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Grips
I have strong hands from tennis, but I have a hard time holding on without slipping. I can’t even get manage the grips to hold your body away from the pole, or where only one leg is on the pole, like on moves like the chair or Hollywood. Also, I have an Xpole chrome spinny, and there are about 4 bolts that stick out around calf level. Those have sliced my leg up pretty well… Has anybody else had this problem??
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42 Replies
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Mmm I have a chrome xpole and no bolts are sticking out. Have you tried to tighten them lately? I know sometimes mine come slightly undone so I frequently check on them but it should be quite smooth with no slicing. How long have you been doing pole? I found with grips that I have a preference. I have learned all grips but I personally love split grip. Sounds like you might need a bit more time building up muscle memory? Strength is important but so is muscle memory 🙂 I’m sure you will nail it soon!
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Do you ever practice on static, or are you always practicing on spin mode? Because I have a really hard time doing any kind of ground spin in spin mode. When the pole is spinning, you have to exert more force to overcome the outward pull of the spin and stay on the pole. I’ve got quite a bit of strength but that’s still really challenging for me, maybe in part because I’m used to static.
Alternatively, do you have sweaty hands? That could make hand grips quite a bit more difficult and make you slip. I use Dry Hands when I start to sweat, but there’s a variety of other grip products that could help if that’s your problem win hand grips 🙂
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Hey lazarenka!
Strong hands is definitely a plus, but a lot of those holds and spins take a lot more than grip strength!
Chrome is definitely a type of pole finish that you really need to warm up, and you have to be warm as well, in order to get proper grip! Things like humidity and ambient heat can also affect your grip. Many people on here recommend using grip aid, and it might be a good idea if you find your pole is super slippy all the time. Definitely make sure you’re warming up both yourself and the pole, though!
As for those holds specifically, as I said, it takes a lot more than grip strength! Things like the split grip is very tricky, and you need a lot more strength and awareness in your lats, shoulders, and upper arms in order to do it safely (as well as proper hand positioning, to keep your wrists safe!!).
For moves like the chair, for example, pulling down with your lat and your shoulder is really important so that you aren’t putting all your weight on the small stabilizer muscles in your shoulders, because they can’t really take that kind of punishment. If you’re new to the grip, too, it takes some time to get used to- sometimes you’ll slide right off, and sometimes you grip too much! Momentum is also something to take into consideration, as it can change how you hold, and how well you hold.
And neither the Hollywood nor the Chair are beginner moves.As for the bolts that stick out, what happens if you tighten them? This sounds dangerous, and hopefully they aren’t some kind of factory defect. I wouldn’t dance on a pole with things sticking out! I’d cut up my legs something fierce!
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You shouldn’t have any bolts sticking out- that sounds like a real problem. The way x-poles are designed is to give you as smooth and uniform pole as possible.
There are 3 screws at around calf level to adjust the height of the pole but they must be tightened to stop the pole from unwinding. When they are tightened they go into the pole so there is nothing sticking out.
Could you maybe upload a pic? Because honestly it sounds dangerous 🙁
WRT grip, I also have a chrome pole and I sweat easily so I use dry hands on my palms which makes the biggest difference.
But you also need a strong grip- I find working with the pole in static mode to be the better option when I train because it makes me slow everything down to be more precise and also forces me to work harder to spin, which in turn will make me stronger and more stable when I do use it on spinning mode.
Hope that helps.
And honestly, it may look easy but holding onto the pole and spinning is actually much harder than most people think… so much of it simply comes down to practice practice practice. After a while you will start to hold your body weight on the pole for longer periods of time and it *will* get easier 🙂 -
Here’s a picture
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I have always had my pole on spin-mode. Should I go to static? I have been poling for about 2 months. No, I don’t have sweaty hands. I could just not be used to the split grip… As far as the pole moves I was talking about… Believe it or not, they are on all 3 of the beginner DVDs (The Art of Pole- Lesson 2; Felix Cane beginner pole; and I can’t remember the name of the other beginner pole dvd)… but it’s very frustrating!! And yes, I have tried to screw in those bolts even further, but they won’t budge. You should see these scars from those bolts!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! Thank you ALL for your responses.
