To hobble a puppy, I use the light weight sticky surgical tape that comes in different colors. That's the best description I can think of. I lightly wrap the tape just below the hock on one side and snip it. Then I do the same on the other side. Lastly, I cut a piece of tape the width of the puppies natural stance and connect it to the tape on each leg. This is not cruel or mean. It helps the puppy to get up. If you need to do this for more than a day or two, you'll just want to snip the piece in between the legs and make it a bit wider. I've found that hobbling encourages the puppy to rest on his side as well as aids him in getting up and gaining strength in his rear legs. If I don't do this, no matter how hard I try or how often I turn him on his side, he still manages to flatten himself out again if he's not hobbled. I also put towels in the whelping box or x-pen, fluffy toys and anything else I can think of for him to rest against so he isn't flat. The other thing I do that really helps is to put a rubber surface down for the puppy to get a better grip. I, too, bicycle his legs several times a day and I rest him in the palms of my hands and gently turn him from side to side. There will be a slight pressure on his sides as you turn him and I was told that this would help also. Whether it's right or wrong, I've always had success hobbling when I've had a swimmer puppy. Muriel P. Lee's book on breeding has a good drawing of this. Google "swimmer puppies" and you'll find other ways of dealing with this also that use a sock. I could never get the hang of that though.

Hobbles are not neccessary 99% of the time.
Do yourself and your puppy a favor and get the egg crate foam pads for under a mattress and line the box with it. Your baby will be up in 3 days!
Hobbles are torture and stressful for the bitch and her puppy.