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Shoulder Hooping
Heya:D I know a lot of people on here hoop too and my most recent nemesis in hooping is my shoulder hooping. I got my chest hooping down, but shoulders are still iffy. Any tips anyone has to help the flow along?:)
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26 Replies
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Sorry I can't help you on that one, would love to know myself as that's something I also seem to really be struggling with!
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Shoulder hooping was my nemesis for a loooong time, chest was way easier. It felt as if my shoulders were too wide and 'rectangular'.
Starting the hoop on the shoulders from standing was impossible for me (and I still hate it).
Here is what helped me (in addition from keep trying):
I would start chest hooping and turning, then stick just one arm in and tryi to keep hooping and turning, This way you are half ways between chest and shoulder hooping and I found it easier to sustain the hoop and get used to the motion.
When I'd loose the rhythm, I take the arm back out and stabilize on my chest. Just do one or two turns to start with and gradually go longer . You can switch sides, too, try one arm in, take it back out, then the other. This is also the prep for arm weaving (switching arms simultaneously every rotation)
When you are comfortable hooping with one arm/shoulder in, then try bringing the second arm into the hoop for just one or two rotations, then out again.
Equally, you could try from neck hooping bringing one shoulder into the hoop at a time before moving on to both.
You can also try starting at the waist and try to bring the hoop up (waist to shoulder/neck lesson). For me, this was even harder than going chest to shoulder, but your brain might work differently 😉
Usually shoulder hooping is taught pushing front-back with the chest and upper back, but you can equally emphasize pushing side-to-side with the shoulders. Try both. you might find that your optimum push points lie somewhat diagonal in between (mine do).
If you have different size/weight hoops try them all. I could better shoulder hoop with a medium weight hoop than a heavy (and theoretically easier) one whenI first learned shoulder hooping.
Also try your non-dominant direction, you'll never know.
Turn, turn, turn, makes everything easier because your hoop slows down relative to you. Try turning at different speeds.
Keep at it, it will come with practice!!!
Happy Hooping!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif
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Great response from Tine, those are helpful ideas.
I just made a quick video of me shoulder hooping, for my hoop student who is working so hard on this move. I started with my smaller hoop and then used a HUGE hoop so she could better see the movements I'm making. I had her try the big hoop yesterday and she did awesome with it. So yes, try different hoops for sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SeOEcXW5lA
I did a lot of what Tine suggested when I learned–hooping with just one arm in made it feel less 'boxy', and then I"d switch arms. Turn, turn, turn! Can't say that enough, either. GL–it's a tough move for sure!
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Not sure if you're still taking the lessons Riddle but the girls are right…..so try working on Option 2 in the shoulder hooping lesson first. Don't be afraid to round the upper back and shoulders, and really push the chest forward. Hooping isn't like pole dance where we should stay strong and neutral in the upper body, get loosy goosy and keep the knees soft too!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
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Wow! Thank you sooo much everyone for this great info:) I’ve actually been wanting to get back on the lessons here, especially with the added hoop lessons. Weird how $20 is so hard to come by…. Lol. I’ve gotten better with my shoulder hooping, but it feels so wonky like the whole putting the square piece into the round piece thing. I watched that video, Sparrow and seeing how you move your arms in that big hoop really helps, no one seems to use bigger ones a lot:/ I’m going to try everything you guys listed.. I may even post a video of my progress:) Thanks a lot again
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I looove the big, groovy hoops! Like poles, different hoops are good for different things. So don't be afraid to use a big hoop. Smaller doesn't = better or more advanced. It's just different. 🙂
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Yup:) I’ve begun to appreciate my big hoop now that I’m learning shoulder hooping. Using my 37″ is crazy sometimes because it’s so much smaller! I love it though and can’t wait to get it all down
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Do you measure hoops by the inner or outer diameter. Mine is a 37" inner diameter and a 39" outer diameter. SHould I make a bigger one since I'm still new. I think mine was coonsidered a medium when I bought it…
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I measure the outside diameter. The hoop I learned on is 41". It couldn't hurt to make a bigger hoop if that's what you want to do.
