StrangeFox started this discussion ·
Does anyone have any tips for finding your balance in handstand? It's still hit and miss for me. I just learned butterfly splay (butterfly with your legs off of the pole, but not far enough away to be considered an ayesha) and I can't quite find that sweet spot so I've been working on finding my balance in pole handstand. Any tips are appreciated!
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Wait...I think I figured it out while freestyling, but I'd still love to hear your tips. :) I need to make sure I'm pretty much perfectly vertical, and I have to make sure my hands are right under my shoulders, elbows cannot hyper-extend, and I need to push the floor away. The move I'm working on is kind of like this but a lot prettier and without my leg touching the pole. Need to figure out how I can get centered, stable, and stacked before I master this one but I'll get there. :)
Veena ·
The easiest way to begin any inverted pose is either holding in a tuck or with legs split (one reaching behind the other in front) helpful. A straddle is good too but if you don't have the flexibility this wont be super helpful. The most difficult for most people to balance in is straight! As for on the pole, the same things apply. Both of the elbow and forearm Ayesha lessons will help, also the Straight edge lesson and the more advanced Ayesha (split grip) lesson. Also the stands routine will help with all inverted balance holds. How are you getting into the pose above?? The biggest thing with balance is PRACTICE. I worked for over 2 years to be able to hold an off the pole handstand with straight legs! I still practice handstand every week or I loose them.
Veena - thank you so much for your reply! That is very helpful and it makes me feel so, so much better knowing this is hard and takes practice. Sometimes when I watch fellow pole students effortlessly execute the balance poses I feel a bit embarrassed that I just don't get it. For me, the leg hangs seem to click easier. Your video for the shoulder stand pike shows you holding shoulder stand in a tuck at one point and that helped me so much. I'm really excited to try the stands routine tonight!! (I had a weird schedule this week and wasn't able to get to it until now and I'm just dying to try it). I'm getting into that pose by going into caterpillar, getting secure, and removing my legs. I tend to drop more to one side which puts me off balance. I'm working on my straddle flexibility but it's slow going seeing as I have to be careful of my hyper extending knees. :)
Veena ·
We ALL struggle this was me in 2009 https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/b6e2c116-c3b2-11df-bc90-001b21721e0c
It's awesome of you to make a blooper vid! It's comforting to know that even someone as talented as you struggled while learning new moves. The jade bloopers hit especially close to home for me because I do the same thing in hip holds when I don't get the POC just right (slide right down the pole!). Thank you, thank you for sharing - I really needed that today! ❤❤❤ I just went up to a new level in the pole curriculum at my studio and I've gone from being comfortable with all of the moves to completely clueless and uncoordinated! On the internet we only ever get to see everyone's successes and it sometimes looks like everyone else is getting it except you. I have to keep remembering we all have our nemesis moves. There are a couple of girls in my class that are split grip inverting and effortlessly doing the balance poses, but they're struggling with other things that I picked up quickly (shoulder mounts, leg hangs, and aerial inverts).