Improve Your Pole Grip and Stop the Slip
24 Jan 2008
Lucy
14 Comments →
So you’ve made a resolution to get fit and have fun learning to pole dance this year. Perhaps you even got a new pole for Christmas.
You’ve watched the videos on YouTube, drinking in the graceful spins and inverts. Now it’s your turn.
But something’s not quite right. Have you started a spin and ended up on the floor half way round? Do your hands slip down the pole when you’re actually trying to lift yourself up?
You’re not alone
A lot of people have problems slipping instead of gripping when they first start pole dancing. And though it’s less common, some people have the opposite problem – they just stick too much.
Unfortunately it’s not something that will ever go away completely, but it will lessen dramatically as your pole dancing improves.
Here are some of the most common things to look out for, along with links to articles that go into extra detail if you’d like to read a bit more.
Too little grip
Sweaty hands are one of the most common culprits, and almost everyone has problems with this at some point. I’ve talked about ways to combat sweaty hands before, but perhaps the most important thing you can do is just relax – pace yourself and don’t try to do it all at once.
Work those hands! Many pole dance moves need a lot of hand strength to pull off successfully – much more so than other sports – and you may need time to build up strength in your arms.
You’re in good company here too, but most people find it comes surprisingly quickly once they start practicing regularly – while you’re having fun on your pole, you’re also giving yourself a great workout and toning your body!
Too much grip
It’s less common, but you may just seem to stick to the pole too much. Gripping too hard can cause you to ‘bunny hop’ while spinning round the pole (imagine bad clutch control on a manual car). Not perhaps the most graceful of movements!
Make a conscious effort to loosen your grip a little in easier moves, and try launching into spins a bit more enthusiastically, so you get a better feel for the limits of adhesion on the pole.
Just like too little grip, it’s a problem that will naturally go away as you gain confidence in your pole work.
Tips for consistent grip
- Clean your pole regularly. Before, during and after use. Just wiping it down with a damp cloth is pretty effective, though using a cleaning product can give even better results if your pole manufacturer allows it. I personally find acetone (nail polish remover) is really effective. More about cleaning your pole →
- Clean yourself regularly too! If you start to get a bit sweaty, dry your hands and legs off so you don’t end up smearing it all over the pole. And while it’s not good to make a habit of it, a quick dab of acetone on the hands and inner thighs will give an immediate dryness to the skin to help get you through those crucial moments. More products to help you grip the pole →
- Use a towel to clean the pole. It may seem obvious, but the thicker fabric and texture of a towel is much more effective at removing any grime or sticky residue on your pole.
- Think about what you’re wearing. Your clothes can make a huge difference to your pole dancing. Wearing a pair of pole shoes or boots can seriously effect on your pole prowess too.
Pole moves to help you stick
- Hang tough – Simple, but effective. The hang tough really develops your grip, building strength in your hands. I’ve often started classes by getting everyone to hold a hang tough for as long as they can!
- Fang – The fang focuses on building grip in your thighs, again allowing your strength (and perhaps pain threshold!) to develop.
Pole moves to help you slip
- Spins – Concentrate on a variety of spins. Kick off with as much momentum as you can and try to make your spins as consistent and smooth as possible.
- Floater transition – As it’s a one handed move, the floater transition should take advantage of your extra sticking power and help you start gliding round the pole. Hopefully it will give you a feel for the overall level of grip needed to spin effectively too.
I hope these suggestions are useful and help you overcome any grip problems you have. If you have any other questions, or you feel I haven’t explained something fully, feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to help.
Please be careful if you do find yourself slipping or losing control momentarily during some spins or inverts – it could potentially become quite dangerous. Build up your strength and hone your technique with moves your feel comfortable with first.
You’ll be amazed how much easier those apparently difficult poses become once you’ve nailed the basics!
I wrote this post because some of you got in touch and asked me about grip problems. If there’s anything else you’d like us to talk about, please post a comment below or send a message.
14 comments
Very useful information!! Thanks a lot!
Jacqueline
thanks for the awesome grip tips!!! i’ve been having such a hard time!! on stainless steel poles i have too much grip, but on my home lil mynx “black” pole i slip too much!! the next couple of days i’ll try working on it though with your tips!!! GREAT!!!
There is some cool information here with some good tips that can be applied not only to “pole” but also exercise equipment, I do lots of body weight exercise and admire core body strength and body weight assisted exercise.
The tips on cleaning the poll can be applied to pull up bars especially.
Very useful! I’ll just keep on practising! x
would rock climbing chalk work I used to use it when my hands got sweaty when rock climbing? My pole is packed away and not used yet – looking forward to getting your dvd!
THANK YOU, Lucy! I’m one of the “too-grippy” types; I’ll keep using your dvd and I’m sure I’ll overcome it!
Hey guys!
Yes Emma, Rock climbing chalk works wonders, but try not to get too used to using it on the pole, as I’ve seen girls who can’t go on the pole without it now, as they have become so reliant on it.
Use it when your REALLY slippy!
Happy poleing ladies!
xxx
Me and other students from pole classes are using shaving cream (either gel or foam) patted on our thigh/legs/stomach, it works wonderfully for those areas!
this infomation is very helpful to other pole related game like pole mallakhab .pole mallakhamb is similar exercises of pole exercises so ,you have done great job.
Im struggling with the sweaty hands. I keep constantly pole dancing to try and get better. I have tried hand grips and hand deodrants, nothing seems to work. I do have generally clammy skin, it always keeps itself moisturised by sweating, only on my hands and feet though. I am relaxed when i use the pole but nothing working. Are gloves my only hope or is there anything else i can do? Thanks :)
I have a pole installed in my house, however my house has really high ceilings. The pole tends to heat up very quickly and I have at times cut my wrists open. I constantly use a towel between spins, but somehow seem to still stick. Could this be due to how hot the pole gets? Any tips to reduce this problem?
I often have the opposite problem – my skin isn’t sweaty enough – I’m often too dehydrated and cannot sticky if it’s too cold – i need to work up a sweat or wet my hands
Hey Julie,
It can be terribly frustrating to have non-sweaty hands, but rest assured in the future when your technique is perfect you will no longer slide down the pole at the wrong moment!
Dehydration can be a problem as you rightly noted. What you eat and drink can have a big impact on your pole dancing, affecting how much you sweat and the content of your sweat. Too much oily foods can lead to oily skin and a very strict diet can cause the opposite problem.
Try to experiment with different temperatures in your pole room. Perhaps warm your room with a portable heater on the pole for a few minutes before you train, which may help you have warmer and thus more sticker hands. A colleague of mine also prefers to work on a ‘dirty’ pole to give her more grip, so she spends the first few minutes ’stroking’ her pole to get some moisture on the pole and thus creating more grip. Perhaps give that a go.
And persevere…! You’ll get round your un-sweaty hands very soon and it will be a thing of the past!
Good luck!
Lucy
x
Hey Nikki,
Sorry to hear your having problems with the heat. The fact your pole cuts you is a big concern to me, as this really shouldn’t be happening – what manufacture of pole type do you use?
Also, if you believe heat is the problem, then why not invest in a small portable air cooler for your pole room, and get this going before and during your pole practice to help cool, you, your room and your pole down.
Lucy
x
Leave a Comment