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If youve only been poling for 2months you probably should learn all new tricks,spins on static first. then when you are secure with them on static you can try it out of spin mode. it might make things alot easier on you.when the pole is spinning, gravity wants to pull you aways from the pole. this requires much more strength to hold. i’ve been poling for almost2 years and am at a somewhat advanced level of pole, split grip is hard. it’s even harder on a spin pole for me. so working with a static pole might give you a better opportunity to build strength. but it’s great that you are already doing spin pole so early! some people avoid it for quite a while. as for the bolts sticking out. that should NOT be happening at all! if they wont go in then something is wrong and Xpole needs to be helping you out. give them a call. they have excellent customer service. if the screws wont screw in, is there a possiblity that they are stripped? when you put the hex key in what happens? does it just spin in place and nothing happens or does it feel tight and doesnt want to move. also try loosening the screws then re-tightening them to see if they will move at all. also, make sure you are tightening the right direction, I know that sounds obvious but sometimes you can get mixed up if you are reaching around the pole while screwing them. I’ve done it for sure. but definitely call xpole, they will help you. look inside the screws and see if they look like they are stripped to you. they will look kind of scratched up and you may see metal shavings. those bolts sticking out are unacceptable and dangerous. no reason you should have to pole with them like that. ouch!!!
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You’ve got the screws put in wrong they don’t look like that at all when the pole is put together correctly.
Sorry, but you really should take it down and fix it because that’s just dangerous 🙁
Here’s a pic of mine;
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Lefty-loosy rightie-tightie…. They just get so tight I can’t move them in further. I will check with X pole… It was harder to put up than the videos portrayed.. Especially since I had to order 2 separate extensions. When I tried a static pole, I just kinda “SKREECHED” to a halt. I can do all the basic pole moves… front hook, back hook, pole sit, knee spin, etc.. on a spin pole… It would take a while to find out how to spin on a static. I figured that wasn’t the correct way for the pole to be, considering the gashes to my legs, but I was just really excited to actually FINALLY get the pole up that I just considered it a price to pay. You are AWESOME, thank you for the UNBELIEVABLY fast responses to problems!! This site and everybody on it are just FABULOUS!!
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Oh Snap! I just saw your picture!! yeah… ok… so I have to deconstruct my whole pole?! Crap. It hasn’t budged from the ceiling, but I see that it is wrong by the way yours is flush with the pole.
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, try taking them all the way out and maybe putting them back in. if that doesnt work then maybe re-do the pole. also, make sure its the correct screw size? but you can try re-doing just the screws before tearing down the whole pole.
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Oh honey no! The pole might be painful in terms of bruising and pole burns but it should always be smooth and have no parts sticking out, that’s just so dangerous and I can imagine it would be unbelievably painful too!
I accidentally popped one screw in backwards and, while it didn’t stick out, it did look more like your pics than when they are the right way in.
Xpole’s customer service is really good and they will help you they don’t want customers with scars on their legs from cuts as it doesn’t do you or their brand any good either, you know?
But that is definitely wrong, the screws are always either flush or sunken specifically to give you a smooth, uniform surface area.
As for training with the spinning, you really will get a much better feel for the moves if you learn on static and your grip will improve a lot more too as you’re having to work harder to maintain momentum.
Please let us know how you go wrt fixing the pole, I hope it isn’t too tricky.
Em
(btw I use leftie loosey and rightie tighty too! haha) -
but definitely dont force them in if they are hard to screw. thats when xpole may be able to help
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yes, my friend actually put one of hers in backwards in this same spot. she had to drill the screw out. 🙁 it was in there and it was not coming out. so if you can atleast get them out then you are off to a good start
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Yeah I’d try taking them out and turning them around and seeing if they go in properly then.
