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my pole is ALWAYS too slippery
Hi guys! I am new here so I do not know if you have already talked about this topic. I Searched for this issue and couldn’t find anything. Anyways…. you know there is nothing more annoying than a slippery pole! >:'( I feel I spend more time rubbing over, and over, and over the pole with alcohol than actually poling. Have you had the same problem? Any solution? Thanks! 🙂
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17 Replies
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How old is your pole? I’ve been told that new poles has like.. a layer of something, which needs to get a bit worn down before you can have a really secure grip.
I almost never use alcohol as a solution to a bad grip – only if the bad grip is caused by too much “dry hands” on the pole. I always use alcohol to clean the pole to, for instance, get a little less grip when I have to make spins after doing the handspring or other moves which requires a strong grip. I think a warm pole and a warm body combines into a good grip. Maybe you need a harder warm-up? Also remember not to use body lotion etc. a few hours before pole practice.
Good luck. 🙂
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Hi! Thanks for responding… well, my pole is about 6 months now. I would assume that at this point it should be “worn out” already :/ I wonder if it has to do with the AC temperature? I now keep the AC off so the pole doesn’t sweat. However, it does not seem to be working either.
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I have the same issue and it can be discouraging. From what I understand, there are many factors that come into play including, pole finish, temp of pole, temp of your body, temp outside, humidity levels, sweaty versus dry skin. it seems like you have to find the right mix of these factors to get the best grip for you. There have been a couple of good threads on this issue. Try searching “slippery xpoles”. I think that one is fairly recent. Good luck and hang in there.
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i used to have the same problem when i had a stainless steel pole. everything is going to effect your pole grip, the weather, humidity in your house, your skin type, pole material… lots of little things can make a big grip problem 🙁 maybe try a grip aid. might grip powder & iTac 2 both worked well for me on stainless when i was having major grip issues. don’t get discouraged.
oh & just because you need a grip aid on the pole you have doesn’t mean you will need one on other materials, i started with a stainless pole & since i started poling i have had a powder coated pole & a brass pole & i haven’t needed a grip aid with either one of those.
if you can’t figure out something with grip aids & need a whole new pole you can have your pole powder coated, it’s cheaper than a new pole & it would have major grip then, spins are a little harder at first & you will get serious pole burn at first adjusting but tricks are way easier on powder (IMO). but you can’t undo powder coating so i personally think that should be a last resort. just know you have options & don’t give up. -
I had a started a similar thread. What is the finish on your pole? I have chrome, and I found it can be quite slippery.
For me it came down to temperature. My pole’s temp and my body’s temp.
In class we always have a 20+min warm up that involves getting our body warm and getting the pole warm. I realized thats what I’m missing. Sometimes I want to just get moving a little faster so I’ll put the space heater on. I still TRY and warm up,… but I’ll also warm my body/hands on the space heater (or the power brick of my macbook which gets really hot) it helps a lot. But if your problem is sweaty hands thats a whole different issue…
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Just like Allyson, I have a chrome pole and temperature is important to grip. Both my hands and the pole/room. The past year I have had to keep the thermostat several degrees cooler (at 77°) and I have almost no grip at all. If I turn it up a few degrees (81°) or AC off I get more grip. Additionally I rub my hands together for a minute before starting. As the pole is being used, grip seems to improve also.
Could it also be pole diameter? Had someone over a couple of weeks ago to try pole for the first time. Her problem is my 50mm pole and her very small hands. Brought her to someone’s house (that was freezing to me so not temperature) with a smaller pole and she was able to use it because she could get her hands around it. Not the first time have seen that.
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We find that it often helps to steam clean a pole. https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/50ec5ae1-59b8-457d-a573-65ac0ac37250
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Thanks everyone who has tried to help! Now I have few tips… hope they will work 😃
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How do you power coat your pole?
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You would have to take it someplace to have it painted/powder coated. I got my powder coated pole from a place that also did metalwork & painted motorcycles. My powder coated pole is teal & it looks & feels like car/ motorcycle paint to me.
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Aerial gypsy has a blog post about pole finishes & has info about powder coated, she explains it well so ill link her blog here: http://femtasticdance.blogspot.com/2013/05/pole-materials-differences.html?m=1
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Im buying a 45 soon and was wondering about finishes. Thanks for the info!
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If you spray some “firm grip” on your pole, that is helpful, but you won’t be able to spin at all, or slide down your pole very well. http://www.amazon.com/Cramer-Firm-Grip-4-Ounce-Spray/dp/B0001DK088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398313475&sr=8-1&keywords=firm+grip+spray
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I’ve had my chrome xpole for a year and it’s still slippy!
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By the way, I use the firm grip when I am working on new tricks. It comes right off with alcohol.
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