When we first learn to invert, there is a tendency to want to look down. I don’t know why we do it – but we do. We know the floor will still be there, but for some reason we feel the need to look down and just double check.
To be more specific, it’s usually when we are on the way down. Imagine you are just starting to go upside down and have got into your Crucifix. When you start to come down, you’ll (hopefully) be in a safe position with your head tucked up to the ceiling… But still decide to look down.
I understand wanting to know how long you have until you can get to the floor, but the problem is that we usually end up looking at the floor when we happen to be an inch away. Face plant situation.
Keep It Safe
You can come out of a lot of pole moves that we learn when we first start to invert, by tucking your head up to the ceiling. You need to look up at the ceiling and think about putting your chin to your chest. Your inside shoulder will be close to the pole but not touching – so there shouldn’t be any pole burn there!
If you’re in this position, it means that when you come to the floor, your upper back and shoulders will come down first. This is what we want, rather than landing on the head!
When you have landed (slowly of course!) 🙂 you can then roll your legs off of the pole. This ‘roll down’ technique is great for when you are learning you come down from the pole, but are not yet ready to try other techniques for getting off of the pole – Spin and Snap, Push Dismount, Kick Down, Wheelbarrow Dismount.
Of course when you are more advanced, you can use the above techniques – some of which you will have to look down at the floor to do.
No matter how advanced you are, it is always great to have this ‘roll down’ as an emergency landing. If you get used to it now, your body will go into it when it needs it – which can sometimes be an emergency type landing.
Keep Looking Up
Even when I’m spotting people through this ‘roll down’ position and helping them land safely, they can be in the correct position and I’ll tell them to keep looking at the ceiling… and then they look down!
Stop it! I know it’s tempting to see how far you have to go, but I promise that you will come back down to the ground eventually 🙂
To stop someone looking down you can:
- Spot and keep telling them to look up
- Count down in seconds how long (roughly) until they come to the ground
- Reassure verbally ‘you’re almost there’, ‘over half way now’ etc.
- Count down in height left – cms or inches
It is so tempting to look down and see where the floor is, and for some dismounts and moves you will need to look at the floor. But for now, lets look up and land softly and gently 🙂
