DV Info Net - Steadicam Pilot - Getting Started Q & A

Hands-free will definitely teach one how to position their hips to get the rig to float where they want it, but there are still plenty of mistakes that could still be made, from head and neck position to footwork to arm position--and then there's fingerwork and grip technique as well. Theoretically someone could learn to fly the rig handsfree with it in front of them instead of to the side. I think there's a certain amount of value in using the hands-free technique but I fall short of suggesting it as a primary learning tool as you advocate, as I'm concerned that without supervision, some practitioners of that technique might gain habits from their hours spent walking around handsfree such as letting go with the gimbal hand while operating, if even momentarily. I think that a significant number of people who heed the hands-free advice without supervision will not have the discipline to duplicate hands-on form as closely as possible, i.e. with hands just above the proper positions on the post and gimbal, and will fall back to walking around with hands at their sides.

Also, if the rig is not dialed in to the operator properly (arm adjustments at socket block), when operating hands-free the operator will have to compensate by leaning the other direction, of course. Once you get that sort of muscle memory locked in the brain, it might be hard to erase (I've seen that at the workshops). Conversely, someone who is operating with both hands on the rig may adopt proper form but have to muscle the gimbal hand more to compensate, which is obviously a tiring way to do it but once you dial the arm in properly, they will automatically just feel better.

Everyone approaches Steadicam from a different vantage point physically. Some take it to it with a certain ease, others struggle madly with the body mechanics. The good news is that with enough practice, most become comfortable with the basics of flying the rig, but often what learning technique works for one does not work for all, so again I hesitate to advocate hands-free flying as a universal technique. Over the years I've seen Garrett continue to evolve his suggestions to individual operators at the workshop, and then Jerry has a completely different approach, and I might suggest something different myself.