The 6 main Hand Grips in Pole Dance: Common Mistakes & Correct Technique (“50 Shades of Grip”)

Hand grips are a crucial part of pole dancing. Be it aerial combos, easy spins, or even floorwork: you’ll most likely need to use a hand grip at some point.

However, hand grips are easier said than done. There are a few things you really have to pay attention to.

Using the right technique not only helps you nail moves much faster and make shapes look beautiful, but it’s also extremely important in order to avoid injury.

In the series “50 Shades of Grip”, I cover the common mistakes and the correct technique of the most used hand grips in pole dancing:

1. True Grip
2. Strong Hold Grip
3. Half-Bracket Grip
4. Split Grip (Full-Bracket Grip)
5. Forearm Grip
6. Twisted Grip

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1. True Grip

Also known as baseball grip or shake grip, the True Grip is used in many beginner pole dance spins (like the Dip Turn a.k.a Step-around), as well as in advanced one-armed spins.

→ Full tutorial for True Grip

2. Strong Hold Grip

The Strong Hold Grip is used in pole inverts, aerial transitions and moves like the Fan kick. It’s one of the first hand grips you’ll learn as a pole dancer.

→ Full tutorial for Strong Hold Grip

3. Half-Bracket Grip

The Half-Bracket Grip is one of the more advanced grips in this series. It’s used in many spins like the Fireman spin, the Sunwheel, the Chair spin, the Dip spin and the Front Knee-Hook.

→ Full tutorial for Half-Bracket Grip

4. Split Grip

Also known as the Full-Bracket Grip, The Split Grip is used in moves like the Carousel spin, Butterfly, Handspring, Jamilla and Jasmine. It’s a tricky one, so it’s not exactly ideal for beginners.

→ Full tutorial for Split Grip

5. Forearm Grip

With the Forearm Grip you can climb beautifully without hanging and bumping against the pole. It also allows you to dance your climbs on the spin pole and do elegant transitions without spinning out of control.

→ Full tutorial for Forearm Grip

6. Twisted Grip

The Twisted Grip is used for moves like the Ballerina, Handspring, Ayesha and the Reverse Grab Spin. This one can be difficult, especially in upside-down moves.

→ Full tutorial for Twisted Grip

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If you want to come back to the “50 Shades of Grip” series in the future, you can easily access the posts via the navigation bar at the top of the page, under the category “Tips & Tricks”. ↑

And of course, if you enjoy binge-watching pole tutorials, you can also find “50 Shades of Grip” as a playlist on YouTube.

What’s a pole-related topic that you’d like to learn more about? Let me know in the comments below.