Help For A Newbie

I made some bag poi yesterday and now I'm hooked. I'm quite amazed at all the tricks I've been able to accomplish within the first two days. Anyway, enough of my happy talk :-)

I need help picking out a real set of poi. My bag poi is pretty nice and all but the string literally has taken a layer of skin off part of my index finger. Any help would really be appreciated. Thanks!

-Chester

Chester,

There are many suppliers of equipment around. See our directory of other suppliers from around the world.
Frequently ask questions about Zuni and Performance poi sets and their answers are found here
Otherwise to keep your current poi and stop the blisters read this previous discussion at http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000440.html

Hope that helps

Try switching your grip. The poi I use are made from thin rope with tennis balls on the end and a small red streamer. The part where I grip is a double knot, which I find is excellent for doing single-handed butterfies.

Of course, I'm just learning too, so if anyone more experienced can refute my suggestions, go ahead.

Chester,
Everyone gets bisters. Everyone.
Eventually your skin will calouse and you won't even notice it anymore, just one of the burdens of learning, (besides injury lol)
Happy spinning
N8

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Care of other people's approval and you become their prisoner.
Live fully, Rave wholly.
Fluid are the movements of my strings...

Use double finger loops...no blisters. and you can still do one handed stuff...

Blistering / Calosing is not a neccessity

Josh

I'm in the same boat as you. =) I just recently(within the past week) made my first set of "tennis ball poi" (first set was bag poi..) I also skinned my index finger(s). I found that just by making a handle at the end of the string (I use very thick (3/4") silk rope). A doubleknot on the string(so it can slide along the handle) works great. I hot glued all my knots as I've also found that wear causes the knots to loosen...

muhahaha..I've also found a way to make a set of beam poi...*grin* Made from styrofoam balls cut in half with a 2-AA battery holder and 4 3000l LEDs(very bright, but not high intensity) along the outer edge of the ball. I edged two grooves along the outer edges of teh ball...crossing each other like an X, and I use two rubber bands to hold the two pieces together. I used an almost see-thru silk material (very strong though) as a bag around the styrofoam balls, and I can twirl em around at night!! (Looks awesome..) Only problem...how to turn them off when I'm done...*grin*

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[PLUR]
-=Crazy Raver Dude=-

So, just making sure I'm getting this right.

There's really no good poi for beginners, all poi are pretty much a like (in ease of twirling that is). The only reason why I thought there would be was because I'm an avid yoer and theres a LOT of difference between a beginners yo-yo and one an advanced player (like me!) might use.

I swear, I did read some of those post about blisters before I posted that, but I just don't consider a blister skin ripping off....oh...I admit, I guess I don't really know exactly what a blister is (except they hurt!)

Oh yeah, being able to do wraps with a yo-yo is really helpful for poi. With a yo-yo I can wrap with my arms, legs, and neck, all of which I've been able to incorporate into poi(oh what fun!)

-Chester
(my first post as a registered user, hooray for me!)

I beg to differ with the peeps who say
that blisters/callouses are a matter of
course when spinning poi. With proper
handles and a proper grip, you should be
able to spin for hours at a time with no
damage whatsoever to your skin.

Note that "proper" varies from person to
person. What works for someone else may
not work for you.

My personal preference is for leather finger grips. I just pick up scraps from a local
leather repair shop, cut them into strips
7/8" wide by 8-9" long, fold them in half,
and drive an eyelet (found in most
hardware and sewing shops) through the open
end. Cut about an inch through the fold
and pull the eyelet end through.

One of the nice things about this design is
that the harder you swing, the tighter they
grip your fingers. Some people complain
this cuts off circulation, but I have found
that just about everyone who tries this
style of finger grips becomes a convert.

You should also experiment with which digit
you hold the noose. I prefer the middle
digit since I find that gives me far more
control than keeping them right up next to
my finger webbing.

The important thing is to find something
that works for you!

-p.

