Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Help for Reels
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9 posts
Location: Stirling, Scotland
I'm trying to learn how to do the windmill but have myself completely hindered by the fact I can't do reels. I can pass a butterfly behind my head easily enough and do a mexican wave, but I can't seem to get the poi spinning the same way and do any sort of reel without tangling. I also can't hold any beats in front of me with the poi going the same way or they move out of how they are meant to go.
Sorry if my explanation verges on being really crap, lol, but hopefully someone can help.
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233 posts
Location: Hexham, Newcastle, England
If you learn to do reverse butterfly over your head too, then your arms should feel comfortable whichever way you're spinning the poi maybe? Dunno, just keep trying really.
1,376 posts
Location: London, UK
If you're doing a low reel where your hands are at your hips then they shouldn't need to tangle at all... if they do try and do it with shorter poi?
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Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
I found that it was easier to learn the carry turns (? The ones with a hip reel and a shoulder reel), and because they basically do a single same-direction reel (although it's a bit out-of-plane) they helped me build up strength and a bit of confidence to do reels. But I'm still not perfect to say the least!
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1,530 posts
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
i am sort of just getting the hang of doing shoulder reels and hip ones too and i also found it alot easier when i could do it from a carry turn, practice this then try and do it normally without the turn
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Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Hi Rune,
I think the pre-curser to the windmill is “chasing the sun” see hop poi lessons. Once u get that, u can start to speeding up one poi until u get into the windmill. I think, if spinning to the right u would start speeding up the left first. U can also do horizontal windmills.
Personally, I find it is confusing to compare butterfly moves to parallel moves, but that’s my opinion and many wont agree.
Good Luck
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newbie
9 posts
Location: Stirling, Scotland
Hi thanks for the replies, I seem to find a lot of trouble with just parallel moves in general. I think Chasing the Sun is the shoulder reel. I find it near impossible to keep my parallel spin going correctly.
I've managed it kinda a few times now. And I have no clue how to get my poi going from other spinning to parallel spin, it confuses the hell out of me. I am practising, and ending up just getting lots of tangles! lol
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AIM: Rune Amgine
MSN: kirstin(at)kryptworks(dot)co.uk
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Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
a simple 90 degree body turn will get you easily from the weave to parallel spinning without having to do any angular momentum tweeks. as you come across to say the left side from a weave, turn to face left and you should fall pretty easily into a reel or chasing the sun. And it even work to the right too!
-v-
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344 posts
Location: Midlands - nr cov, United Kingdom
For shoulder reels and windmill, i started like this...
this is from the swingers POV...
swing both hands up infront going clockwise, then as they get to about 1pm, push your right hand back behind you. That's the first part of windmill.
TBH, I'm not sure how they change over without tangling; i can do it easily, i just can't describe it, but i'd say try reversing your arm positions then the poi get to the top of the circle and see what you get
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