Forums > Help! > Spinning evenly, straight and true - how???

Posted: 13th Mar 2006
you got the idea already.

Practise.

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Posted: 13th Mar 2006
yea, i dont think any one has clean planes straight away... just takes a fair bit of spinning and they will be straight as you like. aned backwards butterfly is by far and away easier than forewards..

also one tip: maybe use something in you socks that is heavier than tennis balls,(rice is good, lumps of lead and old bits of computer hard drive are not) you should find this makes your spin straighter.

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They push+pull tactics are driving me loco
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Posted: 13th Mar 2006
Practice practice practice.

And take up staff.

The existance of flamethrowers says that someone, somewhere, at sometime said "I need to set that thing on fire, but it's too far away."

Posted: 13th Mar 2006
If you want to clean up your planes then spinning tailed poi might be helpfull in two ways...



First of all with some moves the tails will help you see if your planes are getting too close because the long tails will hit each other, so your hands will adjust themselves over time if this happens.



Also when you spin the long tails they will be easily seen certainly much easyer than glimpsing at your shadow. You can get a good visual idea of your plane movments because the tails will follow the planes.



If you do go for these make sure you buy tails made from ripstop nylon (the same matewrial those giant kytes are made from) so the material dosent shred and will last years and be easy to clean with a damp cloth.




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Posted: 13th Mar 2006
The best tip fo sure is practice pratice. Even if you just have the poi in one hand moving while the other is held still at your side.

Is it safe to presume you're right handed? If so the left always takes a little while longer to catch up. It's not so used to being used!

Written by: Oli

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maybe use something in you socks that is heavier than tennis balls,(rice is good, lumps of lead and old bits of computer hard drive are not) you should find this makes your spin straighter.

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It worked for you didn't it! I remember using your bits of thick electrical wire and 2p coins red poi at Falmouth I and keeping my plains dead straight to avoid whacking the crap out of my head!

danger = accelerated learning

I hope you work it out soon. Look forward to it soon becoming much more fun when you can do it without having to think about it so much

Let's relight this forum

Posted: 14th Mar 2006
Does it really matter what poi you spin?

You could spin hedgehogs on the end of chains (they\'d have to be the same weight, mind ) and you could still practice your planes.

The existance of flamethrowers says that someone, somewhere, at sometime said "I need to set that thing on fire, but it's too far away."

Posted: 14th Mar 2006
Awww google didnt come up with any hedgehog poi, damn, was hoping for a good picture!

Solar bear, when I first started spinning poi my planes were all over the place, and it really annoyed me because every time I went into a transition they would collide and tangle.

I'd suggest two things, firstly what oli said use something maybe a bit heavier for the planes, secondly spin against a wall, try and make it that the wrist that is out of plane is doing JUST circles (forward and backward) about3 inches from thew all, if you can do that bring it to 2 inches and then 1 inch, you shoudl then be spinning without the poi hitting the wall, if it hits the wall work on tilting your wrist, it is all just practise. Also i'd advise for LEARNING poi, not to get tail poi, have yourselfd a pair anyway because they are great, especially with the summer on the way but for learning they tangle too easily and the thin string connecting the handle to the poi is very thin so not best to work planes out with, get yourself some sock poi. If you dont know how to make some use the search function on thsi website, there are many useful threads out there, my tip to making sock poi would be get some knee high socks, cool stripey ones, turn them inside out, get some dried lentils (a health food shop or supermarket is your best bet) and pour anywhere from 130g to 200g depending on your preference, (i'd suggest about 140, not to heavy) of the lentils into each sock then tie a knot as far down as you can but not so that the lentils are totally packed together. then put your hand down the sock and grab the ball at the end and pull it through so you turn the poi's inside out, there you go instant sock poi, for added security tie a knot at the base of this new shape as well, but ebst to spin first so you cna choose if its too heavy or light in case you need to get at the lentils again.

Hope this helps
Good luck

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Posted: 14th Mar 2006
Thanks for the advice so far, everybody

Yes, I am right-handed. I started off with socks and tennis balls given by a friend, I've since adapted these, length and knot-wise and bought a pair of fluffy practice poi on chains (+DVD) from the HOP shop. I still use the socks a lot and find them most useful for getting into new moves and for increasing speed with ones I've got a better hang of.

I can see the value of tail poi in improving technique and they are on my shopping list, but I've seen a lot of beginners at festivals getting very tangled up in them as well. I'll probably leave them until the summer and maybe use them as a prelude to fire.

In the meantime it's still getting dark quite early around here (UK) and I've invested in some LED glow poi from Ebay; there's a load of slightly shop-soiled ones available at the moment and a guy who puts a few of his regular, more expensive items up for auction starting at 99p, once or twice a week.

Back on topic... I especially like the wall idea and will certainly be giving that a go right away.

Thanks again, chaps - all further tips welcome

It may stop, but it never ends.

Posted: 14th Mar 2006
Sounds like you've spent a lot of money on poi. I guess some people just don't have the time to make things on their own. I bought one pair of monkey fist knots and I'm still reluctant to burn them because I spent soo much money on them. My home made ones cost at least a quarter of what I spend online.

Anyways, back on topic:

Have you attempted the 2 beat weave: like the 3 bt weave, except your arms/hands only cross over once. Example: left hand crosses over right hand then back to foreward weave.

This gives you a basic introduction into the weave and it also gets you straightening your planes on the fly. This is the basic breaking down of the 3 bt weave. You kinda need to know how to break down moves or learning becomes difficult, so if you can do the 3 bt weave already, try the 2 bt weave.

I started out with a 2bt weave then practiced like mad until I got it on my left side (I'm right handed as well, so I had trouble learning my left side). My foreword planes are near perfect now, although for effect, I like to change the speed of each poi a little. You will need to practice this if you are going to attempt a 2 beat weave.

With the weave your poi is on reflective planes (poi are opposite to each other). So this will change your foreword swing to "split time". I'm just expressing temporarily speeding up or slowing down one poi until it turns your swing into reflective planes. Basically, one side of the foreword swing will reach the summit of its circle while the other side of the foreword swing will reach the bottom of its circle.

If you can manage to change the timing of your foreword swing, this will make the 2 bt cross over easier. Your right arm crosses under your left arm just before it reaches bottom of the swing. Your left arm will cross over just before it reaches the top of the swing. Then on the upward swing of your right arm you cross back over into foreword weave. The same goes with the downward swing of the left arm.

This might delve into a lot detail, but I think it gets muscle groups going that lead into more advanced moves and also give your wrists more control over what is happening with your foreword swing. You are also working on your timing. You will be a freak in my books if you can do a reverse 2bt weave before you do a normal one (try it out and tell me how it goes).