it to travel with the swing, the loop loses momentum and shape. That hesitation keeps the rope from staying open and crisp through delivery—especially when timing and speed matter most.

2. Letting Your Right Elbow Get Behind You

Another issue Maass points out is where the right hand and elbow end up during the swing.

“When your delivery gets longer, it creates more room for error—and we don’t want any room for error,” Maass says.

If your right elbow drifts behind your shoulder, you’re forced to swing the rope forward over a much longer distance to reach the target. That adds time and inconsistency.

Instead, Maass teaches his students to point their rope where they want it to go and leave it there. Whether your swing is fast or slow, keep the motion compact and controlled—no “bringing it back” to throw.

3. Staying Square in the Saddle

Position matters just as much as arm mechanics. Maass explains that older methods—like “leading with your left shoulder”—don’t fit today’s faster, more dynamic roping styles.

“To me, that’s old school,” Maass explains.

He teaches riders to keep their weight balanced slightly into the right stirrup, with the right hip and shoulder forward. From there, you can reach farther and deliver quicker.

4. Keeping Your Tip Too High

A high tip angle is another common swing mistake that leads to “top-knotting”—roping around the ears or the top of the head instead of cleanly around the neck.

“If your tip is up here and the eye of your rope catches over the top of your target, it’s going to be real easy to rope the top of the head,” Maass says.

Instead, the tip of your rope should point down toward the calf’s neck—not so low that it dives at the calf’s hind end, but just enough to stay aligned with your target.

“When the tip points at the neck and you deliver, you’re going to catch,” he adds. “You enhance your chances so much.”

5. Focus on the Target

Maass also emphasizes mental focus. Ropers who look at the entire calf instead of a specific spot often miss sharp catches.

“Concentrate on a small target,” he says. “Don’t see a big picture. If you’re looking at the ears, you’re probably going to rope the ears.”

Shifting your visual target slightly down—toward the base of the neck—helps the loop drop cleanly over the calf’s head.

Justin Maass’ Three Keys to Catch More Calves

At the end of his lesson, Maass simplifies everything into three easy-to-remember fundamentals:

• Get your pockets off the seat of your saddle.
• Get your elbow up.
• Point your tip down at the calf.

“If you do all three of those at the same time, you’re going to catch more than you’re going to miss,” he says. “You skip one, and your catch percentage drops immediately.”

These basics may sound simple—but as Maass points out, that’s the point. The fundamentals create consistency, and consistency wins runs.

Watch the Full Lesson

Learn how to fix your breakaway roping swing, tighten your delivery and build better habits with Justin Maass.
👉 Watch “Common Swing Mistakes with Justin Maass” now on Roping.com for the full breakdown and video demonstration.