Hula Hoop Tricks

with Video Tutorials

Beginner Hula Hoop Tricks

We’ve gathered some of our favorite hula hoop tricks and tutorials to help you get there.

Rest assured that these beginner hula hoop tricks aren’t going to make you look like a beginner.

Grab a hoop and let’s do this!

Intermediate Tricks Advanced Tricks
hula hoop tricks

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: The One-Handed Weave

The One-Handed Weave is a foundation for hula hooping other moves like the basic weave with two hoops.

  1. Start by gripping your hoop with your right hand, underhand, at the top point of your hoop.
  2. First position: Move the hoop to the right side of your body.
  3. Second position: Rotate your hoop up to hold it by the bottom of the hoop in an over hand position.
  4. Third position: Rotate your hoop across your body and down so that you are holding it by the top of the hoop in over hand position.
  5. Fourth Position: Rotate your hoop clockwise to hold it underhand by the bottom of the hoop.
  6. Rotate back to First position and repeat.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: The Helicopter Spin

The Helicopter Spin is a way to spin the hoop while it is carried around your body creating an effect that makes the hoop seem to be moving more than it actually is.

  1. Use your right hand to hoop clockwise and your left hand to hoop counterclockwise.
  2. Grab the hoop in front of you with both hands underhanded.
  3. Carry the hoop around your body while twisting your arm in the other direction.
  4. Hand the hoop off behind your back.
  5. Twist your arm in the opposite direction to the continued rotation around your body.
  6. Hand the hoop off in front of your body and repeat.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Leg Hooping

Be sure to use a larger hoop to make learning leg hooping easier and less painful on your legs.

  1. Step into the hoop and relax your legs with the hoop in your hands.
  2. Place the hoop on the back of your knees.
  3. Wind up and spin the hoop around your legs.
  4. Use one leg to support yourself while using the other leg to give the hoop additional momentum.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: The Vertical Lasso

The Vertical Lasso is a way to spin the hoop around your hand in a vertical position.

  1. Start by gripping your hoop underhand, at the top point of your hoop.   
  2. Rotate upward a half rotation. As you get to the top, release your grip on your hoop allowing the hoop to spin freely around your hand in front of you. 
  3. Move your hand slightly side to side to keep your hoop moving.
  4. To maximize control, extend your thumb upward in a L shape while spinning the hoop around your hand. Keep hoop between thumb and finger tips.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Prayer Position

Prayer Position involves spinning the hoop with your hands in a prayer position above your head.

  1. Lift your hoop up above your head in Lasso Position.  
  2. When the hole of the hoop spins in front of you, insert your other hand into the hoop and put them together into a prayer position.
  3. Move hands side to side to keep the hoop up.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Revolving Door Step Throughs

Revolving Door Step Throughs are a basic step that involves passing the hoop around your body and stepping through.

  1. Start by handing the hoop off around your body to the right .
  2. As your hoop travels around the left side grab your hoop with your left hand.
  3. Bring it to a vertical position in front of you.
  4. Hold your hoop with your thumb on top.
  5. Bend your left elbow to bring your hoop close to your body. Hold your hoop just at, or below chest level.
  6. Keep your hand in a central location as you revolve your hoop.
  7. Revolve the hoop to your right side. As the hoop gets close to your body, step all the way through with your right leg first.
  8. Revolve your hoop back in front of you.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Isolated Vortex

The Isolated Vortex involves revolving the hoop around your body without touching your body.

  1. Start with your hoop around your waist. 
  2. Grab the hoop in back with your opposite hand to the direction you are hooping, bring it around underhand. 
  3. Grab the hoop with your other hand in an overhand position. Bring it around in an overhand position and hand off back to underhand in back. 
  4. Bring it back in front and hand off to overhand in front 
  5. Continue to do the over and underhand handoff to orbit hoop around your body.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Handing off the Hoop

Handing off the Hoop is a foundational move that involves orbiting the hoop around your body.

