jamimah cup grip is where your thumb and fingers are all on the same side of the pole so your thumb is touching your other fingers (pic of cup grip). True grip is where your hand makes a "C" so your thumb and fingers are on opposite sides of the pole and is usually the most natural way to grab the pole (I believe you're doing true grip). Then there's orientation of the grips (thumb up vs thumb down) which I believe is what you are talking about. Cup grip is usually less secure than true grip so I'd be careful if you aren't used to inverting in cup grip

My new fav 😍

I actually asked Stephanie Tallant for a full tutorial on this one recently bc in her tutorial video I blinked and she was in a Marion amber on spin and I'm like I need a "Marion amber for dummies" video 🙈I've never tried it but yours looks really close here. One thing about the top hand is it's supposed to be in cup grip and it looks like yours might be in true grip which could be the reason you feel pressure on your thumb.

Doctor 👩🏽‍⚕️specialize in psychiatry and sub specialize in child and adolescent psychiatry

Totally understand the frustration. I have moves that I felt like I should be able to do quickly and found myself getting frustrated that they weren't happening (BOP was the most recent one I wallowed to Steph about before I finally got it). Usually when it's an advanced move like this, I take a long break from it and work on other things that are not related to that move at all like maybe working on improving moves I already know or working on a new move that I know I can get pretty quickly. I then revisit the advanced move maybe a month later or longer to check in on the move and see how I feel about it (motivated vs frustrated) to determine if I work on it now or again table it and continue to work on other things. I've found that overtime working on other tricks builds my confidence, strength, and flexibility inadvertently without me hyperfixating and drilling the same things and not seeing any results. The number of videos I have of me straight up falling off the pole in my basement trying to learn marchetti split by watching a reel on instagram repeatedly... this is definitely one of those moves I had to table in the past.

Lenka SAMUELY yes those 3 videos in your links plus the "straight back leg" video I posted in my previous comment are the videos I have been using to work on progressing my needle!

IM SO EXCITED YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING THIS 😍😍😍I'll be there 5sure

Stephanie Tallant I was in a Canada goose jacket in 40 degrees getting laughed by the locals, so it's totally fine, it honestly wasn't as bad as I expected. No excuses I'm from the south too 😂

jamimah no I live in Philadelphia, but Chicago is a short plane ride with cheap flights so I competed there last year as well