You thought a pompom was a pompom? Ha, nope! There are actually different types of pompoms in cheer sports, all of which are constructed differently and therefore have completely different uses.
Which model is used does not depend on personal taste, but on who uses it, for what purpose and with how much experience. So that you can have a say in the next game or competition, let’s break it down logically.
To understand what the differences are, we need to take a quick look at how a pompom is constructed.
Each cheer pompom basically consists of two elements:
The grip: It determines how the pompom is held and how much control you have during fast movements (the so-called motions). There are classic grips (like a simple, straight stick) that only rest in the palm of your hand. And there are variants that look like small brass knuckles or elastic loops (loop or cheer handles). With these, you interlock your fingers directly in the handle for maximum control or to free your hands for stunts and throws at lightning speed without the pompom flying to the ground.
Streamers: This is the technical term for the individual fringes or plastic strips. They make the movements more visible to the audience. Streamers are available in various lengths, widths and materials – from classic matt and glossy to metallic or holographic effects that are extremely reflective under spotlights.
And it is precisely the combination of handle and streamers that separates the wheat from the chaff. You should know the following three types.
Dowel pompoms consist of a short, sturdy plastic or wooden stick with the fringes attached to one end (and therefore only sticking out to one side, like a mop). You hold the dowel directly by this handle fe This makes it extremely easy and safe to handle, even under pressure or during sweaty choreographies. This is why Dowel pompoms are widely used by beginner teams, schools and in training.
Pompoms are primarily distinguished by their handle, which is why they can have slightly different names depending on the supplier. Dowel pompoms are sometimes also called cape or peg handle pompoms.
Visually, this is the classic shape that you are familiar with from carnival costumes, for example. In professional cheerleading, the dowel pompom is of course of a much higher quality and has many more fringes.
By the way: when we talk about the very cheap version with extremely few fringes, the jargon is rooter poms. Rooter poms are not sports equipment, but pure fan giveaways or accessories for costumes.
The more professional version for the mat is the baton pompom. Here, the handle is hidden as an invisible bar right in the middle. The streamers extend to both sides and almost completely enclose the hand. Sometimes the handle of this variant is not a bar at all but a small loop through which you put your fingers.
This gives the pompom a perfectly symmetrical, much fuller ball look and ensures maximum visual impact with fast arm movements. If you are competing in a real competition (all-star cheer or pom dance), you will usually go for the baton.
Due to the way this pompom is constructed and the weight is distributed, you need much more control and strength in your fingers. You have to have a clean grip so that you don’t accidentally throw it away, especially during fast and abrupt motions. This type is therefore used almost exclusively by competition teams, championships and experienced cheerleaders.
Very rarely, cheerleaders actually only hold the fringes in their hands – completely without the typical puffy look. In the professional world, this is referred to as dance streamers (or streamer hoops).
You can imagine the whole thing looking a bit like oversized strips of tinsel, i.e. individual, very long, wide ribbons. When the athletes move their arms, they pull flowing plastic strips through the air – similar to what we know from rhythmic gymnastics.
