Considerations
The greatest challenge with the close hold is in leading the follower to take backward steps. This is simple if you're using the Latin American variant (as in the video clip), where the force from the lead's forward step is relayed directly to the follower through the hip contact. But if there is any sort of gap in the partnership, the only way to transmit lead force in the basic hold is through the lead's left and follower's right arms (called the "picture arms"). But delivering a force that doesn't pass through the body's centre of gravity causes it to rotate, as the follower's would do in the clockwise direction.

Another challenge is in leading the follower to step to her/his left if there is some partner distance. Again, the only means of delivering lead force is via the poorly leveraged picture arms. If not properly constrained (equilibrated), a clockwise moment [tendency to cause a rotation] is introduced into the follower, which would be interpreted as a signal to turn instead.

The partner offset makes it easy for partnerships to rotate clockwise as a whole, because both partners are already partially out of each other's way. But try to rotate the partnership anti-clockwise and you're completely in your partner's path. This is a reason why dance systems based on anti-clockwise partner rotations, like the Cross Body Lead (see Teaching & Salsa) are more linear or elliptical than circular.

The offset also means that forward steps are more easily taken with your left leg than with your right (back right and left respectively for your partner). If you step forward with the right while your partner steps back with the left, your partner's right leg would still be in the way, forcing you to take a diagonal step. This factor is particularly significant in the merengue basic step.
   

Further Practices: Hold Variations

1. Compression Hold
This type of hold allows a gap to exist in a partnership, but with the advantage that the follower does not experience undue moments. All forces of the hold are resolved to pass through the follower's vertical axis [a line perpendicular to the floor passing through her/his centre of gravity].

Preparation
Assume the basic close hold with some partner distance.

Description

1. Lead: re-angle your left palm to face your partner's spine (approximate location of the vertical axis).
    
2. Lead: a part of your right arm, somewhere between the palm to the elbow, should be in contact with the left side of your partner's torso.
    
3. Lead: adjust the site of contact of your right arm, and the angle of your left hand until you can draw a straight line from your left palm, through the follower's vertical axis, to your right arm's point of contact. It will be necessary to incline your left palm downwards and to rotate your right forearm slightly clockwise to achieve the straight line on all planes.
    
4. Lead: gently apply a little pressure into your partner through both contact points, placing your partner under compression.
    
5. Follower: Fill-out the hold by increasing the muscle tone of your right arm: expand your arc of the partnership by pressing outward with the palm of your right hand and with the left side of your torso..
    
6. Lead and Follower: adjust compression/tension forces until a comfortable, balanced and secure hold is achieved.

Test the hold by leading the follower to take a series steps backward. If the angles are correct, the follower will not experience any undue turning signals.
 

2. Latin American Variant
The premise of having a higher level of contact in a partnership is to allow forces conveying timing and directional information to be transmitted more easily between the two bodies. Achieving this level of contact before you start dancing is the key, followed by maintaining it during the course of the dance.

The follower's abdomen is sandwiched between the lead's right palm and abdomen. Additional information concerning limb direction and timing is detected by changes in contact pressure, through the area extending from the lower ribs to the top of the knees.

Preparation
Is similar to the basic hold but with some minor changes detailed below.

Description (amendments)
Points:

4. Follower (possibly Lead): step up to your partner, offsetting your centreline by one hip-width. Just before your hips make contact, the taller partner relaxes his/her knees very slightly. This helps to accommodate any height difference in the partnership.
    
6. Lead: once in position, secure your partner's abdomen to yours by placing your right palm on your partner's lower back.
    
6. Lead and Follower: keeping your upper bodies upright, lower both your seats by flexing at the knee. Ideally you will both have contact at the small indentation situated midway down the inner thigh of your right legs. Your left legs should make contact on the other side of your partner's right leg.

Notes
Dancing in such proximity invariably changes your lower body action:

1. Your weight is situated more on your heels because your upper body cannot pitch as far forward.
    
2. The final lateral roll of the hips should be adjusted to match your partner's. You may need to attenuate it for the sake of maintaining partner contact, resulting in a hip action that swings more from side-to-side.
    
3. If you keep your knees relaxed, the hip sway will cause your knees to swing, and your partner's as well (remember that your partner's right knee is situated between yours). You can use the swing of the knees to reinforce that of your hips, to synchronise your action with your partner's.

Be careful not to lean forward too much, because it would cause your partner to lean back: increasing the chance of back-strain, and making it difficult for him/her to take effective steps.

When taking forward or backward steps, allow your legs to swing freely from the hip joint [learning tip: "like a pendulum"]. This does two things: it stops your partner from treading on your toes (he/she has to push your thigh out of the way first, by which time your toes are long gone); and it makes you more sensitive to lead signals transmitted through thigh contact. A decrease in contact pressure (on your thigh) is a signal to step forward, and an increase in pressure is a signal to step backward.