Leaders, you have several responsibilities during a pot-stir. The first responsibility is to let the follower start the spin on balance. This drill will help with that part of the spin.
The Drill: With a partner, lead the follower to begin a pot stir. Leaders, step back twice on 1, 2, opening up your right shoulder. On 3, you pass the follower’s right hand into your right hand and provide an open hand (like a tuck) for the follower to compress into. Pause as the follower compresses into the hand.
At this point, do a position check. The point of connection should be aligned with the leader’s right shoulder (or slightly inside) and the follower’s forearm should be close to vertical. If the follower’s forearm is straight, it indicates that the leader is going too far forward on 3.
Continue the position check by having the follower shuffle her feet in order to rotate in place. Leaders, you are keeping the point of connection between the follower’s elbow and shoulder so that the follower’s forearm remains vertical. If at any point you have to lean or bend in order to keep the follower’s frame stable, or if the follower has to change her frame, your positioning is off and you need to adjust so you can keep both of your frames consistent.
Repeat the setup drill until you can consistently position both of you in the proper place. This positioning will adjust slightly based on the arm lengths of you and your partner, so it’s ideal to try this exercise with different partners if possible.