Toolman

Keep a diary of what you're hitting, what's frustrating you, and your goals.
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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 17 Feb 2006 17:16

I'm still new to footbag. Only about two weeks into it. I figured that I'd start a blog now so I can look back later on and laugh at myself.

Here's a little about myself. I'm 16, I live in Bethlehem, PA right near Dave Clavens and he's teaching me. I've skateboarded for the past 3 years and have been completely obsessed with it until I found footbag(I work with Dave and he showed me one night on break). Ever since I haven't touched my board. I have no urge to at all. I play jv soccer at Bethlehem Cath. HS, and i work at Giant Food Stores as a service associate(bagger).

Now for the footbag aspect. I've never really hacked or anything until now. I have a Mr. Sandbag that Dave gave to me. I haven't bought Lavers yet but plan to w/in the next 2 weeks. My kick record is in the 50ish area. I can toe stall(both), inside stall(both), ATW(both), reverse ATW(left), legover(mostly left but a few times right), mirage(both), butterfly(left but SO close on the right), and clipper(ood left but not good enough on right thats why I haven't hit flip butterfly). My first and only string over 2 tricks that i wont hit again for a while because it was mostly luck is flip ATW>legover>butterfly. I'm not very consistent but I'm hoping that will change once I get Lavers.

Mike Toolan
Last edited by mtoolan on 03 Jun 2008 21:55, edited 12 times in total.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 18 Feb 2006 15:11

Not much goin on today. I wroked at 7:30 this morning so I was kind of wiped out. Then got home at 12 and had a buttload of chores to do, which wiped me out even more.

I kicked for a little but nothing really worth mentioning except that I almost got my string again today but I dropped on the butterfly. I also got 2 consecutive clippers today for like the 2nd time. This time it wasn't luck. I can do it on purpose a lot of the time. Other than that i was just kicking it around randomly throughout the house.

No work tomorrow so maybe i can kick more.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 19 Feb 2006 14:49

No work today but still didn't do much. I was sick on friday so mabey thats why I've been kinda sluggish.

Last night I had a small 20 minute session and got 3 consecutive clippers on the same side., which really got me excited cause it was my first time. But, alas, nothing else to come of the session. If you could call it that yet.

Like I said before not much went on today just some random kicking whenever I had the ureg(which comes more often everyday). I really need to work flip clipper. Thats whats gonna happen tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not too tired. It's the last day in this short 3 day weekend so I gotta make it count.

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Skippy!
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Post by Skippy! » 19 Feb 2006 14:54

Definitely school your flip. Set a goal of hitting three consecutive flip clippers in a row. If you practice your flip right off the bat you're gonna be a better player. So practice your flip!!

Good luck!
dan cyr
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Post by brian relly » 19 Feb 2006 15:02

Yo, stick wit' it. Dave is definitely one of the sickest out there, so you've got it made as far as a dedicated teacher goes.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 20 Feb 2006 19:21

Hello, tis I Mike Toolan.

OK day for footbag. Didn't start doing anything 'till about half an hour ago. Theres noticable improvement in my flip clipper. I'm still hand feeding it but I think it'll survive and someday be able to hunt its own footbags in that dark unseeadle, faraway place called tiltless. I also got clipper mirage. I had gotten it flipside before but it was a lucky clipper. Before I really knew how to do them. Go figure. I'm also getting better at legovers. But I still have to wrok on consistency for EVERYTHING.

I don't think I'm learning fast enough. I look at Dave when I'm shredding with him(mostly him shredding and me working on it) and I think "Damn, I can't wait 'till I can do that. I think its true when people say starting out is the hardest part.

I think I'm gonna go work on the hardest part right now.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 21 Feb 2006 15:39

I had a good, productive session right after school today. I noticed improvement in everything. I've worked out this kind of drilling regimen. I have a cd playing and each move gets its own song. It goes like this:

Song 1: Kicking
Song 2: ATW
Song 3: Flip ATW
Song 4: Legover
Song 5: Flip Legover
Song 6: Mirage
Song 7: Flip Mirage
Song 8: Clipper
Song 9: Flip Clipper
Song 10: Butterfly
Song 11: Flip Butterfly
Song 12: Kicking
Song 13: Stretching

And once I dial one move I'll replace it with another. Except for the kicking and stretching. Also, all the songs are 5+ minutes so they all get a good amount of time. I plan to do this 1 or 2 times a day. Then I can move on to bigger and better moves and start forming some good lines.

