Thread the Needle

Hi all,

I'm new to poi (picked some up when i got fed up trying to learn fish tails on my staff) and working my way though the HoP lessons. i've got up to no 13 (Thread the Needle) and i just can't figure out what to do! Can someone help me?!

thanks

Dear mr Lovely Toyer90.


there have been many a thread concerning this pain in the arse move.

Try clicking the following link to find a whole load of search items I found for you. Some of them have no relevance whatsoever...whcih weirded me out

http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/dose...prev=&Name=

It was increadably unhelpful though

If you need anymore......you can search.



Try also:
http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/show...rev=#Post266948

http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/show...rev=#Post107560

Thanks! I did try searching for it, but i think adding 'thread' confused something!

I'm glad you said it's a pain in the arse move - makes me feel better about it now

Try searching for "TTN" if "thread" is messing with it. TTN is often the term used on these boards. Also, putting quotes around "Thread The Needle" should be of some help because quotes make search engines look for the entire phrase instead of each word separately.

if u cant find the site i'll help you out by adding one quick post just giving some advice on doing the move, i didnt relaly find it pain in the arse but to be honest i think its only easy to learn if someone is showing you,but best way i can say is do a butterfly, (an inwards one), do it very slowly, as slow as you can and then push one hand forward with the one going back, imagine your pushing your sleeves down using the other hand so yourright hand pushes your left imaginary sleeve down while your left hand goes back, whichever one is going forward make sure it goes above the other one, sorry if none of this makes any sense, good luck

I learnt it by doing the butterfly 1st and (I presume you have one hand on top of the other) swapping hands, the full move just kinda comes when you can swap hands.

(By swapping hands i mean moving the bottom hand on top of the hand you usually have on top)

Not sure if that helps.....:)

think 1 potatoe 2 potatoe 3 potatoe 4.....

the same sort of movements, but your fists sliding inwards & outwards as opposed to just on top of each other....

best of luck

I have been trying to do this for so long, and I still can't.
I can just do the potato thing but not the sliding.
It's very sad, and I'm very crap.

hi yall, heres a few tips:

#1 as always, train your hands one at a time. put down one poi, take the other and do a butterfly. practice pushing it forward as you pull the other (empty) hand backwards.

#2 (forward) the hand that goes forward goes on top.
(reverse) the hand that goes forward goes on bottom.

#3 go slow, heavier stuff will go slower. ie;; glowsticks on strings are going to be moving faster than say socks.

good luck.

Thanks for the tips,
I'm sure that one day I will get it. I had to try for ages before I got the potato bit so I am sure the other bit will come eventually.

It was the timing of moving your hands that took me ages. if you follow the path of the poi slowly you should eventually see at what time to move your hands. It took me ages to get it then all of a sudden i saw the gap to move my hands and got it. It's really difficult to explain - i suggest finding a nice poier to show you so you can study where in the circle you can move your hands so they don't get tangled.

It's all been said before, but I found the easiest way to learn this was to do a butterfly, then REALLY exaggerate the bringing of the bottom hand back before bringing it back on top of the other hand.

Also, do it one step at a time. Do a butterfly, then swap hands, butterfly some more, then swap again. I found it easier that way.

The 1 potato, 2 potato thing really does help, but it's all down to.............................................................................timing.

Good luck!

not sure if this helps at all, but i always find that if you don't think of it as sliding your arms over eachother but more like punching the air, you'll get it.
so it goes something like:
spin right poi counterclockwise, punch for a second then spin the other poi clockwise and punch with that hand for a second.
oh and when i say clockwise or counter - that's just the basic butterfly move - i'm not out to confuse you or anything.

I learnt it as pushing your sleeves down one at a time, and remembering that whilst one pushes foward, the other pulls back - otherwise you'll find yourself being "dragged" forward.

When it clicks though - it becomes second nature...

Grr, I understand what everyone's saying but I can't seem to slow my poi down enough, mine are home-made with golf balls and yo-yo strings and they are so fast dammit! I can't move onto another move until i've got TTN tho, it pisses me off too much lol

make

new

poi

i discovered that when i started too...go get some socks or tails...i like my tails...i can watch my planes then too

try using somthing different than golf balls. mine are home made too and i got tennis balls in football socks. works great

Golf balls and yo-yo strings?? That sounds a bit ouchy and rather frustrating.. Socks are your friends! Lotsa learning links and sock making tips in my intro post:
http://www.homeofpoi.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=494698

Hope it helps.

Yeah, thread the needle is a bit of a challenge. It's a great move, though, lots of places to go from it. Definitely start by making new poi, though. Trip to Home Hardware will solve everything for you, I'm sure that anyone can tell you how to whip up a set of poi using some chain and a couple of tennis balls. I like mine to be nice and heavy, as well, and yours seem like they really wouldn't be. Keep trying. One nice trick that I've heard for thread the needle that was really helpful is to pretend that you're pulling up sleeves on a shirt while doing the butterfly.

try making way shorter strings. i could never get this move but one day recently i made a set of super short (about 8") chains for my lacrosse ball poi for indoor practice and for double one handed stuff with 2 sets of poi. for some reason with the short set this move came to me almost immediately, and then the next time i went back to my long chains i could just do it, no problems. I've since tried this approach with a few other moves that were giving me problems and found that its easier to pick them up on the short chains.

it's so great to read Sym saying he cant do thread the needle!! Ok ok, it was 2 years ago, but it proves there was a time when he couldnt do it!! hehehhe!!! he's human after all!! and not just some sexy poi machine like i'd assumed.

I know what you mean. Makes me feel better that people light years ahead of me had to start somewhere!

I mean I've only just got the hang of Outwards Thread the needle...!

You see, this thread was a pain. I managed not to ask about what music people liked to spin to, I didn't start a bad intro, I read posts well and searched, but I couldn't find anything about this at all. After a few days of trying to posted, only to get the old 'do a search' line from people! Damn it!

Anyway, thanks again to Jon and Will

Remember people, you will get it (and loads of other cool moves) soon, and one day it'll feel great and you'll forget how hard it was to learn

I have tails on my poi now and it is easier to slow them down. Guess I'll give ttn another go.

congratualtions on possibly the best "Old Thread Revival" EVER!! you are getting UBER hugs if i ever meet you!!!!

I taught myself this one accidently by trying to do my butterfly with the other hand on top. It was so uncomfortable that I switched back to the other hand. Well what do ya know, the switching was a small thread the needle. Do the arm exagerations after the switch and you got it!

Ahhhh..
sorry, Im just reminiscing old times when Sym couldnt do a thread the needle..

^ and me. There was a time i couldnt do underhand ttn at all. Now its so easy, why couldnt i do it??