Getting cozy with the super important thumbs-inward-behind-the-back position

Drill the thumbs-inward behind-the-back hand position so it stops feeling awkward and becomes a reliable passing point. You’ll practise holding each poi with thumbs pointing inward, then making controlled circles in both directions while keeping the wrist and fingers scooping smoothly rather than collapsing the plane.

Nick Woolsey frames this as a coordination rewiring exercise: start with single circles and resets if you lose the plane, and build comfort on both sides. This position supports cleaner behind-the-back pathways and reduces the urge to switch to thumbs-out when transitioning through moves like hip reels.