Handhops

[palmcron]

Hi,

I decided to give handhops a try (on two hands). In the first tries I kicked too far towards my stomach and fell down. After correcting it, they kind of feel powerless. It feels like I'm kicking only with my shins and not with the whole leg.

Has anybody here ever tried handhops and is able to share some advice?

I know, this post might be more suited to a breakdance-forum, but I really appreciate the advice given here and maybe some of the handbalancers here have tried it

[Mikael Kristiansen]

Handhops are all about proper body tension combined with a powerful kick from the legs. On two hands it is not very difficult once you have a good enough handstand(which you have as I have seen a video). It can be tricky to get the feeling of jumping in the begining however. The most important thing is to keep the shoulders and elbows firm and locked so that the force from your legs will connect through your whole body. Basically what you need to do is just to keep trying every day for a while and you will understand the concept.

For the legs, try to kick from a slightly tucked position, as it is easier to get more force with your entire leg than only the knees. Bboys always kick like this. This guy has excellent technique. Look how he always brings his legs close to his body for each hop.

´Circus artists use a little different technique, but still based upon the same principle.