  1. Start by holding your hoop with both hands in front of you, overhand.  
  2. Spin your hoop behind with the same hand to the direction you are hooping.  
  3. Hand off to the opposite hand holding the hoop over hand. 
  4. Rotate the hoop in front. 
  5. Continue to pass off around your body.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Lift up From Waist to Lasso

Lift up from waist to Lasso is a move that allows you to take the hoop from spinning around your waist to above your head into a Lasso position.

  1. Begin by spinning the hoop around your waist to the right. 
  2. Take your left hand and place it on the lower part of your back allowing the hoop to go over your fingers as in spins.  
  3. Grab the hoop as it comes over your fingers, and pull up over your head and straighten into Lasso Position.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Bring Hoop from Lasso to Waist

Bring Hoop from Lasso to Waist allows you to take the hoop from an above head Lasso Position to a waist spin.

  1. Begin by hooping in Lasso Position on your left hand.
  2. Find the hole of the hoop in front of your body. 
  3. Insert your right hand into the hoop while also bringing the hoop down to belly button level with your left hand. 
  4. Push it across your body to orbit around your waist.  

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Waist to neck Transfer

Waist to neck Transfer allows you to move the hoop from around your waist up your body to your neck with your arms inside the hoop.

  1. Begin by spinning the hoop around your waist. 
  2. Insert both arms inside the hole as the hoop moves in front of you. Keep your arms at your sides. 
  3. As the hoop spins over each individual arm, lift that shoulders up to  move the hoop up your body to your neck. 
  4. Continue to spin the hoop around your neck.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: One Handed Basic Isolation

One Handed Basic Isolation creates the illusion that the hoop is floating in the air by rotating the hoop in a circular motion around a center point.

  1. Start by holding your hoop in a vertical position in front of you, gripping the hoop over hand at the bottom middle part of the hoop. 
  2. Find the center point of the hoop. 
  3. Rotate the hoop around the center point.
  4. When your hand arrives at the top of the hoop, rotate your hand in the hoop with the hoop going over the back of your hand. 
  5. Reestablish your grip on the other side of the hoop grabbing the hoop on the inside of the hoop.
  6. Continue isolating the hoop in a continuous circular motion.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Foot Pass Hand-Off

Foot Pass Hand-Off allows you to move the hoop from front to back with your ankle.

  1. Start by moving the hoop around your body, handing off in front and behind you. 
  2. When the hoop is in front, kick your foot up and catch it on the hoop. Use the same foot as the direction you are spinning. 
  3. Carry the hoop with your foot alongside your body bringing it around. 
  4. Turn to the opposite side from your elevated foot and grab the hoop.  
  5. Continue this pattern around your body.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: One Leg Escalator

The One Leg Escalator involves spinning the hoop clockwise up and around your body.

  1. Take the hoop in your left hand and hold underhand. Place it on your left side. 
  2. Take your left leg, move it forward and place it into the front part of the hoop. 
  3. Take your right hand and place it up against the left side of your forehead to catch the hoop. 
  4. Revolve the hoop clockwise and slightly diagonal towards your body. 
  5. As you bring your hoop in, lift your right leg and step through the hole of the hoop. 
  6. Push and let go of the hoop against the right side of your body, just below your chest. 
  7. Hoop spins up your body over your back and shoulder. 
  8. Use your right hand to catch the hoop to the left just above your head.
  9.  Extend your arm upwards and continue in lasso position.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Hooping in Lasso

Hooping in Lasso is a foundational skill that involves spinning the hoop around your hand above your head.

  1. Begin by grabbing your hoop at the top middle point with an under hand hold. Use your left hand. 
  2. Place the hoop to your left side.
  3.  Carry the hoop across your body and upwards into a Lasso Position. 
  4. As the hoop comes up above your head, release your grip to let it move freely around the palm of your hand between your thumb and finger tips. 
  5. Gently rotate your hand slightly to maintain motion.

Beginner Hula Hoop Trick: Waist Hooping

Waist hooping is the most well known basic hula hooping move that involves moving the hoop around your stomach.

  1. Stand up straight while tightening your core. Place one foot in front of you. 
  2. Move the hoop around the left or right side. 
  3. Rock back and forth using your core.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Tricks

Let’s take your budding hoop skills to the next level with some intermediate hula hoop tricks.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: The Vortex

The Vortex is a continuous lasso while standing inside the hoop. It is important to know lasso before trying this trick.

