The Armpit Hold is not a favorite for many, pinching sensitive areas of the skin, but it can result in some gorgeous shapes such as Teddy which utilizes the front of the armpit, or the Chopstick Split or Hercules which utilizes the back of the armpit.
Overall, once you get comfortable with the armpit hold, it can become one of your best friends in pole dancing, especially as you move into more advanced tricks with fewer points of contact.
The Football Grip is a widely used variant to many inverted moves. The elbows help maintain extra points of contact while bringing the center of the body closer to the pole, allowing you to perform moves from the midsection-down with at least two points of contact.
The Funky Grip earned its name because it is peculiar to look at and keeps you guessing as to what trick is coming next. Especially in competitions, you can usually tell which invert someone is prepped for by the way they grip the pole: cup grip for shoulder mounts and stronghold for chopper inverts. While this funky grip is a little more challenging than these standard grips, it is a great way to surprise the audience.
The Remi Hold is an advanced, knotted, pretzel-like leg hold provides incredible footing and security in a variety of upright and inverted positions. It is not the most comfortable on the legs, especially on smaller pole diameters, but it is visually impressive.
This Reverse Foot Mount is the top half of the hold required for the move Starfish. A bruiser for certain, the foot should flex around the pole to give you a solid counterbalance when performing the move. This is a popular foot hold in doubles moves as well, sometimes replacing the pole for the arms or legs of your partner.
