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Basket Whip › History › Revision 2

Revision 2

archivist · Jul 13, 2026, 7:08 PM · Add cited teaching points from pro instructional videos (Ramirez, Royston, McKeever, WCS Online)

← Revision 1Revision 3 →

Changes from revision 1

Alternative names: Basket → Basket, Locked Whip

Tags: whip family, wraps & cuddles, 8-count → whip family, 8-count, wraps & cuddles

A whip variation danced with two hands in which the follower is turned at the post into a wrapped ("basket") position facing away from the leader, then unwound home.
 
The wrap happens around counts **3&4–5** with both hands held low; the exit typically unwinds the follower on **5–6** before the anchor. A friendly first "shape" whip: the geometry is showy but the timing stays plain whip timing. Watch for cranked shoulders — the wrap should sit at the follower's waist, led from body rotation.
+ 
+## Common notes
+ 
+- Regionally also called the **locked whip**: Robert Royston notes "some places in the country call this a basket whip. Locked whip, basket whip — same thing."[^1]
+- The follower's path is dead straight — all the way forward with no turn, then straight back — while the leader dances the same footwork as a basic whip.[^2]
+- Keep the basket relaxed: the leader's hand rests at the follower's hip and the free hand stays off the body rather than clamping the wrap shut.[^3]
+ 
+[^1]: Robert Royston, ["How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ifac32Pww&t=13s) (Howcast) at 0:13.
+[^2]: Robert Royston, ["How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ifac32Pww&t=25s) (Howcast) at 0:25.
+[^3]: Robert Royston, ["How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ifac32Pww&t=52s) (Howcast) at 0:52.
Page as of this revision

Basket Whip

intermediate

also known as: Basket · Locked Whip

A whip variation danced with two hands in which the follower is turned at the post into a wrapped ("basket") position facing away from the leader, then unwound home.

The wrap happens around counts 3&4–5 with both hands held low; the exit typically unwinds the follower on 5–6 before the anchor. A friendly first "shape" whip: the geometry is showy but the timing stays plain whip timing. Watch for cranked shoulders — the wrap should sit at the follower's waist, led from body rotation.

Common notes

  • Regionally also called the locked whip: Robert Royston notes "some places in the country call this a basket whip. Locked whip, basket whip — same thing."1
  • The follower's path is dead straight — all the way forward with no turn, then straight back — while the leader dances the same footwork as a basic whip.2
  • Keep the basket relaxed: the leader's hand rests at the follower's hip and the free hand stays off the body rather than clamping the wrap shut.3

Footnotes

  1. Robert Royston, "How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:13. ↩

  2. Robert Royston, "How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:25. ↩

  3. Robert Royston, "How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:52. ↩