  1. Enter the vortex through either lasso position or your waste.
  2. While hooping, place your hand on the center of your back and grab the hoop.
  3. Bring your hand up and the hoop rotates and pass it to the back of your other hand.
  4. With the hoop above you, allow it to rotate around to your palm to grab it.
  5. As you lower the hoop, catch it with the other hand behind your body and repeat.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick:Foot Hooping

Foot Hooping is a great trick to let yourself take a break and relax on the ground while you continue to amaze your friends!

  1. Lay on the ground and begin to rotate the hoop in a lasso on your arm above the center of your body.
  2. Raise your foot into the air and into the hoop directly next to your hand.
  3. Pass the hoop to your foot.
  4. Rotate your foot to continue the momentum.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Never Ending Pizza Toss

Never Ending Pizza Toss is a continual throwing and catching of the hoop while allowing it to come back onto the body.

  1. Begin by going into a vortex motion. 
  2. Use the same hand you use for bringing the hoop up into the vortex to toss the hoop.
  3.  Push the toss by bending your knees to jump into the pizza toss.  
  4. Throw and catch with your non-throwing hand and bring it back down over your body. 
  5.  Hand off back around and toss up again continuously.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Pizza Toss Somersault Catch

Pizza Toss Somersault Catch move involves the quick succession of throwing the hoop, somersaulting and catching the hoop.

  1. Begin by coming out of the Vortex and tossing the hoop into the air a few feet in front of you. 
  2. Immediately do a somersault. 
  3. Catch the hoop upon completion of the somersault and continue hooping in Lasso.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Helicopter to One Leg Escalator

Helicopter to One Leg Escalator allows you to gracefully move the hoop from a helicopter spin up your body.

  1. Start by doing a helicopter spin around your body clockwise. 
  2. When the hoop comes around the left side of your body, stop it in a vertical position. With your left hand, hold the hoop underhand at the top against your side.  
  3. With the hoop at your side, insert your left foot through the front side of the hoop. 
  4. Once your foot is in the hoop, so a one leg escalator to move the hoop up your body.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Behind the Back Escalator

Behind the Back Escalator allows you to push the hoop in the opposite direction behind you and up your body to be caught above you.

  1. Start by placing the hoop at your side while holding the hoop over hand at the top middle point of the hoop. 
  2. Step your left leg behind you and insert your foot through the back of the hoop. Rest the hoop snug against your leg. 
  3. Place your right hand against the right side of your forehead to catch the hoop. 
  4. Revolve the hoop behind you upwards towards the left side of your back. Simultaneously lift and bend your right leg to your side and step through the entire hoop.
  5. Firmly push and release the hoop against the side of your back. 
  6. As the hoop moves up your back, catch it in your right hand. 
  7. Rise the hoop above your head and continue in Lasso Position.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: One Leg Hooping

One Leg Hooping is a move that allows you to hoop on one leg just above your knee.

  1. Begin by balancing on the leg you will hoop on. Raise your other leg completely out of the way of the hoops rotation.
  2. Using your hand, spin the hoop just above your knee. With your foot flat on the ground and knee slightly bent, move your leg back and forth slightly to maintain the orbit of the hoop above your knee. 
  3. Keep the hoop above your knee to maintain motion.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Knee Kick Reversals

Knee Kick Reversals involve reversing the orbit of your hoop using a knee kick.

  1. Start by spinning your hoop around your waist. 
  2. Notice as the hoop spins behind you and presses up against the front right side of your body. At this point, lift your right leg upwards across your body, bending your knee to make contact with the hoop.
  3. As it makes contact with your knee the hoop will spin in the opposite direction. Maintain this motion.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Shoulder Stand Foot Hooping

Shoulder Stand Foot Hooping is a vertical move that involves hooping using your feet while in a shoulder stand position.

