Forums > Help! > Controlling Planes With Contacr Poi

Posted: 22nd Jun 2013
There really isn't any special trick to controlling planes. It's all just muscle memory and practice. I don't like to be blunt, but that's just how it is. Keep practicing, don't give up - everybody you see who's crazy, like Keith Marshall, Arashi, Drex or Cyrille, they've all spent countless hours training to get that good.

That said, spinning new poi can throw you off a little sometimes, especially if you're switching between different amounts of stretch or radically different weights. But again, just keep at it, yo. It'll pass.

P.S. - It doesn't matter too much how you hold the poi unless they're physically blocking you from doing a move, or for tosses sometimes. Play around with different grips, find out what's comfortable for you.

"If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error."

Posted: 22nd Jun 2013
No, no, bluntness and honesty are great in criticism. Thanks for replying

I guess that the two main reasons I thought that I might be handling the handles incorrectly were:

1. I have worked with other poi (ones with one or two finger loops) and done similar motions with less effort. I am also experimenting with butterfly combinations(with my wrapsta poi), but have little/no problems with planes-only when I try to keep moving while my arms are crossed.

And:

2. I vaguely remember reading comments able the direction of palm/angle of the hand and how it can force the poi to angle differently.

However, if practice and observation are what will do it I will work on that and report back in a few months :3

Thanks again
PLUR

Posted: 22nd Jun 2013
Well since I use handles quite a bit nowadays I guess I'll put this out there. The way I hold my poi is to pinch the cord between index and thumb, anywhere above the handle. Depending on how far up the cord you pinch, this will leave the handle nestled loosely underneath your other fingers somewhere, or if you grip a whole palm width or more will leave the handle hanging out the other end.

This gives you a sort of finer control over the length of the poi (if you want that) and also because you're pinching the cord, and not the handle it gives you even more feel of the poi, partly just because your index and thumb have a greater range of motion than just your hand. It does sort of depend on the length of your poi though, because longer poi feel nicer :3 (personal preference), and holding it like this shortens the poi a little.

Finally, given how HoP makes their wrapsta poi, with the swivel smack bang on the handle, if you're holding it between the index and middle like that, the swivel could disrupt your control a tiny bit. Just because it's not a homogenous part of the cord.

All this is not to say that you should only use the particular way I grip my poi though. That's just how I do it and how the peeps who I spin with do it lol. I generally switch between a whole tonne of different grips while spinning, for tosses or (failing at) contact, or while stalling or doing extensions and stuff. Point being the same as before - play around with your grips, find out the comfy ones.

"If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error."