World of Poi

Many people have different opinions on what weight the perfect set of Poi would and I think it depends on personal preference. Heavy can spin much slower and give greater control; there own momentum keeps them spinning but they can be difficult when doing more complicated moves. Light poi spin a lot faster give a greater range of options in terms of tricks that are available. However they require a lot more energy to keep them spinning.

One of the easiest ways to adjust the weight of your poi is to fill a balloon with rice and use that instead of tennis ball or glow product. If you find weight is not quite right or you just fancy a change, you can!! This method is easiest with sock/cone poi. I read somewhere that the optimum weight for beginners is 120g, I’m not sure whether I agree with this, I think that you should experiment yourself.

All different types of poi have different strengths and weaknesses. Sock poi allow you to do wraps but because of their stretch some other moves can be more difficult. Poi with tails look good but get tangled easily. Ball chain poi don’t tangle but are relatively heavy. The list is endless, and for this reason, I suggest that you make sure you own several different pairs of poi.

Doing this allows you to learn moves with one set of poi and then perfect it with another. Meaning that new tricks are much easier to learn. It can also make things a lot more interesting, suddenly you have multiple poi to play with and depending on what you buy, some parts may be interchangeable. Having different types of poi will give you more options and make your learning experience so much easier and more exciting. All at very little cost, because, lets face it, poi are a relatively inexpensive hobby!!

If you’re not sure which type of poi to get click here.

There is one thing above all else that will turn you from being an average spinner to being an amazing spinner. The secret word? Transitions. These are the things that allow you to go from one trick to the next without any pause in between. Very often, people either ignore them or forget about them, but they are so important!!

There is no point learning hundreds of different moves if you can’t link them all together in one seamless motion. However, i personally find them the hardest to learn and perfect. If you want them to look good it takes a lot of practise, but the rewards at the end are great!

Try different types of transitions. Stalls make a crazy way of going from the wall plane to side plan (or the other way round). There are so many possibilities, but this is what makes poi so good, the ability to personalise it at every step!!

Please, please, please, if you are a beginner, whatever you do, don’t jump straight into learning all the moves you possibly can. Take a step back and just look around you. Swing the poi around your body and experiment with what it feels like. If you are a complete beginner, take a minute just to hit yourself with the poi a few times, because you better get used to it!!(For the softest and least painful poi, click here)

As a beginner, other people have had little or no influence on you and you should use that to your advantage. This is the time to really let go and have a great time spinning, let your mind wander and just play. Who knows, maybe you could come up with the next big thing in poi?

Whooo!! Christmas is almost here!!! And its the perfect time for you to spread the love of Poi. Don’t bother looking around for that ’something special’, its right here!! If you’re really stuck for ideas, buy in bulk. Home of Poi do discounts when you by 10 items which at Christmas, can be a lifesaver. Grab the craziest and coolest colours you can find to create a unique and worthwhile present. (Plus, it gives you someone else to spin with and show off new moves to!!)