  1. Begin by hooping on one foot while laying on the ground. 
  2. As the hoop travels across the front side of your foot and the hole of the hoop is in front of you, move the hoop behind your head. 
  3. Go into a shoulder stand by rolling onto your shoulders making sure that your head is straight. Use your hands to help support your back and keep your elbows as close together as possible. 
  4. Extend your hooping foot into the air pointing upwards into a straight line. 
  5. Bend your other leg so your knee comes towards your body. 
  6. Continue foot hooping above your head.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Neck to Foot Pass

Neck to Foot Pass is a way to throw the hoop from your neck to your foot.

  1. Begin by neck hooping in a standing position. 
  2. As the hoop travels to the right on your neck, quickly duck your head out of the hoop to the left. Face forward as you toss your hoop to aim your toss in front of you . 
  3. Extend and lift your right leg to roughly waist level. Create a hook shape with your foot as you lift. 
  4. Use your foot to catch and hold the hoop. 
  5. Immediately carry the hoop around your body in the direction the hoop has been spinning to maintain momentum. Pass off around your body to your hand.

Intermediate Hula Hoop Trick: Hula Hooping Around your Chest

Hula Hooping Around your Chest involves moving the hoop around your chest with your arms inside the hoop.

  1. Begin by transitioning into chest hooping. There are a number of ways to do this from your waist:
    Begin with your hoop at your waist and slide your arms into the hoop and shimmy the hoop up to your chest. Or, begin with your hoop at your waist and increase your hooping momentum to move it to your chest. 
  2. Once the hoop is at your chest, rock your chest back and forth to keep momentum. 
  3. If your arms are inside the hoop, use your arm and shoulders to push the hoop around your body.  
  4. Keep the hoop in one line as it travels around your body.

Advanced Hula Hoop Tricks

If you’ve mastered the tricks above then it’s time to step things up with these advanced hula hoop tricks!

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: The Pizza Toss

Be sure to learn The Vortex before attempting The Pizza Toss.

  1. Enter the hoop and spin it at your waste.
  2. Enter the vortex as you raise your arm.
  3. As your hand holding the hoop reaches the highest point, toss it into the air with a full arm extension.
  4. Catch the hoop with your other hand.
  5. Return the hoop into the vortex and repeat.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: The Knee to Waist Transfer

You must already be able to leg hoop before learning the knee to waste transfer.

  1. Begin by entering the hoop and then knee hooping.
  2. Use one leg to increase the rotation speed of the hoop.
  3. Raise the heel on one leg off of the ground to push the hoop up to your waist.
  4. Use a rocking motion to complete the transfer of the hoop to your waste.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Spring Roll to Neck Transfer

Spring Roll to Neck Transfer is an advanced hooping move that takes the hoop from a behind the back foot lasso position to neck hooping via a somersault.

  1. Begin in a bent over foot lasso position. 
  2. Do a forward spring roll, do not roll onto your head. 
  3. As you roll onto your back keep your hooping foot raised in the air so there is space to duck into the hoop. 
  4. Tuck your hands into your body to not obstruct the rotation of the hoop. 
  5. Use your forward momentum to tuck into the hoop. 
  6. Sit up straight into a forward roll. 
  7. Continue spinning the hoop around your neck.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Foot Hooping Forward Spring Roll

Spring Roll is a move that involves doing a forward somersault while hooping .

  1. Start by foot hooping in Lasso above your back. 
  2. When the hole of the hoop is behind you and the hoop is on the backside of your foot. Use the backside of your foot to pull the hoop in front of you. 
  3. Immediately go into a somersault, do not let your head touch the ground. Keep your foot pointed upwards and spin the hoop around the center of your foot. 
  4. As you roll onto your back, push your hooping foot into the air. Keep your non hooping food close to your body. 
  5. Keep your foot in the air and continue foot hooping.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Pizza Toss Warp

Pizza Toss Warp is a trick that involves initiating a Pizza Toss and then jumping through the hoop before it hits the ground.