Chester, I am in the same boat as you (coming from a yo-yos background). When you stop and think about it, I tend to think yo-yos are one of the touchier props around because of all little factors at work. String length, thickness, kind, condition. Gap width, weight, weight distribution, kind of axle, lube, return system, etc.

When it comes to things like ball juggling and poi, the minute stuff makes less of an immediate difference, and you get the advantage of being able to pick up random objects and fuss with..hehe

As far as grips go, if you have a good strap (the zuni and nz type comet poi on this site both have regular straps), you can kind of curl it in one direction and stick your fingers into the loop, and it makes two finger loops with the strap coming out between your index and middle fingers, and you get very little friction on your fingers.

I would recommend getting one of the comet poi since they look really nice outside, are made well, and don't hurt as much if you hit yourself.

As far as body wraps go, that does help... just keep in mind that poi are usually kept at a shorter length than yo-yos, so can make some wraps more difficult. However, you can also do a different kind of wrap where it full wraps around your body, the end of the poi hits you, and richoches off into the opposite direction (would kill the spin in a yo-yo).

Good luck!

Cool! I didn't know you were into Poi Shawn! It's "daman" from the boards. Kinda weird that we've talked in a yo-yo chat before and suddenly come up with another common interest. Anyway, thanks for the tips everyone!!!

-daman

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Poi - The addictiveness is overwhelming

i learned with glowsticks and shoelaces. I got alot of rubbed off skin for the rifst week or so because i pinched the laces between my index finger and thunb. I got blisters once wheni was doing short strings and i was spinning them ungodly fast for at least 5 minutes. I had to wear bandaids for a week.

quote:

---

My personal preference is for leather finger grips. I just pick up scraps from a local
leather repair shop, cut them into strips
7/8" wide by 8-9" long, fold them in half,
and drive an eyelet (found in most
hardware and sewing shops) through the open
end. Cut about an inch through the fold
and pull the eyelet end through.

---

BY PJ:

I saw some of those Zuni's and i bought them form one of those store of knowledge stores. (they just so happen to be going out of business soeverything is marked down) They have the straps that PJ is discribing. But they are cheaply made, i ripped throught the straps in about three days, but then i made my own out of pieces of real leather. I have never went back to the shoe laces..

Only downside...transition from onehanded moves back into both hands is a little difficult. But thats it.

Super'

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"Only the warrior that hears the call will know when to leave, Where to go" -unknown

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams"- Willy Wonka

Personally, for a handle i use nylon cat collars. I use em like shoe laces (what i started on too) but since they're a lot thicker I don't blister.

question for all the more experienced peeps:
I'm sure all of you are familiar with "The Wheel"...If not..it's the move where you create one plane with both poi moving in circular pattern, staggered. (Imagine spinning a bicylce wheel between your arms in front of you)
Anyway...the only way that I have been able to accomplish keeping them both in the same plane(as opposed to them looking like two separate circles)..the only way I've been able to keep them in the same plane to ANY extent is to hold the string between my finger and my thumb(as opposed to the way te HOP tutorial shows you..). Is this correct? Can someone give me some help here??? =)

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[PLUR]
-=Crazy Raver Dude=-

yeah raverdude, thats what I do too...cant see any other way to get em really tight, or fast...and besides, if you have just done multiple hand wraps to get them to that length the chains will end up in that grip quite easily...hmm I feel like going outside and having a twirl

Josh

Thanks for the extremely quick reply. =) So I guess the only advice is...practice. heh

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[PLUR]
-=Crazy Raver Dude=-

no worries - glad to be of service

Josh

Ohhh....my post got the nice flame thingys! Cool!

-Chester
(so proud)

i just started poi'ing and i made some and i am a natural. i did it in the public for my first time at a party that i half dj'd but i had glow sticks on the end. it looked alright but the trails werent very good. is there a certain glow stick i should use or what?

practice a *LOT*, and use high intesity stix. I prefer 30min, although some peeps like the 5min ones..

Peace

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[PLUR]
-=Crazy Raver Dude=-