Hi Mimi,
Loads of people do have problems using a heavy hoop for hand hooping, so it is a good point to have raised.

It can be quite challenging to use a larger hoop on the hands if you haven't a great deal of upper body strength - as is true of many women.
You may find it helpful to use a smaller, lighter hoop for the hand hooping moves (swish, wildwest etc) as it can be a lot less daunting - and less painful on the hands! You could also try wearing fingerless gloves, like the padded ones used for weight training.

Why not try using a hoop made from lighter or thinner pipe (20mm is the one many people prefer) and perhaps 36" in diameter. Once you have switched, you will be amazed at what you can do with hand hooping.
Thinner pipe is lighter so the hoop will weigh less. 25mm pipe is heavier, but hoops made from it are not necessarily 'weighted', they just weigh more than the plastic hoops you can buy in department stores.

Good luck!

Also, Ladies, if I may add, lighter hooping does not mean you will have to work any less! I am using light 34 inch hoops and usually break into sweat within 3 minutes. Actually, I find that you have to work even more with a lighter hoop to keep it spinning.

; )

Mimi,

I'm 5'1" and had the same issue a few weeks ago when I was using a heavy hoop (160 psi) and working through Caroleeena's across the back roll tutorial on YouTube (what Christabel calls Eagle). I just couldn't get the hoop up as high as it needed to be and keep any momentum.

I picked up one of my daughter's hoops which wasn't much smaller but a lot lighter. After a few minutes I felt like I was at least making progress. So I bought a bunch of tubing and experimented with sizes and weights, and decided the 40" diameter was still good , but going down to a 125 psi tubing made a huge difference.

After a couple days with the lighter hoop I was able to figure out all kinds of moves I thought I'd never be able to do - including that darn across the back roll.

My first hoop is HUGE. so big that if I hoop with it now, it just slowly rolls around my hips. SO, I went tiny. And realized I didn't have the skill level to get through something revolving that fast and took it to the face more than any hooper I've ever met. So, what I can recommend is go to a 160psi, non weighted hoop that comes up to your belly button if you rest it on the floor and hold it to your belly. Still on the big side, but good while you learn. Once you've mastered control, you can pick up speed. That's when I went to hoops the same size, but in 100psi. Now my 100 psi hoops are getting smaller and smaller, and I'm using less tape for weight. You need strength and control to use these smaller hoops, especially if your doing tosses, they come down fast!
Baxter and Spiral go one step beyond, they cut holes into the tubing to make them lighter, more aerodynamic, and just more amazing.
I learned to make my own hoops out of necessity. I was going through them so fast and couldn't afford to keep buying them retail.
I own about ten hoops at any given point, I take them to hoop groups so other hoopers can try them out when they are experiencing what you are going through. Perhaps other hoopers in your area might want to let you try one of theirs on?

I suggest that you get another hoop that is 100 PSI / 3/4" and you can still maintain the 40" + in Diamentor.

I had the same problem with the standard 160 psi 3/4" and 40" in Diameter, so someone has some 100 psi irrigation piping left over so I make 2 new 100 psi 3/4" 40" in dia. hoops. It is making off body hooping a breeze, but you have to work a little harder because of the lighter weight to keep it moving.