I think it's more about lifting the shoulder -- something that we don't do often in our day-to-day lives, except when we shrug. (Alfred P. Newman, from Mad Magazine, shrugs all the time when he says, "What? Me worry?" I bet he'd be great at shoulder duck-outs!) A two shoulder shrug should look kinda like this: hypnosisproductreviews.com/blog...g.jpg

When I first started learning this movement, it flew off of me a lot too. I think that's common. I wasn't able to forcefully push the top of my shoulder toward the sky. An exercise that helped was practicing shrugging my shoulders. Remember, you are learning to lift them deliberately and forcefully, together or separately.

I practiced doing basic shrugs (up/down/up/down) but also by pushing the shoulder forward, then up, then back, then down / forward, then up, then back, then down ... I'd do this 10 times. Then I'd do the same thing in the other direction (meaning pushing your shoulder back and down, back and up, forward and up, forward and down, repeat...) 10 times for each shoulder -- together and independent of one another. You are developing the muscles across the top of the shoulder, which will help you push the shoulder up, but you are also learning to drop the arms low so that when you dip your head to the side, your neck is not in the way and the only thing that stands tall is the shoulder that you are directing Up.

There are lots of movements that I've had to practice well beforehand in order to integrate them into my hoopdance. Shoulder rolls and shoulder lifts are just two of them. Right now I'm practicing lifting my weight onto the ball of my foot and toes so that ONE DAY I can pirouette while hooping. I have to make my feet strong first though. I simply don't have the strength in my foot and along that tiny shin muscle to pull myself up yet. But one day soon ... I'm getting closer everyday.

Hope this helps!

Lots of great advice here - I have only have one thing to add. It helps to think about trying to touch each ear with your shoulder. If you are ducking out to the right, think about ducking your head all the way down so that your right ear will touch your right shoulder AND think about shrugging your left shoulder all the way up to your left ear. Do this in front of a mirror so that you can see what you are doing because often when people start out with this trick, they *think* they are shrugging enough/ducking out enough and they really aren't. As Caroleeena said, these are not movements you normally do so it may feel like you're doing it, but really overexaggerate to make sure that you are getting into the correct positions.

If the hoop is flying off your shoulder, you have the timing of the duckout fine and you just need to concentrate on getting that other shoulder shrugged up as high as possible. Think about pushing your bicep up - that seems to get people's shoulders up a little higher. Good luck!

Thanks for all this wonderful advice. I love Silverstar's way of describing things such as touch your ear to your shoulder because I really remember that sort of description. It was her advise to feel as if I were being poked in the chest and back that got me to isolate my chest moves.

I have since achieved this move once! The hoop rotated twice round my shoulder while I held my breath in amazement. I had not expected to succeed so I had no idea what to do next other than let it fall off in the end, but it was a great feeling. I've been having a few days off this week due to injury so I've not tried it again. But I now know that it's possible so I will do it again eventually.

Thanks again.