How to Do a Continuous K-Roll Hoop Trick

Have you ever found a hoop trick you love, but then wondered how to bring it into your flow—or how to get out of it without stopping? The continuous K-roll has been one of my favorite moves lately. When one of my online students asked me for transitional ideas, I thought it would be the perfect time to review the move and share a few of my favorite ways to enter and exit it.

The catch is what makes the continuous K-roll possible. Once that grip and the half-isolation pathway begin to feel natural, you can add momentum, smooth out the motion, and start connecting it with other tricks. In the video above, I break down the foundation first and then demonstrate several transitions you can play with in your own flow.

How the continuous K-roll works

A regular K-roll is one release and catch before you continue into another movement. You catch the bottom of the hoop with your opposite hand and your palm facing up.

The continuous version uses a different catch. Instead of receiving the hoop in your palm, let it travel between your pointer finger and middle finger. From there, half-isolate the hoop upward so that hand reaches the top. Repeat the same catch with your other hand, bring it to the top, and continue alternating sides.

This move creates the illusion that the hoop is rolling continuously from fingertip to fingertip. The mechanics are actually closer to an isolation or an iso pop. Rather than working with the whole circle, you are guiding the half of the hoop closest to your body.

Build control before adding speed

Slow the movement down while you learn the grip change and pathway. Give yourself time to understand every moving part and build the muscle memory before adding more momentum.

Two details make a big difference:

• Keep both arms straight throughout the movement, just as you would during an iso pop.

• Keep the insides of your arms and both palms facing toward the hoop.

Reminding yourself of those positions can help you avoid getting tangled and keep more control of the hoop. When the grip changes and half-isolation motion start to feel comfortable, gradually add momentum. That extra energy helps smooth the movement and keep the hoop level.

The hoop may lightly bounce against the center of your chest during the continuous motion. In my video, you can even hear it clicking against the zipper of my coat. That little bit of contact is not something to panic about while you are finding the pathway.

Ways to transition into a continuous K-roll

Once you understand the basic movement, the fun part is exploring how it can become part of a larger flow. These are several of my favorite entries.

Enter from a chest roll

At the end of your chest roll, allow the hoop to move between your pointer finger and middle finger. Straighten that arm and raise it, letting the hoop drop downward. Catch it with your other hand and continue into the K-roll pattern.

The video includes this transition in real time and slow motion so you can study the hand change and the moment the roll becomes a half-isolation.

Enter from a tuck toss

A tuck toss creates another natural entry. Catch the hoop with your dominant hand at the end of the toss, straighten that arm upward, and let the hoop drop into the continuous K-roll.

Enter from a behind-the-back juggle toss

I probably overuse this transition in my own flow, but I love it. The behind-the-back juggle toss places the hoop into a useful position for beginning the continuous K-roll.

If that entry is new to you, practice its release, roll, and catch separately before trying to connect it to the K-roll.

Add a challenge with a Matrix roll

If you are ready for a challenge, you can also enter from a Matrix roll. I demonstrate the connection in the video, but this is an advanced option to explore after the continuous K-roll itself feels steady.

Ways to transition out of a continuous K-roll

You have just as many possibilities on the way out. The right exit depends on where you want your flow to travel next.

Move into a tuck toss

The simplest option is often a tuck toss. Wait for the hoop to reach your dominant hand at the bottom. This time, catch it with all of your fingers wrapped around the hoop instead of letting it pass between two fingers.

Bend at the elbow and move into the tuck toss. You can add a weave first or transition directly into the toss.

Sweep into a chest roll

Catch the hoop with both hands on opposite sides, keeping your dominant hand at the bottom. Turn your body toward the front, sweep the hoop downward across your body with your arm straight, and then raise it again.

Put enough momentum into the rising hoop to carry it smoothly across your chest. From there, you can add a chest-roll break and even begin another continuous K-roll on the opposite side. It becomes a fun little combination.

Pop and catch the hoop

To add a small pop at the end, first slow the hoop down. When your opposite hand reaches the bottom, keep your palm flat and give the bottom of the hoop a quick pat. Then catch it in whatever position fits your next movement.

This one is definitely more comfortable with plenty of space. I filmed this tutorial in my living room during an unusually cold stretch in Mountain Home, Arkansas, and I was missing my hoop time outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

Move into a reverse escalator

Wait until your dominant hand reaches the bottom of the hoop. Fold the hoop upward behind you, then sweep it around your arm to continue into a reverse escalator.

Explore folds and iso pops

Folding gives you many directions to play with. You might move into a 180-degree fold, fold the hoop toward your body, continue into elbow hooping, or carry the motion onto your body in a reverse coin-flip or barrel-roll pathway.

Another option is to move into an iso pop, sweep the hoop across your body, and return to the continuous K-roll. The goal is not to memorize every possibility at once. Choose one connection, practice it slowly, and notice where it naturally wants to lead.

Choose a hoop that gives you control

I demonstrate this move with a 28-inch, 5/8-inch HDPE hoop. I had been using more HDPE during the cold weather because I did not want to crack another polypro hoop.

The continuous K-roll can be practiced with different tubing types and sizes. In my experience, a smaller hoop can offer more control because your movements do not have to be quite as large. Work with a hoop that feels manageable for you and gives you room to understand the pathway.

Put your own spin on the movement

These are some of my favorite ways to transition in and out of the continuous K-roll, but they are starting points—not limits. Get comfortable with the basic catch, keep your arms and palms in position, and add momentum only after the pathway makes sense. Then experiment and discover which entries and exits feel most natural in your flow.

If you would like more support with the foundational moves used throughout this tutorial, Learn to Hoop Dance includes step-by-step lessons on iso pops, tuck tosses, chest rolls, reverse escalators, folds, and ways to tie your movements together. You can work through the lessons at your own pace and build a foundation for creating combinations that feel like your own.

Happy hooping!

Keep learning

Behind-the-back hoop juggle toss tutorial

Learn to Hoop Dance