I also don’t have that small section on my pole either, the extension sections I have go at the top of the pole… but I have the pre 2014 model with the microbase (xx model I think?) so maybe yours is different?
And yep, don’t force the screws or you could strip them which would be a real problem.
If the screws won’t go in then you’ll have to call xpole and maybe take it down and reassemble it. That might be a hassle but you seriously cannot pole safely the way it is at the moment. -
Ok, I will call them. Update you tomorrow. OH I HOPE I don’t have to take that whole pole down again. Wait, are they an Australian company? If so, I can call them now… Anyway, I will leave you in a soap-opera suspense to let you know what I have to do! And I will try static, even though I can’t even get around once on a static! Hahaha!
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Hey Lazarenka!
I just want to say this: The Art of Pole DVD’s (By Jamilla DeVille) are fantastic, but you should definitely be working on the very first one! The second follows up on the skills you learn in the first, and they both give a lot of very important conditioning moves that are even still difficult for me!
However, Felix Cane’s DVDs are… not quite so “beginner.” I have them, I am a HUGE fan of Felix, but I don’t think the moves she considers to be “beginner” moves are very achievable by someone at the beginner level without a dance background. Felix had grown up dancing, and had a huge leg up on pole- she won the Australian Pole competition six months after starting pole. So… I wouldn’t necessarily listen to her progressions!Most other pole DVD’s are like Felix’s, and have wildly unrealistic ideas of what a beginner can do. The Polepeople DVD’s (sometimes also called The Art of Poledancing) are like this, as in the “beginner to intermediate” DVD, their first one, includes things like inversions and very difficult spins.
I love Jamilla’s lessons, and I would say that they are on-par with the ones here on SV. They aren’t evolving like Veena’s, but they are clear and strong, and don’t move too quickly, and they have great instruction.
I hope your pole gets figured out so you don’t have to deal with those screws! And take your time with pole dancing. You’ll get there, and it’ll be so much better to get there when you’re strong enough!
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@Phoenix yep, I put one screw in back to front and it didn’t go in properly either and sat just flush with the pole.
I was very lucky to get it out using superglue and a toothpick to help me turn it to get it back out again.
Thank god I didn’t tighten it any further or I would never have been able to get it out.
Hopefully these ones won’t need to be drilled out but they *definitely* need to be fixed. -
I am definitely on the first DVD, just the second lesson! I should be progressing past that!!
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Ok, well they don’t open until 9 a.m. So, I should just go to bed and try not to obsess about it until morning!!! I have my master’s degree, but the idea of having to deconstruct this pole makes me want to cry. I have a feeling that I will be having a break-down on my floor, rocking back and forth, repeating some sort of mantra like “screws should face in… screws should face in….” ANYWAY, I think it’s time for me to get to bed!!
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haha! i hear ya! it took 3 of us to put my friend’s pole back up. it wasnt hard… i just dont know..it seems like each of us had information that we used together but if any of us had tried to do it alone we would have been in tears. haha! just watch the assembly video tomorrow. take your time putting it up. do it in sections and take breaks. seriously. it helps. once you really understand how your pole works you wont have any difficulties with taking it apart in the future. good luck!
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“I am definitely on the first DVD, just the second lesson! I should be progressing past that!!”
You WILL do so. Eventually!
Please remember that a lot of people don’t even invert in the first few months of pole dancing! I hear, usually, that most people begin to work on spins around the second or third month, and then on inversions around the sixth month. PLEASE take your time with this!
I know how super exciting it can be to get lots of moves, to feel the thrill of getting a new move, to feel like you “should” be feeling stronger, but Pole dancing uses a lot more muscles, and a lot of different skills, than almost any other sport.For reference, I’ve been poling for 6 years, and I’m not really strong enough to invert. I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve had my times off, but I am not unhappy. I love pole dancing, and I progress at my own pace! I’ve been doing more recently, and I hope to start properly inverting by the end of the year… but, seriously? These things take time for everyone.
