Apparatus Hold and Balance in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rope is usually held by both ends tied in the knots. The knot should be in the middle of the palm, fingers clenched in the fist and tighten the knots, rope goes through the thumb and index finger. Hold shouldn’t be too strong, so that the rope could move in the fist. Besides the rope could be held in the following ways:

-          by one end

-          by two ends with one hand

-          by the middle with one or two hands

-          2-4 times folded, with one or two hands

Hoop is usually held by one hand in 2 variants:

-          strong hold (the hoop is tighten in the fist like a rope)

-          free hold (the hoop is on the internal edge of the palm between the thumb and index finger

Whereas hoop is flat, it moves in different planes:

-          front

-          side

-          horizontal

-           inclined

Sometimes hoop can be held strongly by 2 hands from below and above.

Ball is usually held on the palm when the fingers are slightly separated. Ball finds basic support on the palm near the fingers’ base, the palm itself doesn’t touch the ball, finger pulps slightly do this with no pressure at all.

Ball balance means keeping wrist balance.

Ribbon is usually held in the following way: stick tip is supported by the palm base, all the fingers, except the index one, are clenched in the fist and squeeze the stick, index finger is separated along the stick and fixates it.

Clubs are usually held by the head in 2 variants:

-          strong hold (like a ribbon’s stick)

-          free hold (like a rope’s ends)

Sometimes the clubs are also held:

-          by the middle of the neck (like a strong hold of the hoop)

by the body (like by the neck)