Hammerlock › History › Revision 1
Revision 1
currentarchivist · Jul 13, 2026, 10:42 PM · New move with cited teaching points from pro instructional videos
This is the first revision — the page as originally created.
Hammerlock
intermediatealso known as: Hammerlock Position
A two-hand pattern that finishes a tuck turn with one of the follower's hands folded behind their back — the "hammerlock" hold — usually the entry to a family of wrapped and behind-the-back figures.
One taught version
DrDanceRight teaches it as a sugar tuck where the leader simply keeps both hands: lead the tuck and spin as usual under the raised left hand while the joined right hand stays low, and the follower's arm settles behind their back into the lock.1
Common notes
- Grip light: "a lot of times we say no thumbs" — fingertip connection lets the hands flip around freely, and hard thumbs on the wrist are how followers get bruised.2
- The exit is a release, not a pull: never tug the locked arm. The follower just walks out with underarm-pass footwork while the leader lets go.3
- The pair ends up offset, follower to the leader's right — the leader deliberately stays off the slot so the follower has a clear lane to walk out on, then drifts back in front.4
Footnotes
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DrDanceRight, "West Coast Swing 106: Hammerlock" at 0:09–0:46. ↩
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DrDanceRight, "West Coast Swing 106: Hammerlock" at 0:25. ↩
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DrDanceRight, "West Coast Swing 106: Hammerlock" at 1:10. ↩
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DrDanceRight, "West Coast Swing 106: Hammerlock" at 1:35. ↩