How to Do the Swingout
Every Lindy Hopper remembers the night their swingout finally clicked. This is the move the whole dance is built around – eight counts of stretch, swing and release.
What the swingout is
The swingout is an eight-count move where the follow travels in towards the lead, the couple rotates together, and the follow swings back out to where the move started. It's the dance's home base: most Lindy Hop moves are variations on it, and most of a social dance is spent coming back to it.
It starts and ends in open position – partners facing each other, an arm's length apart, joined by one hand.
The counts
| Count | Lead | Follow |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Rock step back, inviting the follow in | Rock step back, then let the stretch carry you forward |
| 3, 4 | Step, step – turning to open the way as the follow arrives | Step, step – walk in towards the lead |
| 5 & 6 | Triple step, rotating together with the follow | Triple step around the lead (the "swing") |
| 7 & 8 | Triple step, sending the follow out | Triple step back out to open position |
Feel it, don't count it
A swingout works because of connection: the stretch at the end of one move becomes the energy that starts the next. If you're pushing or pulling with your arm, the move feels heavy. Keep your arm relaxed but not floppy, and move the whole body – the arm only passes the message on.
The four mistakes to fix first
- Rushing the rock step. Count 1–2 is where the stretch builds. Rush it and there's nothing to swing with.
- Leads pulling the follow in. Invite, then get out of the way. The follow's own momentum does the work.
- Follows anticipating. Walk in on 3–4 only when the connection asks you to, not because you know what's coming.
- Stopping on 8. The end of a swingout is the start of the next one. Keep moving through the music.
How long it takes
Most people meet the swingout in their first few weeks and spend months making it comfortable. That's normal – it's a move you keep refining for as long as you dance. Learn the 8-count rhythm first, then the swingout gets much easier.
Read next
- Lindy Hop Instruction: Every Style, Every Level
- 6-Count and 8-Count: Lindy Hop Rhythm Explained
- How to Do Swivels
Last reviewed 2026-10-23.