If soil is poor and guys or pole braces are not suitable, the alternative is a ground brace.

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When soil is poor, you need a load path that reaches deeper, more stable material rather than relying on surface soil strength. A ground brace provides that by connecting the pole to a buried anchor, creating a rigid diagonal support that resists lateral wind forces and prevents the pole from leaning. This setup transfers the load into firm soil or rock below ground, making it effective when traditional guys or surface pole braces aren’t viable. The other options don’t deliver the same restrained stability: a padeye is only a connection point for cables and doesn’t itself resist lateral movement; an anchor rod or concrete foundation relies on bearing-capable soil or substantial excavation, which isn’t feasible with poor soil conditions.