Open Whip

A whip danced without the closed-position catch: the connection stays in the hands the whole way, so there's an extra arm's length between the partners at the redirection.

How it differs from the basic whip

In a basic whip the leader essentially holds their spot while the follower travels; in an open whip both partners travel roughly equal amounts — EastonSwing describes it as "a changing of places that happens twice," and notes it's also called a hustle whip.¹ Because there's no body-to-body catch, the leader has to eat that extra arm's length with their own travel — moving counter to the follower down the slot on 2 and "3-and" — instead of catching and redirecting in place.²

Common notes

• Danced plain it's "a bit flat" — the pattern almost demands an exit turn, and both inside- and outside-turn exits are standard. The naming rule: if the joined hands travel outside the partnership first it's an outside turn, inside first (between the partners) it's an inside turn — which means an open-whip inside turn can genuinely feel like an outside turn to the follower.³
• Followers: the "3-and" feels long here because of the open hold — hang out in it and don't rush forward into count 4. There's real distance for the arm and body to make up before the leader places you.⁴
• Followers also get an "end arm" moment as the slack gets eaten up: let the frame extend momentarily, then collect it on the way back.⁵
• A sugar push is the standard way to arrive in the two-hand or open hold that starts one.³

Footnotes

1. EastonSwing, "West Coast Swing, Level 2, Open Whip Variations" at 1:04–1:36. ↩

2. Matt Davis & Desiree, Rising Tide Swing Dance Studio, "Open Whip and Exits! – WCS Guide #271" at 1:08–1:45. ↩

3. Matt Davis & Desiree, Rising Tide Swing Dance Studio, "Open Whip and Exits! – WCS Guide #271" at 3:01–4:04; EastonSwing at 1:36. ↩ ↩²

4. Matt Davis & Desiree, Rising Tide Swing Dance Studio, "Underarm Open Whip with a Head Duck! – WCS Guide #161" at 1:49–2:27. ↩

5. Matt Davis & Desiree, Rising Tide Swing Dance Studio, "Open Whip and Exits! – WCS Guide #271" at 4:28. ↩