  1. Begin by doing a Pizza Toss throw. Throw your hoop high directly above you.
  2.  As the hoop is above you in the air, locate the hole of the hoop. Reposition your body to prepare to jump through the hoop. 
  3. Bend your knees and jump right through the hoop as the hoop makes its way down.
  4. As the hoop reaches waist to chest level grab the hoop underhand with your left hand. 
  5. As you hold your hoop at your right side, stretch your left arm diagonally across your body. 
  6. Lift and tuck your legs close to your body as you jump through the hoop. 
  7.  Tilt the hoop downward revolving it to the right to finish your jump through. 
  8. Hand the hoop off to your right hand  and continue passing the hoop around your body. 

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Foot Hooping Headstand

Foot Hooping Head Stand is a trick that allows you to do inverted foot hooping.

  1. Begin in a bent over foot lasso position. 
  2. Place your head on the ground just beyond your hands. 
  3. Hop your non hooping foot forward to straighten out your back. 
  4. Lift your non hooping foot off the ground while raising your hooping foot into the air. 
  5. Make sure not to obstruct the rotation of the hoop by tucking your non hooping foot close to your body.  
  6. Lower your non hooping foot to the ground to exit the headstand position. Keep your hooping foot raised above your back. Push back up from the ground to return to a foot lasso position.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Spring Roll

Spring Roll is a move that involves doing a forward somersault while hooping.

  1. Start by foot hooping in Lasso above your back. 
  2. When the hole of the hoop is behind you and the hoop is on the backside of your foot. Use the backside of your foot to pull the hoop in front of you. 
  3. Immediately go into a somersault, do not let your head touch the ground. Keep your foot pointed upwards and spin the hoop around the center of your foot. 
  4. As you roll onto your back, push your hooping foot into the air. Keep your non hooping food close to your body. 
  5. Keep your foot in the air and continue foot hooping.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Foot Lasso

Foot Lasso involves spinning the hoop in a lasso position with your foot, above your head.

  1. Begin by passing the hoop around your body. 
  2. Go into a foot pass carrying the hoop to the side of your body. Carry the hoop on your foot between your toys and ankle.
  3. While the hoop is at the side of your body, place your hands in the air, bend over and touch the ground.
  4. Pull the hoop behind you with the side of your foot. Point your foot in the air. 
  5. Continue to lasso the hoop around your foot.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Foot to Neck Transfer

Foot to Neck Transfer involves sitting up into the hoop and transferring it from your foot to neck.

  1. Begin by laying on your back while foot hooping. 
  2. When the hoop is spun so the hole of the hoop is above your head, quickly sit up. Simultaneously push your hooping foot forward.
  3. When the hoop is at the top half of your foot and has gone half way around, bend your leg and pull the hoop downwards towards your head. 
  4. Move your head slightly to the side and duck into the hoop while also sliding your foot out in the direction the hoop is spinning. 
  5. Once the hoop is on your neck, lift your chin and sit up straight. 
  6. Continue neck hooping.

Advanced Hula Hoop Trick: Jester Dance

Jester Dance is a lively move that involves moving the hoop around your body, while jumping in and out of the hoop.

  1. Stand up straight and hand the hoop off around your body. 
  2. As the hoop comes around your left side start to spin it in a lasso. Spin the hoop into your legs. 
  3. Quickly lift your left leg and insert it into the hoop. Continue to spin it in a lasso position around your leg. 
  4. As the hoop comes inwards, move your right leg out of the way by extending it high to your side. So the hoop can pass underneath on your left side. 
  5. After it has finished passing underneath, bring your left leg up out of the hoop. 
  6. Pass it off to the other hand. Repeat on the other side.

Things to remember when learning hula hoop tricks

  • Get creative. The more you get creative and think outside the box, the more you are going to enjoy.
  • Hoop with a friend. It can be more fun to master new tricks when someone is learning them with you!
  • Be patient. It takes time to build your hoop stamina so amp up your speed by intensifying your torso rotation.
  • Don’t give up. These tricks might take time, and you’ll be doing fantastic hula hoop tricks before you know it!

Be sure to check back later because we will be adding more hula hooping tricks over time. Remember that regular practice helps but play is important, too! If you keep at it, you’ll be making up your own hula hoop tricks in no time.

A big “Thank You!” to Hoop Smiles for all of the great video tutorials!

Happy hooping!