TL;DR of the post, generated automatically.

OP is back in Blender after a job change and has started a Voltron side project, stuck on the green lion's rear leg.

• The problem: The hip is a screw-like shape with a slot carved down the middle, and OP hasn't found a clean way to model it yet.
• What's been tried: A UV Sphere (just the top), then a fresh start with a Cylinder.
• The ask: The smartest method rather than brute force, learned from people who know Blender well.

Regaining the skills one hip joint at a time.