Advice needed: leveling up poi skills in April [Early intermediate skill]

Can't say for actual practice plans - I have some "OG" stringer friends that just yell at me when I plateau and give me homework to work on lol.

That being said, my favorite little "level up" game lately has been anti spins. Once you've got a good feel for them, try taking things you already know and figure out how to incorporate anti spins into them - anti spin weaves, flowers, things like that.

If you've got weaves and reels down pretty well, crossers might be a fun (albeit frustrating) thing to explore.

Windmills and watermills could work out well for you (basically split time shoulder and hip reels).

Archer weaves can open up some new doors, if you don't already have those locked down.

*edit*

Thread The Needle is a good way to expand on your butterflies and help with overall control. It'll help with a lot of other things down the road, too, as it opens up the possibility of changing the poi that's in "front".

If you posted a video of you spinning it would be easier to make suggestions.

Practice your core rudiments. They can be boring, but are essential for future growth. By that I mean the following, starting with:

8 variations on timing and direction when spinning two poi, one on the left and right wall planes:

• Same Direction Forward, Unison Timing
• Same Direction Forward, Split Timing
• Same Direction Backward, Unison Timing
• Same Direction Backward, Split Timing
• Opposite Direction Left Hand Forward, Unison Timing
• Opposite Direction Left Hand Forward, Split Timing
• Opposite Direction Left Hand Backward, Unison Timing
• Opposite Direction Left Hand Backward, Split Timing

Those are the essential base needed for all more complex two poi patterns. Once you get those solid, try moving the planes around - try with both poi on the front wall plane for the "wheels on the bus" pattern - try with horizontal planes - get creative. Have a pattern you like? Try it in a different plane orientation around your body if you can find one.

Pendulums - the same 8 variations apply to pendulum swings... they are super useful for making interesting transitions.

Butterflies, Thread the Needle - Forward spin, reverse spin, same time, split time, double threads, weaves

"Atomics" - Cross planes at 90 degree angles, split time, "same" direction spin (when they are at 90, could be described as either, but feels like same direction) - you can chase it from left side to right side, opens up for "inswings" and more complex tech. Could also be described as horizontal split time butterflies I guess.

Figure 8 "chase", and weaves patterns - Forward and reverse, left hand lead verses right hand lead, 3 beat, 4 beat, 5 beat, Nth beat weaves, same side and opposite side inswings, horizontal plane orientations

Next, to improve your "flow" - Compound Circles, AKA "Flowers":

• Prospin circles - poi moves in the same direction as your arm (fat petal flowers)
• Antispin circles - poi moves in the opposite direction as your arm (skinny petal flowers)
• Full Arm Extensions - a 1 to 1 ratio prospin circle - center of rotation is your shoulder.
• Isolations - A different kind of 1 to 1 ratio prospin circle - center of rotation is on the poi tether
• Cat-eyes - A 1 to 1 antispin circle - the antispin counterpart to the isolation

And eventually, Hybrids - doing one of the things above with one hand and one of the other things with the other hand to make pretty patterns.

I would say flowers, thread the needle, and crossers would be a good way to “level up” your poi spinning and could all easily be learned in a month. Something that has worked really well for me is picking a trick that is frustrating to learn, then keep my poi somewhere that I constantly walk by them. Every time I walk by my poi, I pick them up and drill that frustrating trick until I get frustrated then I put them down. Eventually you learn the trick but don’t stop drilling it after that until you can do it in your sleep. Eventually you start incorporating it into your flow because it’s already second nature. Good luck and have fun. Plateaus happen to all of us and are frustrating, but the feeling of getting past it far outweighs the discouragement of being in it