How to teach the hip circle on bars: 24 drills, step by step

You teach the back hip circle by first building a tight front support and a controlled cast, then teaching the gymnast to bring the hips back to the bar and rotate backward around it with a rounded body. This series of 24 drills is for uneven bars coaches and links the pullover to the clear hip circle.

24 video steps · uneven-bars

Step 1 of 24, free: Hip Circle Drill 24

The phases

1. Front support: hold a tight support on the bar with straight arms and the hips resting on the bar.
2. Kick-off: swing the legs back from support with a tight body to create momentum.
3. Drop-in: bring the hips back to the bar while keeping the head neutral and the body rounded.
4. Rotation: circle backward around the bar with the hips staying in contact the whole time.
5. Finish: arrive back in front support with straight arms and the shoulders over the bar.

Before you start

The gymnast should be able to do a pullover and hold a tight front support on the bar.

Common mistakes

• Loose body on the backswing: not enough momentum to complete the circle.
• Hips leaving the bar during the rotation: the gymnast drops or gets stuck under the bar.
• Head thrown back: the body arches and the rotation slows down.
• Bent arms at the finish: the gymnast ends low and cannot connect the next skill.

Coaching cues

• Tight body, swing back
• Hips to the bar
• Chin neutral, round back
• Finish tall on straight arms

All 24 steps

1. Hip Circle Drill 24
2. Hip Circle Drill 22
3. Hip Circle Drill 23
4. Hip Circle Drill 1
5. Hip Circle Drill 20
6. Hip Circle Drill 2
7. Hip Circle Drill 3
8. Hip Circle Drill 4
9. Hip Circle Drill 5
10. Hip Circle Drill 6
11. Hip Circle Drill 7
12. Hip Circle Drill 8
13. Hip Circle Drill 9
14. Hip Circle Drill 10
15. Hip Circle Drill 11
16. Hip Circle Drill 12
17. Hip Circle Drill 13
18. Hip Circle Drill 14
19. Hip Circle Drill 15
20. Hip Circle Drill 16
21. Hip Circle Drill 17
22. Hip Circle Drill 18
23. Hip Circle Drill 19
24. Hip Circle Drill 21

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a hip circle and a clear hip circle?

In a back hip circle the hips stay in contact with the bar the whole time. In a clear hip circle the hips move away from the bar and the gymnast opens the shoulders to finish in horizontal support or handstand.

Why does my gymnast get stuck under the bar?

Usually the cast or backswing is too small, the body is loose, or the hips leave the bar. Go back to support and backswing drills before repeating the full circle.

What comes before the hip circle?

Most coaches teach the pullover first, because it trains the same backward rotation around the bar. Front support holds and small casts are also part of the build-up.

Related series

• Pullover
• Cast
• Toe Shoot