Footbag survival

Psilocybe · Post by **Psilocybe** » 23 Feb 2008 13:14

Q: Why does everyone else have someone to shred with and you don't?

A: It seems like everybody has someone to play with because those that don't have a higher chance of quitting. Call it footbag evolution/survival of the fittest. People who have others to play with are much more likely to continue, get good, and post at modified. This explains skewed distributions of players also - why certain cities have 10 players and some have 1 or none. One would think that the distribution of players would be uniform across the cities, proportional to their population, but instead it tends to form clumps of people who reinforce and encourage each other independent of population. Those that don't have others...disappear.

Footbag evolution 101

Grade Zero · Post by **Grade Zero** » 24 Feb 2008 20:06

I don't have anybody to shred with either.

balancebagger88 · Post by **balancebagger88** » 25 Feb 2008 09:28

Me either

balancebagger88 · Post by **balancebagger88** » 25 Feb 2008 09:29

Me either

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 25 Feb 2008 15:50

Go to tournaments. I went to a bunch my first year. I shredded solo 99% of the time that year, but when I could I'd make it up to tournaments. Also I kinda bonded with dave clavens and josh benham and they were about 3 hours away. I went up there a couple times. I've driven to Philly to kick with people, that's about 2 hours away.

It all just depends on you. You gotta feel footbag in every part of your body. That's the only thing that will keep you playing. I know what you mean about getting lonely in footbag though. For a while for me it was pretty tough. Modified helped cuz I could chat with people that were starting out like me too.

balancebagger88 · Post by **balancebagger88** » 28 Feb 2008 09:09

sorry,double posted

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 28 Feb 2008 11:07

balancebagger88 wrote:Me either

why dont you two just play together??

i didnt play with any other footbagger for the first year i kicked, and i never really expected to. but then a few different people came out of a few different places at a few different skill levels. thats how it is, you never really see it coming until someone moves into a nearby town, goes to a nearby college, or you move or whatever. if none of these happen convince one of your friends to try it.

Benzilla · Post by **Benzilla** » 29 Feb 2008 17:42

When i first started playing i was solo for a while. Then i got my friend eric into and and we footbag everyday, atleast in the summer. We tend to have seshes together but the winter somehow makes us go solo. I guess that is good in a way so we can drill and then come together and motivate each other more in the summer.

I almost completely stopped playing footbag a little while ago... But after seeing this one video of these two guys and their level of enthusiasm i was like" GOTTA GO SHRED NOW NOW NOW!!!!" and i did. I happy i didn't stop. I don't plan on stoppnig anytime soon. As long as i have motivation there is no reason for me to stop. Pain used to be a major reason of why i took breaks, but now it won't(thats alot easier to say when my pain is gone, it may change when it comes back)

Psilocybe · Post by **Psilocybe** » 01 Mar 2008 06:41

Your anecdote supports the theory perfectly.

pips · Post by **pips** » 01 Mar 2008 09:15

I'm still a solo shredder unless I go to tournaments (duh), but that is rare at the moment for me. I get a little jealous of people who have others to kick with.

But I have been feeling a lot better now that I post videos and get commented on, either for good stuff or things I need to improve on. I'm not going anywhere just yet.

If you can't play with people, get a camera and start posting videos. And start a challenges thread. That helps a lot, too. Sorry if you already do this stuff and I didn't notice, but just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

Holliday · Post by **Holliday** » 01 Mar 2008 16:39

I agree, without someone to shred with, it can be discouraging at times. That form of competition that develops can really push your game into the next level. Or so i hear! heh... Actually, before I got into footbag, I was playing Hacky Sack that was basically just consecutive hits, but I did have a group of people that I could play with, and I attribute that to my solid kicks.

I don't actually have anyone to play with right now, and it would be awesome if I could make it to a tourny one of these days. But there doesn't seem to be many down here in New Mexico....

Does posting critique videos really help that much? I figured it'd just make me angry at my play style...

great post by the way.

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 01 Mar 2008 18:42

Does posting critique videos really help that much?

http://www.youtube.com/user/gmoney629
Watch the first video, then compare it to the last video. My form used to be terrible, my arms were all over the place, and my back looks like a fish hook. My form isn't perfect now, but it's loads better due to many criticisms of videos I posted. Post videos within reason, but there are some things you just can't pick up on because you don't know you're doing them, or you know you're doing them you just don't realize they're wrong.

I've played with someone else once. So that's like 99.999% by myself. I think the hardest obstacle in the world is yourself. I can sit and watch videos and critique people left and right, but saying to yourself that "I'm doing this wrong, I need to change it" is like impossible for some people. You really have to listen to your body. Just today I found out that I draw inspiration from things like old cartoons, 'epic' movies, and weird music videos. I mean, it sounds rather silly, but it's things like that that push me thru my solo sessions. Once I quit for like 6 months due to lack of motivation then had to restart again. Playing by yourself, you not only lack somebody else to push you, but somebody else to show you exactly how everything's done and what you're doing wrong. You just have to figure everything out for yourself and it's not easy. And that's all I have to contribute to this thread right now.

Holliday · Post by **Holliday** » 01 Mar 2008 20:07

Wow, I can really tell a big difference. But I still think it comes down to: the best form of teaching is in person. Your form improved tremendously, but was that due to your motivation to impress your critique'rs or due to the actual critiquing being done? I dunno, food for thought.

Oh, and those mats are trippy! I want some in my apartment.

pips · Post by **pips** » 01 Mar 2008 22:36

It is not always trying to impress others. There's gotta be a personal drive somewhere in there.

BassMan · Post by **BassMan** » 23 Mar 2008 18:33

I've got nobody to shred with either... The sadness... I need to find out about tourneys a reasonable distance from the middle of nowhere and whine at my parents to let me borrow the car.

Then I should whine at my friends to start footbagging.

pips · Post by **pips** » 23 Mar 2008 18:45

Texas...talk to Iron Clad Ben

Kenar · Post by **Kenar** » 04 May 2008 22:20

I play solo at work at lunch, but have seen some people playing on my way home from work.

I have a question to all you footbaggers out there. What would you think about an older person, 60, jumping into your circle? I'm afraid some may think I'm an old perve, when, in fact, I am someone who loves to kick (I wouldn't say shred, because I don't think I've reached that level yet.)

My goal -- to be the oldest living, active, footbagger.

Drew · Post by **Drew** » 05 May 2008 15:00

Kenar, you should just hop in the circle!

I think most people would be happy for anyone to join, at least I would! Usually the type of people you find hacking/shredding are laid-back and friendly people who invite you in if they see you standing watching.

Benzilla · Post by **Benzilla** » 06 May 2008 13:28

I wouldn't mind at all, it'll actually be cool to have someone much older than me come and kick with me. Its always a great feeling when someone asks to join your shred circle.

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 06 May 2008 13:45

get really really good, then join some random hack circle and start busting out. do you know how epic that would be?