diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
index 7ec8db1490..b87d649e31 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
@@ -49,23 +49,6 @@ const AnimPose& AnimSkeleton::getAbsoluteBindPose(int jointIndex) const {
     return _absoluteBindPoses[jointIndex];
 }
 
-AnimPose AnimSkeleton::getRootAbsoluteBindPoseByChildName(const QString& childName) const {
-    AnimPose pose = AnimPose::identity;
-    int jointIndex = nameToJointIndex(childName);
-    if (jointIndex >= 0) {
-        int numJoints = (int)(_absoluteBindPoses.size());
-        if (jointIndex < numJoints) {
-            int parentIndex = getParentIndex(jointIndex);
-            while (parentIndex != -1 && parentIndex < numJoints) {
-                jointIndex = parentIndex;
-                parentIndex = getParentIndex(jointIndex);
-            }
-            pose = _absoluteBindPoses[jointIndex];
-        }
-    }
-    return pose;
-}
-
 const AnimPose& AnimSkeleton::getRelativeBindPose(int jointIndex) const {
     return _relativeBindPoses[jointIndex];
 }
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
index 9dda313528..98e2b5882f 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ public:
 
     // absolute pose, not relative to parent
     const AnimPose& getAbsoluteBindPose(int jointIndex) const;
-    AnimPose getRootAbsoluteBindPoseByChildName(const QString& childName) const;
 
     // relative to parent pose
     const AnimPose& getRelativeBindPose(int jointIndex) const;
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
index 046603d660..029fd20e44 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
@@ -1306,10 +1306,10 @@ void Rig::updateFromHandParameters(const HandParameters& params, float dt) {
 
         // TODO: figure out how to obtain the yFlip from where it is actually stored
         glm::quat yFlipHACK = glm::angleAxis(PI, glm::vec3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f));
-        AnimPose rootBindPose = _animSkeleton->getRootAbsoluteBindPoseByChildName("LeftHand");
+        AnimPose hipsBindPose = _animSkeleton->getAbsoluteBindPose(_animSkeleton->nameToJointIndex("Hips"));
         if (params.isLeftEnabled) {
-            _animVars.set("leftHandPosition", rootBindPose.trans + rootBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.leftPosition);
-            _animVars.set("leftHandRotation", rootBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.leftOrientation);
+            _animVars.set("leftHandPosition", hipsBindPose.trans + hipsBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.leftPosition);
+            _animVars.set("leftHandRotation", hipsBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.leftOrientation);
             _animVars.set("leftHandType", (int)IKTarget::Type::RotationAndPosition);
         } else {
             _animVars.unset("leftHandPosition");
@@ -1317,8 +1317,8 @@ void Rig::updateFromHandParameters(const HandParameters& params, float dt) {
             _animVars.set("leftHandType", (int)IKTarget::Type::HipsRelativeRotationAndPosition);
         }
         if (params.isRightEnabled) {
-            _animVars.set("rightHandPosition", rootBindPose.trans + rootBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.rightPosition);
-            _animVars.set("rightHandRotation", rootBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.rightOrientation);
+            _animVars.set("rightHandPosition", hipsBindPose.trans + hipsBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.rightPosition);
+            _animVars.set("rightHandRotation", hipsBindPose.rot * yFlipHACK * params.rightOrientation);
             _animVars.set("rightHandType", (int)IKTarget::Type::RotationAndPosition);
         } else {
             _animVars.unset("rightHandPosition");