I bought my pole from my pole class teacher. She was suppose to get me a 45 but got me a 50. My joints are locked. To unlock them I have to use a u shaped tool & lock it with the silver sticks in the wholes on the joints. The wholes on the joints have to be near one another & I turn the u sticks opposite directions. The wholes are not near each other so I cannot take my pole apart & I cannot get it into swinging!