What level do gymnasts learn a Clear Hip?

Gymnasts usually learn a Clear Hip between Levels 6 and 7. That is a typical range, and every gymnast and gym moves at a different pace.

How long does it take to learn a Clear Hip?

About 5 weeks once a Cast Handstand is solid, as a rough estimate. Starting from a Kip, the whole progression adds up to about 15 weeks. These are estimates; real timelines vary a lot from gymnast to gymnast.

What should my gymnast learn before a Clear Hip?

Cast Handstand comes directly before it. The full progression is Kip, then Cast Handstand, then Clear Hip.

What are the most common deductions on a Clear Hip?

The ones to watch for are Pike in Body (up to 0.20), Bent Knees (usually about 0.1), Hit Apparatus (usually about 0.1) and Body Alignment (usually about 0.1). Judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is.

How to do a Clear Hip

A Clear Hip is a bar skill on uneven bars that gymnasts usually learn between Levels 6 and 7, once a Cast Handstand is solid.

Also called: clear hip circle, clear hip to handstand.

Quick facts

Apparatus	Uneven Bars
Typical level (estimate)	Levels 6-7
Difficulty (Stickd rating)	6/10
Time to learn after the prerequisite (estimate)	About 5 weeks
Whole progression (estimate)	About 15 weeks from a Kip
Fear factor (Stickd rating)	2/5

Levels, ratings and timelines are Stickd estimates for planning, not USAG requirements.

What to learn before a Clear Hip

Work through these skills in order. Each one is a required step toward a Clear Hip.

Kip (Levels 4-5)
Cast Handstand (Levels 5-6)

Step-by-step progression

The path to a Clear Hip has 3 steps. Week counts are typical estimates for regular training.

1
Kip
Learn a Kip until it is solid, usually between Levels 4 and 5. About 6 weeks (estimate).
2
Cast Handstand
Learn a Cast Handstand until it is solid, usually between Levels 5 and 6. About 4 weeks (estimate).
3
Clear Hip
Learn a Clear Hip. Allow about 5 weeks once the step before it is solid (estimate).

Drills that build a Clear Hip

What good form looks like

Backward hip circle with the body clear of the bar (hips never touch it), ideally finishing in handstand.

shoulders: extended
hips: extended
knees: straight

Common deductions on a Clear Hip

Deduction	What it means	Typically
Pike in Body	Hip angle showing pike when straight position required	up to 0.20
Bent Knees	Legs not fully extended during skills requiring straight legs	0.1
Hit Apparatus	Feet or body contact the bar during skills	0.1
Body Alignment	Body not in proper line (arch, pike, or lean)	0.1
Shoulder Angle	Shoulders not open to 180 degrees in handstand positions	0.1

Typical values; judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is, and the judges' score is the official one.

Skills a Clear Hip unlocks

Stalder Circle (Uneven Bars, Levels 7-8)

Watch an example

Watch a Clear Hip tutorial on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

Frequently asked questions

What level do gymnasts learn a Clear Hip?: Gymnasts usually learn a Clear Hip between Levels 6 and 7. That is a typical range, and every gymnast and gym moves at a different pace.
How long does it take to learn a Clear Hip?: About 5 weeks once a Cast Handstand is solid, as a rough estimate. Starting from a Kip, the whole progression adds up to about 15 weeks. These are estimates; real timelines vary a lot from gymnast to gymnast.
What should my gymnast learn before a Clear Hip?: Cast Handstand comes directly before it. The full progression is Kip, then Cast Handstand, then Clear Hip.
What are the most common deductions on a Clear Hip?: The ones to watch for are Pike in Body (up to 0.20), Bent Knees (usually about 0.1), Hit Apparatus (usually about 0.1) and Body Alignment (usually about 0.1). Judges scale each deduction by how noticeable it is.