Picking up two hoops for the first time can feel intimidating, especially when you’re still building confidence with one. Twin hooping for beginners is just about practise, patience, and having a double dose of fun along the way. If you’re worried about coordination, dropping hoops, or just not knowing where to begin, it’s okay – I’ve got you.
Getting comfy with two hoops
Before you start diving into tricks, get familiar with handling two hoops. Start by simply holding one hoop in each hand and getting used to how it feels. When you start to practise simple drills, such as spinning the hoop forward or backwards, do it one hoop at a time, while holding the other hoop in the other hand. Do it at a slow pace and you will also be building that muscle memory.
Hot Tip: Polypro hoops are great for twin hooping as they are a lighter hoop choice. It can be easier to control both hoops if they are a bit smaller or weigh less than your dance/fitness practise hoop.
One hand at a time
It’s pretty common to have one hand that is more dominant than the other. This is generally the hand we lead with and use for most of our single hoop tricks. However, when it comes to twin hooping, we need to start using the hand we haven’t practised with as much, and it might take some extra time and patience to build up that strength and coordination. Start by working on some simple drills where you can alternate the hoops in each hand. As you learn the moves in each hand separately, this will assist in building that mind-body connection with your hoop and help to train up that less dominant hand.
Hot Tip: Practise some super simple drills such as a single spin forward on one hand, catch, and then repeat move on the opposite hand, reverse spin, and go again.
Perfecting the positioning
One of the key differences between single hooping and twin hooping is your hand positioning and the importance of planes. With a single hoop you have free range of motion, but twin hooping requires some extra control to avoid the hoops clashing. You will need to learn how to layer your hands and hoops, and adjust your grips so that you can manage two hoops. Expect to get tangled up a bit here as you start moving your hoops together, and changing positions, and directions. Try to keep things slow and pay attention to your grip changes as you transition between positions and moves.
Hot Tip: When drilling a side plane spin in a forwards direction, pay attention to the right angle between your thumb and fore-finger. To get clean planes, you need clean right angles.
Master the basics
Once you start getting comfortable with the feel of two hoops, you can work on building that solid foundation for more advanced tricks. Like with anything new, mastery comes through repetition. Don’t worry if you’re dropping hoops or feeling awkward. In fact, this is part of the journey! Consistent practise will help you develop better control, smoother movements, and more natural flow.
Hot Tip: Break your practise into short sessions, focusing on just one aspect at a time. For example, spend 5 minutes just spinning both hoops at the same time in one direction, then the other direction, then in the opposite direction. Play with letting the hoop spin 1 time catch, 2 spins catch, etc. And play with direction changes after each catch too!
Be patient with yourself
Make sure you enjoy the process of levelling up and learning something new. It’s important that you are patient with yourself. Start slow, and as you get more comfortable, and your grip strength grows, you’ll be able develop your unique twin flow and style. Slow and steady
Hot Tip: It can help to make up repetitive phrases you can say in your head to remember the movements (e.g. left hand up, right hand grip change, left hand across, right hand spin…).
If you’re ready to take your twin hooping skills to the next level, why not practise with some guidance. Check out the Twin Hooping downloadable class. This is full of drills, techniques, and tips to help you build control, coordination, and flow – no matter where you’re at in your twin hooping journey. You can press pause or rewind, and practise at your own pace!
Every small improvement will feel like a giant win and is another step toward becoming a more skilled hula hooper! Celebrate your small wins, build the muscle memory and awareness of planes, and remember that every super techy twin hooper started right where you are.