How to Do the Water Bottle Flipping Challenge

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 22, 2022 Tested

The water bottle flipping challenge is a fun party game that became an Internet sensation in 2016. To do the challenge and impress your friends, you’ll need to prepare your bottle correctly and flip your bottle using a certain technique. Above all, you should practice the game and have fun seeing if you can get it right.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Bottle

1
Start with a clear, empty 16.9 fl oz (500 mL) plastic bottle. Buy a 16.9 fl oz (500 mL) bottle of water or soda from a convenience store. You need to be able to see the water level in the bottle, so make sure the bottle is clear enough to see the liquid. Drink the beverage or dump it to empty the bottle.^{[1]
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- Avoid buying cola or root beer bottles that are dark brown in color, as you won’t be able to see the water level well enough.
2
Fill the bottle ¼ - 1/3 full of water. You can eyeball this part if you want, but if you don’t get the water level right, the bottle may not land correctly. Use a liquid measuring cup to transfer 4.225–5.63 fl oz (124.9–166.5 mL) of water into your plastic water bottle. Put the cap back on your bottle.^{[2]
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- Adding too much water will not allow enough room for it to move back down to the bottom of the bottle during your flip.
- Too little water will cause the bottle to not weigh enough and it will flip too fast.
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3
Set the bottle on a flat surface, such as a table or desk. The surface that you flip your bottle from and on which it lands needs to be flat, so it can land evenly. Make sure the table or desk you use isn’t wobbly or broken in any way.^{[3]
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- If you want to use the floor instead, you can do so. Sit cross-legged on a hard, non-carpeted floor and place the bottle on the floor in front of you.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Flipping Your Water Bottle

1
Grip the bottle between your fingertips and thumb on its neck near the cap. Place your fingertips and thumb around the top of the neck of the bottle so that your hand is hovering over, but not touching, the cap. Grip it tightly so when you flip it, the bottom of the bottle goes up into the air.^{[4]
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- Your hand will look a bit like a claw if it’s in the right holding position.
2
Flick your wrist up and away from you while gripping the bottle. Leave the bottom of your bottle on the flat surface. Grip the bottle tightly in your fingers as you flick your wrist up quickly. The bottom of the bottle should go up and out in a circular motion away from you.^{[5]
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- Avoid moving your arm at all when flipping the bottle. The movement in the flip should be all from your wrist.
3
Let go of the bottle when its bottom is in the air. When your wrist is as high as it can go, the bottom of the bottle should be about halfway up the first half of its flip. Let go of the bottle at this point so it can continue the circle and flip back down, landing after just 1 clockwise circle.^{[6]
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- If your bottle doesn’t land correctly, this is one of the things you can try to adjust.
4
Watch the bottle land back on its bottom. If you did the flip correctly, the bottle should do a single rotation in the air in a clockwise direction, and land right-side up on its bottom. Continue practicing and flipping the bottle until you can get it to land on its bottom multiple times in a row.^{[7]
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- If your bottle doesn’t land properly, continue practicing. Sometimes it takes many tries to get it. You can also try troubleshooting your technique to be sure you’re doing everything correctly.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting Your Technique

1
Be sure your water level is correct. Check your bottle to make sure it’s not leaking anywhere; you can inspect the cap area and the sides for minor holes or cracks. If you eyeballed the water level for the first tries, try using a liquid measuring cup to make sure that you put in 4.225–5.63 fl oz (124.9–166.5 mL) of water.^{[8]
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- You can empty your bottle and try putting in a slightly different amount to see if that helps. For instance, if you put in 4.5 fl oz (130 mL) the first time, try putting in 5 fl oz (150 mL) or 5.5 fl oz (160 mL) the next time.
2
Make sure you’re flipping your wrist up and away from you. If you’re flipping your wrist sideways, it’s possible that the bottle is going too high before you let go. Make sure you’re holding the top of the bottle with your fingertips in a claw shape and flipping only your wrist, not your arm, up and out.^{[9]
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- Practice the motion without holding the bottle to see if you’re doing it correctly. Keep your arm still and flip only your wrist from the start position, pointing down, to the letting-go position, with your fingers pointing up toward the sky.
3
Let go of your bottle slightly earlier or later. You may be waiting too long to let go of the bottle or letting it go too early. This part is perhaps the trickiest to get right. Keep trying to let it go at different points until your bottle lands properly.^{[10]
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- When you finally get the bottle to land, try to simulate exactly when you let it go for your next tries.

Community Q&A

Question

If I use a 500 ml bottle, should I fill it with 250 ml of water?

Community Answer

Yes, although I might suggest 220-230 ml instead.
Question

Is it okay to bottle flip using a glass bottle?

Community Answer

It is not advised. To be on the safe side, use a plastic bottle. A glass bottle could break and cut somebody, and even send someone to the emergency room. Using a plastic bottle will prevent you and anyone around you from any possible injury.
Question

What size bottle should I use?

Community Answer

Most plastic bottles work well; there is no specific size the bottle needs to be. A smaller bottle may work better.