polebunny started this discussion ·
hi everyone! so i have my butterfly down but i can't get into extended position....i don't know if you're supposed to move your arms higher up after you are upside down or what...like many others i learn at home so i don't have the benefit of having moves explained step by step so if you could tell me the steps or how to that would be awesome thanks!
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carriej ·
I just got this a couple weeks ago at pole class. Two things that helped me. 1. This is what my instructor suggested and it worked the first time. Go into inverted crucifix and keep your inside hand where it was during the invert (just never move it). Then your outside arm goes down to the bottom of the pole. This had my hands in a very comfortable position for the move. 2. The big wall mirror in the studio helped me to look at myself when upside down which helped me to find my balance to really extend. Then slowly take the one leg off the pole and slowly slide down to the ankle of the leg still on the pole. Hope this helps! 😉
If you have access to a mirror that's a great suggestion as it really helps you see what you need to do. When I teach this I don't teach to slide the bottom hand lower but to extend the arms and push further away from the pole. The further your center of gravity is from the pole the easier it is to hold on just like in moves like the Ayasha. Another tip that may help is to remember to REALLY point the toe of the hooked foot. This creates more of a curve behind the heel so that you create a hook to hold on with.
Isn't the hand position the same for a butterfly and an extended butterfly? When I extend my butterfly my hands don't move.
Deirdre ·
It took so much work and frustration for me to extend my butterfly-- then I started to record myself, and I was able to see what I was doing wrong, and what I was doing right! So if you can, I'd really recommend watching yourself to see what is/isn't working for you. My hand positions for both butterfly and extended butterfly are the same, but I found what helped me extend was to concentrate on un-bending the knee still attached to the pole, and the ankle eventually naturally falls into position as your other leg and gravity pull the body away. I found this much easier than trying to concentrate on straightening the leg and sliding the pole to my ankle. Same move-- different mental state I suppose 😀 Another thing that helped me was again- the video tape. I noticed my outside leg (not touching the pole) was going to the side instead of behind me, which was throwing off my balance. HTH! Good luck!
it took me ages to wrap my head round the extended butterfly, but what everybody is saying above sounds right to me 😀 The hand positions should be the same for both butterfly and extended and I find that having your body away from the pole, rather than up against it as it sometimes is when you start learning, really helps. If I remember rightly, I was trying so hard to straighten my leg that I couldn't get it and then somebody just said, instead of concentrating on your legs, just let your bum drop back and that worked for me. I unhook from behind the knee, but still have the bottom of my leg running up the pole and then drop my bum down abit and the leg follows and straightens. It's a really hard thing to explain when you aren't in front of somebody and explaining it 😕 Am sure you'll get it soon enough - one day it'll just click. Good luck 😀
carriej ·
Yeah, my arms are pretty much in the same position for regular and extended. What I'm saying is that for my regular butterfly I start with a crucifix (take both arms off) then position them which is fine for me but that for an extended one I never take my top hand off the pole which helps me keep my top arm a little higher than if I had taken it off and repositioned. I feel like that gives me a better starting point.
