Handmade Hoops by Peachysteve

Hooping On The Hand

Taken from Chapter 3 of
"Hooping"
An Instructional DVD by Peachysteve

You can hoop on your hand in the vertical plane (at the side or in front).
Or in the horizontal plane(overhead).
Learning to hoop overhead can be a little scary but if you've already learnt it vertically it's much easier.
I will look at horizontal hand hooping and how to incorporate it later.
Now I will explain how to easily learn to do vertical hand circles.

Take the hoop at the top with your palm facing upward. Twist the hoop forward so that it looks like you are holding a bow.
Hold onto the hoop and keep turning it forward. You should feel the hoop's weight pulling forward and down.
Let go of the hoop and allow it to fall.
As the hoop falls forward turn the back of you hand upward.
And guide the path of the hoop between your thumb and index finger.
Take hold of the hoop as it comes back into your palm.

Now that you are back to your start position you can repeat the movement.
Repeat this a number of times, making sure that the hoop travels between thumb and first finger each time.
Once this path is laid in, you can reduce the period of time that you hold the hoop.
On each cycle, reduce this time period until you stop taking hold of the hoop.
Allow the momentum of the hoop to carry it forward.
You should now be able to keep the hoop circling smoothly on your hand.

You may find this move a little painful at first.
You may have red marks across the back of your hand.
You should be able to avoid this by rotating your hand slightly.
Most of the force comes as the hoop travels down onto your hand.
Make sure to keep the soft part of you hand (the part between your thumb and index finger) facing upward.
This will dissipate the force and you won't get sore across the back of your hand.

Hand position for continuous hand rolls

Your arm moves like a train, close to your body, in a circular motion.
Make sure your hand doesn't move out to the side too much.