diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index e57e0a1..6f21a43 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ pub struct RotationConstraint {
     pub roll: Range<f32>,
 }
 
+// shorter version of an affine transformation??
+struct PoleTarget {
+    origin: Vec3,
+    tangent: Vec3,
+    normal: Vec3,
+}
+
 pub fn inverse_kinematics_solver_system(
     query: Query<(Entity, &IkConstraint)>,
     parents: Query<&Parent>,
@@ -67,24 +74,46 @@ impl IkConstraint {
             joints.push(parents.get(joints[i])?.get());
         }
 
-        let start = transforms
-            .get(joints[self.chain_length - 1])?
-            .1
-            .translation();
-        let end = transforms.get(self.target)?.1.translation();
-
-        let target = end;
+        let target = transforms.get(self.target)?.1.translation();
         let normal = transforms.get(joints[0])?.0.translation;
-        let pole_target = None;
 
-        Self::solve_recursive(&joints[1..], normal, target, pole_target, transforms).map(drop)
+        let pole_target = if let Some(pole_target) = self.pole_target {
+            let start = transforms
+                .get(joints[self.chain_length])?
+                .1
+                .translation();
+            let pole_target = transforms.get(pole_target)?.1.translation();
+
+            let tangent = (target - start).normalize();
+            let axis = (pole_target - start).cross(tangent);
+            let normal = tangent.cross(axis).normalize();
+
+            Some(PoleTarget {
+                origin: start,
+                tangent,
+                normal,
+            })
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
+        for _ in 0..self.iterations {
+            Self::solve_recursive(
+                &joints[1..],
+                normal,
+                target,
+                pole_target.as_ref(),
+                transforms,
+            )?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn solve_recursive(
         chain: &[Entity],
         normal: Vec3,
         target: Vec3,
-        pole_target: Option<Vec3>,
+        pole_target: Option<&PoleTarget>,
         transforms: &mut Query<(&mut Transform, &mut GlobalTransform)>,
     ) -> Result<GlobalTransform, QueryEntityError> {
         if chain.len() == 1 {
@@ -95,21 +124,40 @@ impl IkConstraint {
         let (&transform, &global_transform) = transforms.get(chain[0])?;
         let parent_normal = transform.translation;
 
-        // determine absolute rotation and translation for this bone where the tail touches the 
+        // determine absolute rotation and translation for this bone where the tail touches the
         // target.
-        let rotation = Quat::from_rotation_arc(
-            normal.normalize(),
-            // todo: constrain our own position to the pole plane maybe??
-            (target - global_transform.translation()).normalize(),
-        );
+        let mut from_position = global_transform.translation();
+        if let Some(pole_target) = pole_target {
+            let on_pole = pole_target.origin
+                + (from_position - pole_target.origin).project_onto_normalized(pole_target.tangent);
+            let distance = from_position.distance(on_pole);
+            from_position = on_pole + pole_target.normal * distance;
+        }
+        let rotation =
+            Quat::from_rotation_arc(normal.normalize(), (target - from_position).normalize());
         let translation = target - rotation.mul_vec3(normal);
 
         // recurse to target the parent towards the current translation
-        let parent_global_transform =
-            Self::solve_recursive(&chain[1..], parent_normal, translation, pole_target, transforms)?;
+        let parent_global_transform = Self::solve_recursive(
+            &chain[1..],
+            parent_normal,
+            translation,
+            pole_target,
+            transforms,
+        )?;
 
         // apply constraints on the way back from recursing
         let (mut transform, mut global_transform) = transforms.get_mut(chain[0]).unwrap();
+        // if let Some(pole_target) = pole_target {
+        //     let angle = -rotation.mul_vec3(normal).angle_between(pole_target.x_axis);
+        //     let target = Quat::from_axis_angle(pole_target.z_axis, angle).mul_vec3(pole_target.x_axis);
+
+        //     rotation = Quat::from_rotation_arc(
+        //         normal.normalize(),
+        //         (target - global_transform.translation()).normalize(),
+        //     );
+        // }
+
         transform.rotation =
             Quat::from_affine3(&parent_global_transform.affine().inverse()) * rotation;
         *global_transform = parent_global_transform.mul_transform(*transform);