Bad side and good side frustration?

brigittec016017 started this discussion · 9/16/2014

Hi I am slowly getting into more advanced moves eg extended butterfly and straight edge v etc and find I have a serious good side and a terrible bad side is this normal I can do quite advanced moves with my right hand on the bottom ( I'm right handed) but when I try my left it's not so much as my strength but my hand doesn't feel strong enough to hold on if that makes sense? Anyone else had this issue should I keep practising my left or just give up and do everything on my right? Thanks in advance xx Brigitte

7 replies

Lucca Valentine · 9/17/2014
Def don't give up! Even if it doesn't feel safe to practice the more advanced moves with your left hand, you can practice less advanced moves and work your way up. Best case scenario of not training both sides is you end up having to do it later which will be even MORE frustrating, or worst case scenario you end up injured or in general pain because of muscle imbalances. It's no fun to train the weak side, but you'll thank yourself later Sometimes I'll get out of balance and have to work on my left hand too, and I'll do things like basic spins/one handed spins or climbs until it feels a bit more even. Reverse grabs on spinning pole help me a lot because it strengthens that one top hand and the twisting around the pole kinda highlights any imbalances in the core/shoulders/back/etc, especially in the shoulders (for me anyway :) Another thing to do might be to just go through the steps of extended butterfly and when you get to the step that kinda starts to throw you off or you're just like "uhh yeah this is not good," then go back to the step before it and focus on moving into the trouble step comfortably and practice that until it's comfortable and then move on to the next step. This way it will build exactly the right muscles it needs to build and doing it slowly and correctly will help create good muscle memory habits. You might be surprised at how quickly your left will catch up
Runemist34 · 9/17/2014
Well, yes, totally normal. Lots of people tend to only use their dominant side to get used to moves, to practice them. I notice this with a lot of things, actually, including and especially poi and staff spinning! Pole, well, definitely something to work on- you don't want one "popeye" arm and one "olive oil" arm ;) Frustration can be... well, frustrating! But you'll see progress, just as you did on your dominant side. It's actually good for your brain as well as your body to use both sides! But, it can also be like you're back at square one- in some ways, you are, but you're just a bit more prepared this time! Be careful not to push yourself too hard. Saying to yourself "I know this move, so it shouldn't take so long to get it on this side" can be true, but building strength will take time, and you don't want to push forward past what your non-dominant side can do, just because your dominant side can. Take it slow, and remember that this will open up a whole world of greater moves and more freedom for you on the pole! You can do it ;)
brigittec016017 · 9/17/2014
Thank you so much for both your encouraging replies!! I will just continue to practise a little more on my left hoping it will balance out at some stage.. It's frustrating cause everything is easier on the right but obviously this is probably a problem for every pole dancer to some extent and I certainly don't want one musclely arm and one tiny arm 😂 I just love how on this forum I can post a question or a problem and get replies within hours! I'm going to try and be more active on these forums from now on!! Thank you studio veena xox
Lula Geddes · 9/17/2014
When I started poling I had a teacher who got us to try everything on both sides, then I moved and ended up using my right side only for ages... I only recently started making an effort to practice on both and it's taking ages, but only a few months ago I couldn't even invert or do a Jamilla on the left, now I can! So it takes time and discipline to do it, but it will happen! Cross training helps, I've started doing pilates again and the poling on one side really shows, I can do really hard stuff on the right and suffer like hell on the left. I guess it may never balance perfectly, but I don't think I need to aim to be able to do absolutely everything on both sides; if you have a show or are freestyling, then use the side that's best for you, but make sure that when you are training you do both. A suggestion is to select a number of simple moves to practice and do a few more on your weak side than on your strong side for a while, you are still going to do the harder moves on your strong side anyway, so that way you might get a bit more balance...
Allgold78 · 9/17/2014
Haha, Runemist34 my instructor uses the Popeye/Olive Oil explanation too lol. Quite often we'll have a session where she says "right, today do everything on your good side once and your bad side 3 times". It's a pain in the backside but by the end of it you can guarantee that the weak side is a little less weak and a little more comfortable to work on. Practice practice practice, that's the way to sort it x
Rachel Osborne · 9/17/2014
One of the main reasons for starting the 30 day take off today is because I am so right-sided. I'm intermediate level with some advanced moves - but my left side is weak and I am at best clumsy at worst unsafe on the left. Because I'm guilty of playing to my strengths in the eagerness to nail the jade or whatever. Big mistake. Now my one-sides habit is becoming not only tiresome but dangerous - if I need to get out of a move upside down spinning backwards I need to know I am safe and currently, I am not. I'm also getting repeat stress injuries. Balance! Basics! It's SO important! [smacks own hand]
Rachel Osborne · 9/17/2014
I just had a good idea https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/516c1112-2c90-424b-ac1c-46570ac37250 Veena has lots of beginner combos in her 'routines and combos' section and I am going to try and work through them all this month -on the left. Maybe right as well but concentrate on the left. So instead of boringly conditioning left, I get to learn new cool combo stuff - much more motivating for me. That way I will have a load of good ideas and stuff to add into freestyle - and on my bad side - so I can still do hard tricks on my strongest side but have other stuff going on in reverse direction and hopefully my weak side will strengthen up so next month I can start learning my bad ass stuff on my new, improved left hand side.