I agree with Sue, you're crossing that top leg over way too much. You should cross it over just enough to hook the foot on the pole otherwise your calf will get in the way regardless of calf size. I think of it as putting one knee over the other and hooking the foot. Then I walk the hands down. I also like to start from a genie because it sets you up better than swinging all the way from a jasmine.

I wanna do thissss 😍🙃😬. But after pole con

I don't have one but I'm sure I could find a modification

jamimah Stephanie Tallant roly poly™️

Admittedly I have not watched this tutorial video. However I feel like a modification to make it easier would be to put the blocks on the medium setting™️ which would make your legs more bent and give you wayyy more leverage. In order to do this move you need to be on top of your sit bones (weight more foreward) and I find that position more natural to find in the "medium setting" than in the lower. A popular move at one time in the dance world was to try and go from center splits and sliding up to standing keeping both legs straight and without using your hands so I'm not sure what the goal is with this exercise but that's the goal I'm imagining from when I was a kid hahaha

Unfortunately yes, every pole has like a factory coating finish that is super slippery when you first get it and you have to "break it in" with recurrent use. You will have to use an obscene amount of grip until you start to wear down the finish with use. Also wiping the pole more frequently with alcohol and making sure the pole is physically warm sometimes helps too

Stephanie Tallant I knew you would, you have a video for everything 😍

Shoulder mount, pop to trapped split!