Why do I dislike the Abshire? (Serious topic.)

Switch Kicker · Post by **Switch Kicker** » 23 Sep 2005 06:23

I don't get it. The Abshire 32 Mini. That's the one that I spent $35 on from FreedomFootbags.com. I can't stand the thing. It doesn't stay on your foot for crap. I love the size, the weight and all. But it just rolls EVERYWHERE. With my Mr. SandBags, I can do loads, all my basics, (I'm working on them, but I'm not good yet.), and a bit more. I can land a few Zoid set tricks, can almost do an Atomic set. Yes, I'm no where near being good yet, but I can do SO much more with a Mr. Sandbag, because it doesn't roll off my foot. It just pisses me off so much when I go in for a simple oasis and it just rolls off my foot before I can lift it back up... It's so retardedly WRONG. I've had it 2 weeks now, it should be broken in, it feels broken in, but it just rolls everywhere. Any advice, reasons, or slapping of the face is welcomed. (Slapping of the face is only welcome with advice fallowing it.)

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 23 Sep 2005 06:27

my abshire took a long time to break in. If ur bag is rolling then its not fully broken in. When you go out for ur session, just do kicks with ur abshire for about 30 min. Then do ur freestyle with a sandman. It will break in.

HooD · Post by **HooD** » 23 Sep 2005 06:41

2 weeks is long enough to have a well broken in bag...only if you spend every spare moment breaking it in by rubbing it in. So don't bash someone's hard work quite yet, you need to learn how to break bags in... Carry that thing around with you all the time, and when your hands are free, rub it and try to make it softer to play with. I've broken in bags within a weekend, but some bags just take a little more time than others. If you keep playing with your sandman because it stalls better, the other bag won't just magically break in over time, you need to kick it also so when it gets pretty dirty, give it a good wash and it should really loosen it up.

Also, if you're not that experienced, more than likely your form on osis and other basics aren't that good yet. I understand your pain because playing with rolly bags do make you less consistant, but give it time and effort, that bag will be prime.

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 23 Sep 2005 06:52

Do you really think you can keep a topic serious here on modified?

---Usually I play with Felixbags, but I've played with one Abshire Mini several times and I don't have anything to complain. IMO it has a decent grip.

sen · Post by **sen** » 23 Sep 2005 07:10

I think <b>you</b> would have roll off with any 32, broken in or not. Don't take that the wrong way, I was the same way and it took me forever to make the switch. A 32 will never stall quite the same way as a mr, but they can be much more rewarding to use.

jon · Post by **jon** » 23 Sep 2005 07:17

I had a mini that took well over 6 months to break in! Also since you are just starting out, remember that sand bags will compensate for a lot of bad form. There are players out there that could bust guitless with unbroken bags, keys, string, ect... its not always the bag that needs work.
Keep on breaking it in and shredding, good luck.

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 23 Sep 2005 07:19

Freedom bags are great to learn the basics. I highly recommend them for people starting out from the very basics, to basic guiltless. Once you get to open level, you may find stitched bags a better fit to your game.

Are you a high-level guiltless player yet? If not, maybe its too early for you to use stitched footbags. Stitched footbags can be less forgiving of mistakes (less stall friendly) but they often set "truer" (because they are rounder). For beginners/low intermediates, the advantages of a stitched bags aren`t really apparent, and therefore they can be discouraging. For higher level players (who have really mastered stalling), they don`t need the extra stallability of sandbags, and likely are trying moves which require perfect sets (spins, multiple dex sets, etc) which are easier to do with stitched bags.

As others have pointed out, its also possible your bag hasn`t broken in yet. That can be really frustrating with stitched bags... I also am very impatient with that. Just know that once it does break in, it could be a very good bag. Its also possible that it will never break in totally. I`ve met bags like that. I think its most likely however, that even when it does break in, you may find it too rolly for you at your current level, but your future-pro-self would love it.

Good luck with the break in, but always remember its about having fun. If your freedom bag works better for you now, use that. Your abshire won`t decay or anything... maybe you will find your abshire to be a perfect fit for you in a couple years.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 23 Sep 2005 08:31

*slap*

Just warm up with the abshire and then shred with your sand bag. The stitched bag will take a while to break in, and it's not really worth it to rush the break in process. You will only wear out the fabric, while the stitching will still be tight.

Outsider · Post by **Outsider** » 23 Sep 2005 09:03

it's not really worth it to rush the break in process. You will only wear out the fabric, while the stitching will still be tight.

Thats what I was going to say.

Freestyle tricks aren't learned and mastered overnight. Good freestyle bags don't break in overnight. Learn some patience.

Further, its different strokes for different folks. Some people prefer sand, some prefer larger stitched bags, some prefer smaller stitched bags. Over time you'll own many bags, some that you prefer more than others. Maybe the Abshire Mini just isn't for you. But a couple of weeks is probably not enough time to make that judgement yet (, especially for newer players).

