Developing freedom of movement by "playing along the tracks"

An exercise Nick Woolsey calls playing along the tracks builds freedom of movement by keeping your poi aligned to two imaginary “hallway walls”. Work mode by mode with short poi and open arms, avoiding tricks and focusing on clean rhythm, spacing, and plane control while you move around the space.

Practise travelling, changing levels, and turning while maintaining a consistent mode such as split-time opposites (and later same direction). The aim is to notice where your planes drift or wobble, then refine until they stay stable through rotation. Use a mirror or shadow for feedback as you train reliable planes and timing for smoother transitions later.