Learning the Kip on the Parallel Bars: Explosively From the Inverted Hang Into Support

Learn the kip on the parallel bars (drop kip, glide kip): inverted-hang swing, explosive hip opening, spotting inside the rails and mistakes that cost strength.

Sport: Turnen · Level: Intermediate

Introduction

The kip on the parallel bars brings you from a hang or inverted hang back into support on the rails with an explosive hip opening. The Swiss federation calls one variant the "drop kip": at the end of the forward swing you close the leg-trunk angle, push the shoulders back and lower into the inverted hang, swing forward and back, open the hip explosively at the end of the backward swing and thrust the legs back-up while the straight arms press on the rails, as in a backward swing-up [2].

The honest answer to "How hard is it?": The kip rarely fails because of strength but because of timing. BASPO lists the main mistakes exactly like this: the kipping movement is too flat or too steep (the opening goes in the wrong direction), and it takes a lot of strength because the timing is off and the unloading at the end of the backward swing is not used [2].

A competition classification: the FIG men's rules say that kips on the rings should be initiated from a deep fold with a clear, dynamic swing. Whoever does them with little fold and a lot of strength is deducted [5]. That is another apparatus (TRANSFER), but the same idea: the kip is swing, not a pull-up.

What you need

Support swing secure: forward swing in a slight C+ pose, backward swing in the I pose or slight C− pose [3]. Practice standard: ten swings with straight arms.
Support strength: collapsing arms are a typical cause of accidents on the parallel bars [6]. Practice standard: L-sit for five seconds, support with straight arms for 30 seconds.
Inverted-hang feel: you can hold and swing in the inverted hang, for example on rings (see our inverted hang guide). Practice standard.
Parallel bars adjusted to your body (rail width about forearm length) and mats underneath [3].
An experienced spotter who works inside the rails [1].
Chalk, dry hands, close-fitting clothing.

Step by step

1. From the L-sit lower to the inverted hang

With help, lower from the L-sit on the parallel bars into the inverted hang position. The spotters support through under the rails at back and thighs [2]. Milestone: three lowerings, arms stay straight, control in the end position.

2. Swing in the inverted hang

From a light swing you take the support position, close the leg-trunk angle, lower to the inverted hang and swing in that position, with and without help [2]. Milestone: five calm swings in the inverted hang.

3. Rhythmic opening at the end of the backward swing

This is the core. You swing rhythmically in the inverted hang and open the body slightly at the end of the backward swing. That is how you use the unloading [2]. Milestone: five swings with a small opening, always at the same point.

4. Practise the direction

The kipping movement has a direction: back-up, not just up. Practise the correct kipping direction from the inverted-hang position on the floor [2]. Milestone: ten openings on the floor, the legs land on a marked line.

5. Kip with help and cue

From the swing you open the hip explosively and thrust the legs back-up. The spotter gives an acoustic cue as the impulse for the kip thrust and accompanies back and hips [2]. In the glide kip the spotter additionally brings the legs over the rails so the pelvis does not sink, and lets go only when you are secure in the swing-up [1]. Milestone: three kips with help, shoulders over the hands.

6. Reduce the help

Constant help does not suit learning success because you get used to it and fix mistakes. That is what the Swiss material says about the glide kip on the high bar [4] (TRANSFER to the parallel bars). The help should gradually become a safeguard. Milestone: two kips with safeguard only.

Common mistakes

You do not reach support. The kipping movement is too flat or too steep [2]. Fix: practise the direction on the floor from the inverted-hang position [2].
You need a lot of strength. The timing is off, the unloading at the end of the backward swing is not used [2]. Fix: rhythmic swinging with a slight opening at the end of the backward swing [2].
Pelvis sinks. Fix: the spotter holds the legs above the rails until you are in the swing-up [1].
Arms buckle. Fix: shoulders over the hands, build support strength [6].
You hang on the help. Fix: reduce the help deliberately [4].

Safety notes

Help inside the rails, from below. A grip from above the rails is dangerous: the spotter's arms can get trapped between rails and body [1]. This applies especially to the upper-arm kip [1].
Support strength first: collapsing arms, overestimating your ability and missing or wrong spotting are typical causes of falls on the parallel bars [6].
Mats and fall zone: mats under the apparatus, fall zone secured, gaps closed [6].
Do not improvise spotting; spotting must be learned [7].
If shoulders or wrists hurt, you take a rest. Shoulder and wrist complaints are frequent in gymnastics (practice).
This guide explains and motivates. It does not replace supervised training.

Pro tip

Make swinging in the inverted hang an exercise of its own before you kip: ten swings, each with a small opening at the end of the backward swing, as if you were kicking a shuttlecock with your feet. BASPO builds the kip exactly on this rhythmic opening [2]. Whoever has the rhythm needs less strength for the kip.

FAQ

What is the difference between drop kip, glide kip and upper-arm kip?

In the drop kip you lower from support to the inverted hang, swing and kip back into support [2]. In the glide kip you come from the forward swing, the legs go maximally forward, you close into the kip position and push up into support [1]. In the upper-arm kip you close the body maximally into the kip position, open to the candle position and support yourself again [1].

Do I have to be able to do a pull-up for this?

No, the kip is not a pull exercise. The unloading at the end of the backward swing and the explosive hip opening make the movement [2]. You still need support strength [6].

How long until I can do the kip?

That depends on support strength and timing. Many need a few weeks with help. That is an experience-based estimate, not a study figure.

Do I need a spotter?

Yes. The spotter stands inside the rails and works from below [1]. Later the help is reduced to a safeguard [4].

Why doesn't the kip work although I am strong?

Mostly it is the timing: opened too flat, too steep or too late [2]. Practise the swing in the inverted hang and the direction on the floor [2].

Key Takeaways

The kip on the parallel bars mostly fails on timing, not strength: open the hip explosively at the end of the backward swing and thrust the legs back-up.
Build-up: lower from the L-sit to the inverted hang, swing in the inverted hang, open rhythmically, then kip with help and an acoustic cue.
The spotter works inside the rails from below, a grip from above the rails is dangerous, and the help turns step by step into a safeguard.

Next guide

Learning the Bar Transition on Uneven Bars: From the Low to the High Bar Without Panic Between the Rails

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