Anyway, as Tsiangkun suggested, don't trash your bag just because you're in a hurry to get it broken in. Richie's bags are worth the investment of money, and just as important is that they are worth the investment of time. Don't rush. Haste makes waste.

DUSTER · Post by **DUSTER** » 23 Sep 2005 10:07

Chim-Chim · Post by **Chim-Chim** » 23 Sep 2005 10:24

I broke in a replacement mini Richie sent me in about 9 or 10 days. As it got bigger I just kept packing it full with plastic pellets,once it broke in I took about half the filler out... it was still pretty rolly so I emptied it completely and refilled it with 35-45 grams of 100% BBs. It sits better than a sandman IMO.

footjoe · Post by **footjoe** » 23 Sep 2005 10:44

put away your sandbag and dont use it until you dont have roll off with the mini , that will work your form

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 23 Sep 2005 12:08

Meh, I've had a mini Abshire for months, and it never broke in. Still hasn't. Just get a better bag.

Guest_2 · Post by **Guest_2** » 23 Sep 2005 12:36

Well, if you can't stand that mini, I guess I could take em off your hands...

Switch Kicker · Post by **Switch Kicker** » 23 Sep 2005 12:44

I like the last guy's advice. It doesn't matter if I'm on a year into it. An oasis is easy, I've been doing it for about 9 months now, without flaw, (Untill just lately when I started wearing pance more often in public, they just feel better...) and I have not landed ONE oasis with that ball of crap. The thing was absolutely filthy the other day, and I"ve already washed it, it's still firm and everything. I think they just packed this one too full on accident or something.

Well, (No offense to anyone on the Internet.) getting advice from online doesn't work very well. So I went to my friend Josh, who uses Abshires all the time. He's really good. He just got down a new trick, clip>op out>out>op xbody out. Basically, a clipper set barfly, only he lands it in a dragon clipper/stall, rather than a normal clipper. And he's doing all this other crap with the Dragon style lately. Anyway, I gave him my bag, and he couldn't land crap. He got 2 or 3 mirages after about 2 minutes. He told my bag was crap and that the company should send me a different one.

Btw, I play, ALL the time. And I mean, ALL the time. No matter what I'm doing, it includes footbag. I've I'm playing Halo 2, I'm sitting in a position that stretches my ankle for better form. If I'm playing with my Mr. i'm rubbing my Richie, if I'm sitting in class, I'm rubbin my Richie.

Meh, well, either way, it shouldn't be this hard to land ONE oasis. I can land a rock/pebble in an oasis, but not this thing. I can land a PENCIL in an oasis. (I did just today too.) The bag has to be the problem.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 23 Sep 2005 13:07

Switch Kicker wrote:The bag has to be the problem.

Yep, it's just not broken in yet. Have a little bit of patience.
Some bags take months to break in, and you really can't rush the process without destroying the bag. It's professional equipment, and it will be choice if you let it break in.

It feel broke in because you have your hands on an A 910. There is much less fabric in the seams than a standard 32 panel, and it gives a great squishy feeling right away. Doesn't matter, it's the stitching that has to break in for a bag to be shred ready.

Toby · Post by **Toby** » 23 Sep 2005 18:16

From what i've heard and understood, an abshire MINI isn't suitable for someone who just switched from sand bags. A mini is a training bag. You use it to train speed and form. you won't have either of those after using a sand bag and so a mini will be very hard to use for you.

Guest_2 · Post by **Guest_2** » 23 Sep 2005 19:58

Have you tried contacting Richard Abshire concerning the bag yet?

SandWraith · Post by **SandWraith** » 23 Sep 2005 20:38

By the way, it's OSIS, not oasis.

And seriously-- stop dissing people on modified. It gets really annoying to have you bad-mouthing and disrespecting people that are very good at and very knowledgeable about footbag and are trying to help you for your own benefit.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 23 Sep 2005 22:20

Richard built his business by selling bags that shred well and standing behind his products. He is one of the nicest people, and takes his business seriously. Give him a call or PM, I'm sure he will be glad to work this out, even if you want to return the bag for a refund or exchange. Richard offers a gentlemans guarantee on all his bags. Maybe you got a color pattern that will take a long time to break in, which isn't really ideal for you if this is your first facile 32.

If you don't want to talk to the one person "company" who produced the bag, get ahold of Freedom Footbags. Someone in that unfeeling multinational conglomerate might be able to take care of this too.

Facile footbags historically were a buy at your own risk item. Sometimes they aren't easy to break in, sometimes they self destruct, but no stitcher ever intentionally releases a product they think is not going to be shred worthy.

It's been so long since I got my first facile bag that I forget how bad I wanted to shred it. I destroyed it, of course. I'd wager 80% of players destroy their first facile 32 before it ever got choice. Patience. The only think worse than a choice bag that takes 6 months to break in, is a $35 dollar investment turning into a piece of cheesecloth.