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Scared of Letting Go of the Pole
Hi Guys,
I just started poling around a month ago, and feel like I have built up a noticable amount of upper body strength since then. I have danced my whole life, but the upper part of my body was so weak until now (Thanks to Veena’s lessons https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif). There’s only one issue I have–and that’s letting go of the pole and being upside down. When I do the pole sit, I can let go because I am upright and feel secure enough. I can’t do handstands (or anything that involves throwing your weight over your head) except maybe the reverse handstand I did for a minute but nothing to write home about lol. I also attempted inverting last night, and (besides having thick yet short legs) I feel I can pull myself up the correct way, I’m just nervous about being upside down :\
Did anyone else have this issue when they first started? How did you get over it?
Thanks in advance <3
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11 Replies
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You’ll get over it the more you practice it. You have to learn to trust yourself. Try putting some couch cushions underneath you when you invert to give yourself a little bit of security. Also make sure you’re truly ready and strong enough to hold yourself up inverted. That’s the most important thing.
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I attacked this in 2 ways. First was to make sure that I had enough grip with my legs that I felt secure in letting go. This to me is really really important because I cannot tell you how many times this has been my safety when things go wrong. My second mode of attack was doing handstands against a wall. This way if my grip did fail me I knew that I could put my hands down and catch myself without crashing on my head. Since I have done a lot of this on my own I am always looking for ways "out" and feeling secure before I even attempt a move.
Another move I have seen people do is backing themselves up to the pole, bending over and placing hands on ground then bringing each foot up to the pole and then backing the hands up so that you do end up in a handstand facing the pole. I cannot access videos from work or I would find what I am talking about and post it for you to see.
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Always always always have an exit strategy for sure. It can be scary letting go at first, so make sure your legs are there for you as CG mentioned.
Make sure your body is securely squared to the pole before you try to take your hands off. If you are twisted at all you will have a tougher time until you get used to it.
Also, be really careful about not inverting too much. With just a month in, you’re still pretty new, and inverting can be very fatiguing on the body, and that’s when crashes happen! Ask me how I know lol
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Also, be really careful about not inverting too much. With just a month in, you’re still pretty new, and inverting can be very fatiguing on the body, and that’s when crashes happen! Ask me how I know lol
Or me!!!
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Keep at the Reverse Handstands!!! From there you can work on a few move that require leg gripping and you wont have to be far off the ground. You’ll get use to it, take your time! Focus on trusting your leg grip. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
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i would say don’t let go unless you can feel that you have a really secure grip with your legs (squeeze tight and make sure the pole’s warmed up), i let my hands go from a gemini once because I figured i should be fine since I was in the right position. Big mistake- i just slipped right down and my arm got twisted a bit trying to protect me from my fall- hurtful but thankfully nothing serious.
So I think you should just be really careful and let go very slowly- first with only one hand, and you can tell if you’re slipping down. good luck! -
Thank you guys soo much for all your help! You ladies are great. I definitely wrote a lot of those tips in my little poling book lol. I’m sorry for posting such a noobish question https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif I guess I just have to work on trusting myself (and leg grip) more than anything. Its frustrating for when I’m making up a dance, and I can’t perform the move I have in mind for a certain part of the song. Perhaps I should have invested in the 50mm instead of the 45mm due to my large thighs. Oh well, I shall overcome the obsticles like many of you lol. Everyone makes it look so flawless and easy!
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I’m sorry for posting such a noobish question https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif
Don’t be sorry……that is what the forum is here for. We have all been where you are and the thing that is great about the pole community is that we are all willing to help out one another.
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Don’t be sorry……that is what the forum is here for. We have all been where you are and the thing that is great about the pole community is that we are all willing to help out one another.
Very true. I’m sure it gets repetitive answering the same questions but its awesome how nice and helpful everyone is here. Definitely not what I’m used to on forums (I frequent a car forum, and all the boys are stupid lol).
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Very true. I’m sure it gets repetitive answering the same questions but its awesome how nice and helpful everyone is here. Definitely not what I’m used to on forums (I frequent a car forum, and all the boys are stupid lol).
I am on a bodybuilding-ish forum but it is more of the science behind and trust me, I know what "boys" can be like. It is kind of amusing at times but also annoying.
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I remember feeling like you do https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif and I haven’t poled in quite a while so fully expect to feel really really nervous falling back from a pole sit into a handstand when I next try again! All the advice above it great, if you can get someone to spot you that is helpful too. I just wanted to let you know it’s not just noobies that get the heebie geebies xx
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