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LOL when I put my pole up I didn’t realise I could wind it up to the ceiling without having to turn the base, so I was trying to lift the pole up and adjust it omg I was swearing and sweating and almost destroying my arms trying to hold the weight AND balance the pole… smdh
Then I realised what they mean my bottom loading hahaha
But yeah, I definitely had trouble and wouldn’t want to have to do it again 😉 -
Everyone has such lovely advice and I just wanted to tack on a bit as someone who has done Art of Pole, Felix Cane’s DVDs, as well as the lessons on SV. In my opinion, SV is hands down the best way to start poling. Jamillas DVDs are second as they are clear and detailed as well as provide good conditioning exercises, and Felix’s DVDs are amazing for stylistic adjustments and attention to detail after you get a good handle on some of the tricks (she has a very specific style which is very influenced by her training as a ballet dancer, as mentioned above). Once you get your pole up maybe check out Veenas lessons, she does a free three day trial and you can get an idea of how she lays out each lesson as well as overall progression. There just isn’t the same amount of time allotted in a DVD set to adequately address the minutiae of injury prevention or provide comparable guidance for really long term progression into the more advanced tricks. Again, not to say those DVDs aren’t fantastic cuz I bought them too and learned something from all of them, but I would venture to say they are better as a learning supplement vs Veenas lessons can be used as a standalone training program.
Also agree with everyone about spin pole being harder. You said you have good grip from playing tennis, and that’s likely why you screech to a halt on static. I have a strong grip from working as a massage therapist and encountered the same problem at first (much to the bewilderment of almost any poler I came across at the time). It is just a learning curve and as you get more confident and familiar with the pole your grip will likely loosen up naturally. Try just holding the pole with one hand and walking around it on static and play around with what I call “playground spins” where you literally just let your arm take a bit of your weight while you walk around it. This gives you the feel for what it’s like for your hand to be loose around the pole while still maintaining good contact. And as the other girls mentioned, holding yourself away from the pole in split grip is a move that requires deceptively more muscle recruitment than grip strength. It is not a beginner move even though it is often taught as such. So many polers experience forearm injuries because of this grip being taught so early, myself included. Patience is a virtue in pole and there is something to enjoy at every stage of learning, so try and enjoy it!
Comparing progress and thinking about where you “should” be is such an easy trap that I think we ALL fall into sometimes but everyone progresses at different speeds and there is no concrete timeline for when is the right amount of time to land a trick. Sasja Lee, a damn PROFESSIONAL pole dancer, just posted on Instagram that Cupid (an arguably intermediate to advanced intermediate trick) is her nemesis move and she still struggles with it. And she’s mindblowingly amazing. AND she still feels like she struggles on spin mode (I say feels cuz it sure as hell doesn’t look like it o_O). Everyone is seriously so so different, and it’s cliche but it’s all about the journey, cuz there is absolutely no destination.
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I know you feel frustrated with your current progression, but please please don’t feel like you *should* be at any given trick or lesson or level as defined by whatever lessons you’re using! I work at a strip club and I’m ALL about the pole and my stage show, I always have been, I’ve always worked at least three nights a week, so I get a hell of a lot of pole time – and it still took me a year to invert! And you bet that was a sh**ty invert, with me barely catching the pole with my leg and hauling my butt up =P
In pole dance you’re just working with your own body (and lifting/spinning/etc. your own body weight) and a pole – and everybody’s body weight is proportioned differently through various heights and shapes, varying ratios of fat to muscle, etc. Everyone’s body is SO different, and that affects each pole dancer’s strengths and weaknesses so much. There really is no saying where any given pole dancer *should* be in regards to what she/he is working on, as long as she/he isn’t pushing her/his body too hard. Also, it can take a while to really strengthen the muscles you’re using for any given spin or trick. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re moving more slowly than you initially expected. This stuff takes a lot of strength and body awareness – including the beginner spins. Take a minute to think about and be proud of what you can do right now, because what you can do right now is amazing 🙂 You will get to where you want to be, but don’t let your focus on that frustrate you too much and take away from your joy in what you can do right now!
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