Last updated: May 15, 2026
The Horizontal Figure 8 takes the same figure 8 idea you practiced vertically and turns it flat in front of your body. This helps you build plane control and makes your beginner flow feel more dynamic.
Keep the star level, move slowly, and focus on drawing a clean horizontal path before trying to speed it up.
How Do You Do a Horizontal Figure 8?
Hold the Flow Star flat in front of your body and guide it through a sideways figure 8 path. The goal is to keep the star level like a tray while your hand moves from one side to the other and back again.
Horizontal Figure 8 Video Tutorial
Watch how flat the star stays. The cleaner the horizontal plane, the smoother the figure 8 will feel.
What to Watch For
Flat plane: The star stays level instead of tipping up or down.
Side-to-side path: Your hand moves across the front of your body in a sideways figure 8.
Chest-height control: Starting at chest height makes it easier to see and correct the plane.
Relaxed wrist: Keep your hand loose enough to guide the star without locking up.
Horizontal Figure 8 Steps
Hold the Flow Star flat around chest height. Think of it like a tray. If one edge tips up or down, slow down and reset the plane.
Guide your hand across the front of your body toward the opposite side. Keep the star level as it travels through the middle.
Let the star finish the loop on one side before returning. The shape should feel rounded, not sharp or rushed.
Bring your hand back across your body and complete the other half of the horizontal 8. Keep both sides as even as possible.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Horizontal Figure 8s usually get messy when the star tilts, the loop gets rushed, or the hand path gets too close to the body.
If one edge drops, slow down and reset the star flat before continuing.
Give the star enough room to move. Keep it in front of you, not pressed into your body.
If the shape turns into a small circle, slow down and make each side of the 8 clear.
A stiff wrist makes the path choppy. Stay relaxed and guide the star instead of forcing it.
One-Song Practice Drill
Practice the Plane Before Speed
Put on one song and practice slow Horizontal Figure 8s at chest height. Focus on keeping the star flat before trying to make the movement bigger, faster, or more stylized.
Hold the star flat and practice keeping it level in front of your body.
Move across the center slowly without letting one side dip.
Make each side of the figure 8 clear and even.
Add music and let the rhythm help the horizontal path feel smoother.
Horizontal Figure 8 FAQ
A Horizontal Figure 8 is a beginner Flow Star trick where the star stays flat while your hand moves side to side in a figure 8 path across the front of your body.
A Vertical Figure 8 moves in an up-and-down plane beside or in front of your body. A Horizontal Figure 8 stays flatter, more like a tray, while your hand moves side to side.
This usually means the path is too close to your body. Move the star slightly farther in front of you and keep the loops wide enough to complete the figure 8.
One side usually dips when your wrist locks up or the plane tilts. Slow down, keep the star level, and practice at chest height where you can see the angle clearly.
After the Horizontal Figure 8, move into Phase 2 Intermediate Flow Star Tricks, starting with Waterfall when you are ready for cleaner transitions.
Need a Flow Star before you practice?
Keep scrolling to browse Flow Star collections below. A Regular Flow Star is usually the easiest place to practice beginner Figure 8s.
