public service announcement about doing BOTH SIDES

amy started this discussion · 2/10/2010

ok guys, i know you guys probably all know that you are supposed to work both sides of your body equally, but i am pretty sure not many of us do. i've been taking pole tricks SERIOUSLY for about the past 4 months, and i have JUST RECENTLY!! realized that i am absolutely incapable of doing a hands-free gemini on my left- problem! also, i realized that i butterfly with my dom hand on the bottom, because i always did my corkscrew that way and it's easier for when you do a corkscrew into butterfly! but when i split grip/twisted grip into ayesha, i put it on the TOP.... which is why my handsprings are so weak right now. if i'd just worked both sides from the beginning then i wouldn't have all these issues. i can't spinning climb lefty (going counter clockwise rather than clockwise) and whenever i chopper on my left it's lopsided because i'm used to having my dom hand on the bottom! hahah. i'm such a mess. anyway, so from now on, i'm REALLY and TRULY practicing everything BOTH SIDES and not just SAYING that i will. 🫡 🫡 🫡 (the icon looks like someone saluting but just imagine that it's me smacking my forehead)

13 replies

Foxy_Rei · 2/10/2010
Yes, I'm guilty of this as well... I can do all my spins both left and right-handed (I tend to favor the left because it has better grip even though I'm a righty 🤔 ) but anything inverted is with the right - right hand on inside or on bottom, depending on the move. Since I'm practically starting from scratch I should probably take the opportunity to learn lefty inverts... heck, I've been back on the pole a month and still can't even do an inverted crucifix! 🙁 So I'm with ya on this one... both side learners unite! 🫡
SissyBuns · 2/11/2010
I second that and thanks for pointing out for those that maybe still have a chance to be balanced before it's too late! I try to work my bad side but it usually only happens after I've tired out my good side, and by then I'm frikkin exhausted anyway and can't do crap. I do however get a kick out of watching myself on video on my bad side. I suck! LOL Big time!
MilienElayne · 2/11/2010
I tend to try all my moves both sides and just started doing my choppers both sides, just figured out how to do SMs both sides... and in class some instructors emphasise both sides. It gets so confusing though, I often forget which side is my best for a particular move and go for it on my bad side and make it messy in class when I'm meant to be showing my best shot before we move onto something else. Oops. Oh and be CAREFUL doing your first big moves on the weak side. Went for a spin mode Jamilla to Butterfly on my strong Jamilla but weak Ex. Butterfly side and nearly popped my shoulder out with momentum and fumbling :S Strong vs weak sides really messes up combos.
miss fern · 2/11/2010
I also have this problem. I can't do lots of inverted combos and switcheroo moves because I SUCK at my 'bad-side' scorpios and geminis so much and I cannot stand the pain! Which brings me to my next point. If you're trying to "re-learn" all your inverts on your bad side and/or with your non-dominant hand, DON'T try to "go all the way" at the start. It will hurt sooooooo much, and unless you can handle that dreaded skin ripping off, burning feeling we're all familiar with, there's a better way. Remember when you first tried a move, you weren't strong enough to do an amazing version of it? You started small. You still used your hands. Your instructor took some of your weight. You didn't relax in the position. You only held it for a few seconds, in a sloppy fashion. Give yourself the same grace on yuor bad side. Don't try and do a fantastic no-handed left-side scorpio. Make your goal a half decent ONE-handed left-side scorpio. When you get that, put more pressure on your bad side, by upgrading to no hands. 👍 I too have to work on my bad side inverts. Thanks for reminding me! 😀
SissyBuns · 2/11/2010
I tend to try all my moves both sides and just started doing my choppers both sides, just figured out how to do SMs both sides... and in class some instructors emphasise both sides. It gets so confusing though, I often forget which side is my best for a particular move and go for it on my bad side and make it messy in class when I'm meant to be showing my best shot before we move onto something else. Oops. Oh and be CAREFUL doing your first big moves on the weak side. Went for a spin mode Jamilla to Butterfly on my strong Jamilla but weak Ex. Butterfly side and nearly popped my shoulder out with momentum and fumbling :S Strong vs weak sides really messes up combos. All the more reason to be balanced. LOL. I'm so far from being balanced LOL.
MilienElayne · 2/11/2010
One of my biceps is noticeably bigger than the other and one of my shoulders is stronger/harder than the other... not a good look... hence today I worked my gumbi side SM lift 🙂
amy · 2/11/2010
Don't try and do a fantastic no-handed left-side scorpio. Make your goal a half decent ONE-handed left-side scorpio. When you get that, put more pressure on your bad side, by upgrading to no hands. 👍 I too have to work on my bad side inverts. Thanks for reminding me! 😀 this is SUCH A GOOD POINT! i was going gungho into lefty hands free gemini and had to abort out of it after only a few seconds because the pain! oh the pain! hahha. why not work on doing it with hands first, amy? hahahah. oh, the overeager poler... 😂
SandyBrown · 2/21/2010
I was thinking about this the other day. At my studio, you can't really get away with doing something on just your right side, because the instructors make us do the same spin/invert/combo on the left side. I know that my right side is my strongest and even though I try to do everything on both sides, I still get frustrated with my left side. It's not super bad, but it's bad, lol.
MilienElayne · 2/21/2010
Just thinking... same goes for spinning mode. You could try everything both sides and also spinning both ways, so that's four different ways to think about! Seriously, lately I've been really actually forgetting which side is my dominant side for each particular move. I hit static class and go to climb on my gumbi side and can't figure out why I'm having to pull up with my hands so hard. We've been learning new moves in longer combo sequences lately and sometimes I'll be using dominant side for the first move, then switch to non-dominant side for the next move, again on non-dominant side for different pressure points, then finishing in dominant side (or something like that) and then I'll also try it spinning in the opposite direction and ... just does my head in. Having trouble remembering which side to start on for each combo for my test on Wednesday and I am wanting to put my own little moves and finishing touches in there, but just remembering the sequence and executing it without making it too messy takes all my concentration...lol. Damn you, gumbi side! Wait wait... then there's also doing moves backwards on both sides and spinning in both directions! My math fails me now.
Castleoutsider · 2/21/2010
http://localhosthttp://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/o/x/M/ladyinthewaterpubm.jpg ... that is all
Judy Jovanelly · 2/25/2010
i, too, was initially taught only on one side.... one day i thought i noticed my right shoulder had taken on a slightly different shape than my left, so i hustled myself into working both sides equally. at first, lefty was a MESS, but you will be surprised at how quickly it starts to balance out if you keep at it faithfully. 🌸
carriej · 2/26/2010
I always try to practice on both sides (except for my SM b/c it hurt so bad just learning one side!). That way, no matter what direction I'm going around the pole I can do the spin or invert without thinking about it. Plus, if one hand feels more sweaty than the other then I can use the good hand for the move! Sneaky!
faerie9 · 2/26/2010
I've just started learning on my right side and boy is it hard! 😂 I was so frustrated at first, I feel likea total beginner again, but I am getting there. I can get into a copter without hooking my leg now. It's not pretty, and it's not balanced, but I can do it. It's just a case of keeping on trying. It's scary how much 'core' strength I am lacking on the other side because I've not been practising it. Am determined to get it though. Spinning scorpios and holly drops are going to elude me til I get it.