The Shoulder Mount, explained
The Shoulder Mount pole move is pure power and one of the most satisfying moments in your pole journey. The pole rests against your shoulder, your hands hold on above you, and you lift your legs up from the floor into an inverted shape. It looks strong because it is strong, and the day it works for the first time is one you will remember.
What is a Shoulder Mount?
A Shoulder Mount is a way of getting onto the pole and upside down straight from standing, without climbing first. Your shoulder becomes a contact point on the pole, and from there your body lifts into the air. It opens up a whole world of moves, from inverted splits to strong, dramatic entries in a routine. Exactly how you place your shoulder and hands, and how you lift, is something the tutorial and your coach show you in detail.
Is the Shoulder Mount pole dance move for beginners?
It is usually not one of your first moves, and it does not have to be. It fits once you are comfortable going upside down and have built some strength in your shoulders, back and core. Many dancers work on it for a while before it clicks, so if your legs do not leave the floor on day one, you are in very good company. Every try is strength training in disguise.
What it builds: strength, control and grip
This mount trains your shoulders, upper back and core, and it teaches your body to work as one unit. It also builds control, so you feel more and more at home lifting your own body weight. Conditioning off the pole helps a lot here, so mix in some strength work if you enjoy it. As with every pole move, train in shorts or with bare legs, skip body lotion before training and keep your hands clean and dry for a secure grip.
Shoulder Mount grip variants
There is more than one way to hold the pole in this mount, and POLEPLACE has tutorials for several of them. You will find the cup grip, the safety grip and the re-grip. They change how the hold feels and what it prepares you for, and none of them is the “right” one for everyone. Try them with the tutorial, notice what feels good for your body, and ask your coach if you are unsure which one to start with.
Static or spinning pole?
A static pole is the friendliest place to learn it, because the pole stays still and you can focus on the lift. On a spinning pole, the mount flows into a turn, which looks gorgeous and asks for more control. Get confident on static first.
How you learn it at POLEPLACE, and what comes next
With the Floor-Stand-Air Method™, you start on the floor to build the strength and shape, practise the setup standing at the pole, and then lift into the air. Once your Shoulder Mount feels reliable, you can explore the Shoulder Mount Climb and the Shoulder Mount Split, and learn a calm way down with the Shoulder Dismount.