If you're big into hooping , you'll end up with a whole collection.. I probably have 20 hoops total, including my 47 incher, a couple of 160 psi 40 and 41's, twin 34 inchers, 2 sets of mini twins (about 16-18 in.), 2 34" LED's, one fire hoop, and all sizes and pipe weights in between!
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You sound like me Sparrow! I have sooooo many hoops, one is 54 inches in diameter hehe, I LOVE that big groover hoop. Eventually, I want to successfully attempt tandem hooping with my hubby (he hoops too. Pole at least I have alllll to myself muwahahaha!) I have LEDs, Quick Wicks, tubing of all sorts, poly pros. I loooove hooping so much! I think the advice here has been great, so I don't feel the need to elaborate. I know that the weaving one arm thing works for a lot of people. When I started I really BEAT side to side to get the hoop going good. Now that I'm a little more fluent, theres a little shoulder shrug to it. If you hoop to the left, push right shoulder first to swing it around, then intercept it with a kind of hunch forward left shoulder and fling the left shoulder back. It ends up being like a horizontal figure 8 harlem shimmy thing lol. Find as many different tutorials as you can, everyone explains the move a little differently, and there are probably thousands on youtube for shoulder hooping. I don't really dig the Hoopnotica method, but many find success with their DVDs. Good luck!
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Awesome, Dwiizie! I would love quick wicks. I might get some sometime. Where did you get them? Love that you want to tandem hoop too! Since you're so into hoop, do you also spin poi? That's something else I"d like to get good at…
What's your opinion on Hoopnotica, besides you don't really dig it? Curious…it's interesting the different hoop methods.
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I got them straight from Synergy/Hoop Drum. I do spin poi, haven't gotten into fire with that yet, just sock poi and led sock poi right now. I juggle, do flow wand, dance with the toroflux, etc, etc. I'm allll about the flow arts. Actually, I found poling because I wanted to get into aerial silks and lyra after doing one climb on the silks after trying for about 4 hours at a "flow jam" we had here. They said the nearest aerial classes were in DC or NC, so I was like… how bout a pole? The girl with the silks said that pole moves translated well to silks and lyra, and I could actually have a pole in my house (no room or height for an aerial rig at the moment lol). So thats how I came to poling. I think first I was a dancer, ballet, tap, jazz, etc. Then I was into acting and singing (and naturally dance continued). I kind of fell out of it, didn't feel feminine, so I started calling myself a juggler, I was in the juggling club in highschool, thats where the stilts, diablo and things come in (though, I'm still not very good at it lol). Then, after a few years of focusing solely on music, I found hooping at a music festival. The hoop led to all my recent "flow arts" though. I NEVER would've thought I'd be hooping, poling, doing poi…. My life is permenantly changed for the better. I could rant and rave about the empowerment and just EVERYTHING these movement and dance arts have brought to my life.
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I just realized, the bit of info I gave about the shoulder shrug, thats if you hoop to the RIGHT lol. Reverse that if you're a left hooper.
I also didn't answer about Hoopnotica. I love hooping because of the freedom of expression. Nothing is "the wrong way" or "the right way" its however you want, it suits you. Hoopnotica is very much "This is how you do this, and that is how you do that" and that just doesn't suit my learning style (though some LOVE it)
Its very much a "find what you like" sort of thing 🙂
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That's awesome, your hooping journey! I found pole first, then hoop (and with that, poi), then through both those venues was introduced to lyra and silks. It's totally changed my life, too.
I thought you were correct about your shoulder hoop description…at least, it sounded right and made sense to me! Interesting about hoopnotica and their method. I don't know much about it, but I've seen the dvd's and found them thorough. I would be interested to see how their classes are structured. I recently went to a workshop with caroleeena and I LOVE her. 🙂
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It made sense to me too, then I was hooping on my lunch break and realized I had said it opposite. It sounds very weird when typed because you're going backwards when it feels like you should be going forwards. I actually played a lot with it today because of this thread. I've found, I can actually make my upper torso stiff as a pencil, and bounce back and forth from leg to leg, creating enough side to side to get that "BEAT" from side to side. No shrugging, no "cat cow-like" movement. Its literally using legs to power the hoop, and the power is so strong, that even the boxiness of the shoulders can't fight it.
