Hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon, rope: sizes, rules and first technique for every RG hand apparatus — plus buying tips for your first own one.
Short answer: each of the five RG hand apparatus has fixed dimensions and its own rules — and the wrong size slows your progress before you've even started. A too-small hoop feels different from a competition model, a too-light ball slides differently off the back of your hand than a regulation one.
The dimensions aren't arbitrary, they're competition standard: a hoop measures 80–90 cm in inner diameter and weighs at least 300 grams — roughly the size of a hula hoop, but far more stable in rotation. The ball is 18–20 cm and weighs 400 grams — comparable to a small water ball, but heavier and grippier in the hand.
For clubs, length runs 40–50 cm, 150 grams each — they're the reason RG athletes often have the best hand coordination in all of gymnastics, because each hand works independently. The ribbon consists of a stick of max 1 cm diameter and 50–60 cm length plus a fabric strip at least 6 meters long and max 35 grams — light as a silk scarf, but surprisingly hard to control if handled wrong.
The hoop can be rotated around the hand, waist or body and is stable enough for first throws. Basic technique: hold the hoop loosely at one point, let it spin on its own axis, moving your body along with it instead of just your wrist.
The ball has a special rule: you may not grip the ball — the fingers stay naturally closed, the ball must not touch the forearm. That makes balance drills on the back of the hand or arm the core technique, not holding on. This trains proprioceptive control like almost no other apparatus.
You mostly move clubs in small circles — circles, when both clubs swing in the same direction, mills, when they rotate in opposite directions with a delay. This exact asymmetry between the hands makes clubs the technically most demanding beginner apparatus — budget more practice time than for hoop or ball.
The long fabric forgives little: one wrong wrist angle and the ribbon knots itself in the air. Start with big, slow circles at floor level before attempting spirals or snakes — the wrist leads, not the whole arm.
The rope has disappeared from elite individual competition but remains actively used in group competition and club training. For beginners it's still valuable: it trains jump technique and timing you'll need later with every other apparatus.
Check apparatus regularly for damage — a cracked hoop or a frayed ribbon can behave unpredictably during throws. Always keep enough distance from other gymnasts and the ceiling when throwing, especially in low training halls.
For clubs and ribbon, additionally: practice throwing technique without a partner first, only later with others in the room — flight paths are hard for beginners to judge.
Buy your first apparatus a touch heavier, not lighter, than the minimum. A slightly heavier ball or hoop forces clean technique because it immediately shows mistakes — a too-light apparatus hides errors instead of revealing them.
The competition hoop measures 80–90 cm inner diameter and weighs at least 300 grams. Smaller junior sizes exist for children — your club will advise which size fits height and arm span.
Because the technique is built on balance instead of grip: fingers stay naturally closed, the ball must not touch the forearm. This trains body tension and balance far more intensely than simply holding on.
Because you must move both hands independently — mills mean opposite-direction, time-delayed circles. This asymmetry is unfamiliar to the body and needs significantly more practice time than symmetric apparatus like the hoop.
Not in elite individual competition anymore, but still in group competition and club training. For beginners it remains a valuable training tool for jump technique and timing.
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