meet today-- anwsers quick! * getting vertical on bent pole?

[katiesuisse]

i have a meet today, and i'm really excited. i have been out for two weeks with a concussion and i am ready to go. i recently started bedning the pole. and now im having problems getting upside down. since i've been really comfortable getting vertical on a stiff pole, getting inverted on a bent pole is new to me. i have the ability to get up, but i am just having problems with not looking at the crossbar, and fully rocking back. because i get into the V position, and I need to be vertical!? any tips?!

[rainbowgirl28]

I'm going to take a stab at it and guess that your grip it too wide and you are blocking out, making it really hard to swing. That's what I see out of a lot of HS girls who bend the pole anyway. My advice is to make your grip no wider than about a forearm (elbow) + a fist or two apart, and focus on your hands going up at takeoff, not forward.