I also found that if I hunch up a little, I can use my "shrug" method to hoop anywhere on my arms from shoulder to forearm.
I also discovered that the BACK push on the shoulder shrug carries more power. I naturally hoop to the left. I swirl the hoop around and actually move my RIGHT shoulder back as the hoop comes around, and the left shoulder front (which, again, seems to be AGAINST the rotation of the hoop, but its where the magic is)
I even played around and found that I can shoulder hoop (to the left) focusing almost exclusively on throwing my right shoulder back and letting the left arm/rest of torso go slack. It doesn't have the same effect trying to throw my left shoulder forward.
In second current (to the right, the other way, whatever lol) its all about throwing my left shoulder back, but the mobility on my left is very muted compared to the right (as I am right handed) Its such an interesting move. I remember one of my first ever hooping videos with me trying soooo hard to get the hoop to chest level. I actually yelled at the hoop "Come oooonnnn!!!" lol.
I do moderate the daily practice forum on hooping.org and I've seen waves of beginners, and they all eventually get it, so I truly have faith that anyone determined to do it can.
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And yeah, Caroleeena is definitely awesome. I've not gotten a chance to meet her, but we've spoken online enough times. I recently did a workshop with Brecken. THAT was a fun weekend! I love that Caroleena loves the dance, its not always all about the tricks (though she can throw you some good ones!)
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OK, I need to go hoop! Huh. That is verrrry interesting.
I haven't been on the hooping.org forums, perhaps I should check em out sometime! I went to a Brecken workshop last year (at the after party she commented on my muscles–and then we talked pole–LOL) and Baxter as well. Great, amazing people!
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i tried to do what you described and I couldnt do it (the moving right arm back and left arm fwd and vice versa to the right). i gotta pay attention to what other hoopers do at my jams. I can do the side to side movement though and the 'shrug' to hoop anywhere on the arms.
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I have a short video to post when I finish editing it for no sound.. But for me, I feel the strongest force is in my left arm, when I pull it behind me.. It feels very similar to regular waist hooping in general, actually.
When I really try to think about that flow though and focus on it to keep doing it, I mess it up xP I can only do it when I’m not exactly focusing on it.. Gah. I’m just happy it is improving enough to where I feel like I can practice arm weaving a little bit:)
Right now, it’s nearly impossible with my 37″. My bigger 40whatsit” is muuucchh better to work with
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OOOOO! I might have to join one of those communities! Did you mean Hoopcity.ca? That's what I found by google searching. The .com address is for basketball.
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Yeah, its .ca. I like both sites. hoop city is kind of like Veena, Saffire offers lessons, theres chat, music, forums. Hooping.org is more like a hooping newspaper, photos and videos of the day, forums to specific topics, but not the standard format chat thread. If I ever need to reach a bunch of people or ask a big topic, I usually go to hoopcity, but for daily life, I'm on hooping.org (seems there is less drama there, and more questions asked over and over again. For example, there is a great thread in Beginner Central forum for shoulder hooping, and the mods put the threads mostly together so you don't have to look for 20 different threads.) My screen name Dwiizie everywhere lol, you can find me and friend me, I'm on youtube, Facebook, Myspace, they're all me 🙂
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I should really read before I hit reply lol. I meant, seems there is more drama on hoopcity (IMO), and less repetitive questions on hooping.org. hooping.org also does a lot of articles on hooping, where people are making news, updates on native american hoop dance, articles on hooping in relation to learning, weight loss, brain function, healing, meditation, etc. I dig that its an info hub.
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Sweet! Thanks! Maybe I'll find you on fb, youtube and hoop sites (when I get in there.) I stopped using my myspace FOREVER ago. I tried signing up to hoop city right now, but it won't let me. It isn't accepting my "what is this site about" answers. Really? Hooping, hoops, and hoop are not adequate answers?
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Thats weird….. Maybe try hoopdance or Safire or love or something? I can't remember what I did when I signed up (it was a loong time ago). Yeah, I don't even know if my myspace still exists, I just throw it out there anyway. I heard they deleted everyone who isn't a musician page, but I never looked to see. I have a musician page anyway though (I sing too hehe)
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