Somewhere along the way when learning to pole dance (usually at an intermediate or advanced level), you’ll discover the amazing world of pole dancing flips. Nothing screams “I’m a confident static pole dance queen” like a flip executed perfectly at the end of a combo.
However, the road to achieving flip-boss status can be treacherous. Okay fine that might be a tad dramatic, but it is an adventure and a really rewarding one at that! Along the way you’ll learn more about pole movement, establishing correct trick foundations and how the mechanics of a flip work. It’s you versus gravity after all, so understanding the ‘how’ behind a pole flip is ideal!
By taking the time to learn pole dancing flips, you’ll unlock many cool tricks and get a real pole dance workout along the way. Here are five of our favourite pole flips to get you started on what will become a flip-tastic pole journey.
Hanglider Flip
This is a great one if you’re new to pole dancing flips and have a solid Hanglider. It starts with a strong hand placement – using the inside hand pulling the pole and the outside hand pushing the pole ‘down’ – which means that you can really focus on what your legs are doing.
The Hanglider Flip teaches you to crank the inside leg down and to pike your legs up and over to land. This flip is a great one to start with, as harnessing the power of your legs in this way is the foundation for a lot of pole dancing flips.
Butterfly Flip (with a Cup Grip)
Yes, you did read that correctly. We love to use a cup grip in this flip, because your hand won’t get stuck! Start by setting yourself up in a Jasmine and switch your top hand (outside hand) into a cup grip. Crank your inside leg down to the side and drive it up and over. Use your legs to pike and create weightlessness as you move through the flip.
Because your hand is placed in a cup grip, you can pull into it at the beginning of the flip and then PUSH into it during the pike moment. This helps you to feel ‘lighter’ and if your hips do happen to clip your arm along the way, the cup grip will naturally slide off (rather than getting stuck and blocking your landing).
This flip is brilliant and can be added to the end of a lot of pole combos, making your exit off the pole look very dynamic!
Learn how to Butterfly Flip with Miss Filly below!
Shoulder Mount Flip
The Shoulder Mount Flip is a versatile little gem, and great to learn if you already have a solid shoulder mount and shoulder dismount off the pole. The key to unlocking this flip is to drive your hips up high and let your head follow you along the way.
Once you have achieved it from standing, you can use a Shoulder Mount Flip to get up from a seated position on the floor or to stand from a lunge. It can also be used to get onto the pole itself, into climbing legs or a mount if you’re feeling extra strong!
It’s a very cool, multifaceted flip and a nice one to add to your basket of pole tricks.
Cassiopeia Flip
The new kid on the block, the Cassiopeia Flip utilises a combination of a helix grip and a tabletop grip – a true lovechild of pole grips! The entry is from an outside leg hang, meaning it can be easily added into a range of pole dancing combos.
Having a strong tabletop grip and solid understanding of a helix grip will help you to use the arms to pull and push into the pole, as your legs pike up and over to land on the floor (are you sensing a common theme here with the legs? 😉). As always, look to where you’ll land, and release the table top hand on the way down.
The Cassiopeia Flip is an interesting flip and one you don’t often see coming, therefore it’s perfect if you’re looking to spice up your static pole combos.
Contact flip
Ah, the most flippy looking flips in all the land. A real ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ kind of flip. However, you need to be both smart and speedy to execute the Contact Flip.
Even though you move through it quickly, it’s not a ‘close your eyes and hope for the best’ kind of deal. You’ll need to think about using your arms to establish a pull and push into the pole, and most importantly, drive your hips up, tuck your knees to your chest and look to where you’ll land. We strongly recommend using a cup grip for the outside hand, because much like your butterfly flip, it allows you to push into the pole and won’t block your hips on the way down.
A Contact Flip is always impressive to watch and an excellent flip to add into any pole dance routine once you’re confident with it.
If you’re wanting to add some WOW factor to your static pole dancing combos, flips are the perfect way to do so. They’re a great way to make static pole tricks look dynamic and interesting. If you’re looking for online pole tutorials to help you master pole flips and tumbles, check out Miss Filly’s annual Fliptember Challenge here.
Also, swing by The Miss Filly Institute of Pole, either in-person or through our live online hybrid classes, and get weekly help with your pole tricks and combos. View the current timetable for our online hybrid classes here.
Stay safe and happy flipping!
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