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Post by david » 21 Feb 2006 16:37

brillant! that sounds so good. i really think that will work for you.
david

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 21 Feb 2006 16:43

Thanks Dave

Had another sesh today. Followed my routine for most of it then slowly worked into kicking because I was kind of tired from the one after school. And besides I have to break my elusive and sucky record of fifty which I didn't beat once again today. I'll get it tomorrow.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 23 Feb 2006 19:05

I went to Dave's today and I kicked with him for a little today. He helped me out with a lot of things. He told me to keep my toes pointed forward on clippers and other tricks. I also hit my first pickup and then I hit it from flip clipper. And last but not least I hit a new string today:
flip ATW>legover>ATW
not too impressive but hey, I'm still learning. Also, I got legover BSOS

Other than that not much going on. Daves headed for Colorado for CSS tomorrow. And I'm ordering Lavers this weekend after my mom checks out WorldFootbag to see if its "safe".

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 25 Feb 2006 09:12

Not much happened lately. I have finally raised my kicks record slightly from 50 to 60 so I'm semi-happy, and hopefully my Lavers arrive this week. Also, I was at a friends house yesterday and we were on his computer(which works way better than mine) so I watched some of the videos in the video section. Crazy!!! I watched a few Vasek videos and some Peter Irish, it was nuts. Can't wait to get a better computer.

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mosher
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Post by mosher » 25 Feb 2006 09:19

Sounds like you're really taking to footbag, good to hear!

You also write funny stuff sometimes, props. :P
Tom Mosher

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Post by The Rhino » 25 Feb 2006 10:54

mtoolan wrote:each move gets its own song.
that is a really interesting concept. Are you still abiding by this and if so, how does it work for you?

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 25 Feb 2006 13:19

I haven't done it for a few days but thats because one day I was working and one day I was kicking with Dave. But I intend to keep doing it throughout this week.

It helps a lot for me. If I didn't assign a move to a song I wouldn't work on it for as long, because if I just go at it casually and let everything blend then I'll get sidetracked. This way I force myself to practice basically the same amount of time to each trick. Otherwise I would just get bored working on a trick and I'd move to another so that the first one isn't adequately practiced.

It works for me.

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The Rhino
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Post by The Rhino » 25 Feb 2006 14:57

You've given me some inspiring thoughts, thank you.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 27 Feb 2006 13:22

Just saw the results for CSS7. Dave won shred 30 and rippin run. Pretty nuts.
Also, I ordered my Lavers form worldfootbag yesterday. Well, actually I ordered the combo kit with the Lavers, the video, and the bag. Now I'm gonna be going nuts until they come. The shoes I shred in are completely thrashed. The toungue came off. It was already halfway off and there were holes everywhere because I skated them to near shreds before footbag. But I'll miss the way they let the breeze in and how they smelled of sweaty feet mixed with axe.
Lets all have a moment of silence for the first pair of shoes I ever shredded in..........................................................................................................

OK now there in the trash.

Peace out until next time.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 28 Feb 2006 16:08

The lavers haven't arrived yet and I'm getting antsy because I can't play without shoes. Well actually I have shoes but they're big and heavy and clunky and........big.

In other news some guy got pissed at me when I was walking my dog becaused she crapped on his lawn. I was picking it up but he just kept on talkin. Good thing I had my mp3 player with me. :twisted:

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 28 Feb 2006 17:06

I'm gonna try to shred in these big clunky shoes anyway.Beacause......I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 28 Feb 2006 19:30

I kicked for a while and I got my record up to 60. I'm still not happy, but I guess I can't expect much from not having even hacked until Dave showed me footbag. Everyone else seems like they've hacked for years before freestyle. Maybe thats why I'm moving so slow.

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mtoolan
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Post by mtoolan » 01 Mar 2006 17:23

Today was a pretty sweet day even though my order didn't come. I hit so much stuff today.

First off I hit a new string. Legover>atw>mirage>butterfly. Also, I hit a couple new tricks today: clipper>far legover and flip butterfly. And I have the basic idea for whirl and double legover so I feel like I can get those soon.

There's a possibility of a considerable "wintery mix"(aka snow, rain, ice) tonight so I'm hoping for a snow day or at the very least a delay. We've only had one or two snowdays this year and I think we're WAY[/u] overdue for another one. But regardless I'm going to shred with Dave tomorrow so I'm pretty psyched.

Everybody where your pajamas on inside out tonight just for me.[/u]

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