Introductory post, with a few questions of course

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 24 Oct 2005 15:50

Well, if you check my join date it says I joined over a year ago...but I promise I haven't been playing for that long. I was into footbaggin for about, oh..3 days back then. I had so much other stuff going on that I gave up and forgot about it, that is until I found my old mr.s in a drawer and started back up again. I orderd that TTT1 combo deal from worldfootbag yesterday, so my lavers and a new bag will be here in a few days

Anyways, onto a few questions

I can kick, not all that reliably...10 or so in a row using both legs and the 3 different kicks on each. I can do a toe stall pretty reliably but can't set well from it or do more than 2 or 3 consecutively. I can only do an inside stall if I drop it from my hand then catch it in my hand, and even then it's not reliable...outside stalls are about the same, but maybe a little better. I also can't get my leg around the bag fast enough for atw, legover, or mirage. And of course there's no way in hell I can pull off a clipper. (All of this goes for both legs)
I was mostly wondering what sort of tips, if any, y'all had to give me on what I should practice more to build my fundamentals up, or any particular advice on any of those moves.

For the lavers, what mods are really recommended, besides lacing them up differently? I don't want to be cutting them up as soon as I get them and was just wondering which mods are the most useful without too much cutting.

And lastly, once my order comes in I'll have both a Mr. Sandbag SandMaster, which is best for the level of skill I'm at? Or is just up to whichever I feel more comfortable with?

Thanks a bunch in advance, and sorry for the hefty post

Bander87 · Post by **Bander87** » 24 Oct 2005 16:06

Hey Josh, welcome back. Its great that you are gonna start kicking again. Good deal getting lavers too. I don't know much about modding leather lavers, but for mesh there is this link http://worldfootbag.com/shoelacing/shoelacing.html that is pretty basic and all you need. You probably can get you leg around the bag fast enough, you just need to get the form right. I know, it baffled me for a while. Just try circling the bag horizontal right about the ankle, not vertical. My first trick was legover, some there people's were atw.

As for stalls and clippers, they will come. It takes a while for your ankles to bend a certain way. Clippers tend to be hard at first for almost everyone. The took me a few months acuatly to feel I was acuatly doing them right and they way I liked.

Also with which footbag to start with, I would try both out and see which one you like better. Some people like them big, tiny, heavy or empty. I tend to like mr. sandbag's personally, one reason is because they're smaller. Its an excellent beginner bag.

Good luck with everything and don't forget to practice both sides.

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 24 Oct 2005 16:21

Leather? I think they're mesh...well, I guess I don't really know
It doesn't say leather on the info page, and I guess I sorta assumed it was mesh since that's what most freestylers use and this combo is specifically for freestyling footbaggers. :\

Another problem I have is not being able to practice whenever I want. I live on the second floor of an apartment building and my roomate can feel it every time I hit the ground when I'm practicing... so I only do it when he's out. I would practice outside but I'd feel completely stupid not only because I suck, but also because I know tons of people in this complex and I'd feel embarassed if they saw me

Yea, I know, stupid reason, but it's my reason, hehe

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 24 Oct 2005 19:15

Hey Josh. You may want to try just doing the lace mod that Bander showed you in that link, before you do any cutting. However, if you do want to remove the inner canvas so that all you have is mesh netting on the sides, you'll have to do some cutting. By the way, this is a very difficult mod for beginners. I put a bunch of holes in my first pair, but now I can do it perfectly.

The trick is to cut only the canvas. The best way I've found to do it is by soaking your lavers in hot water for about 15 minutes before you go to it. That helps the glue dissolve that's holding the canvas to the netting. Then you have to take sharp pointed small scissors and work the blade under a stitch in the canvas. Since the canvas is just a series of stitches, you just want to keep cutting those stitches loose, without poking through to the netting. Then, once you have a big enough hole in the canvas, wedge a fork prong in there and move it around in a circle, separating the two fabrics. Then start cutting away canvas. Eventually you can get a pen and move it around in there to separate it too. Then just cut the canvas off. Keep repeating this procedure until you've removed all of the canvas from those netting panels. The toe is a lot tougher, but it's doable. By the way, don't try this only with a razor, you need those small scissors to do it right.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Good luck!

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 26 Oct 2005 07:59

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give y'all a quick update on my progress

I haven't gotten my lavers yet, should be here by Friday...yay!

My kicks are getting a lot better, more control, still can't string together more than 10 or so...but they're getting cleaner. My toe stalls are also getting better, can hop back and forth and do 5 or 6 of 'em, rest of the stalls are about the same. But the really good news...I landed my first atw just now! I can almost always get my foot down under there in time now and kick it but this was the first time I was able to toe delay from it, woo

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 28 Oct 2005 09:47

I've run into a new question for y'all

I can land atw with both legs pretty often now, and legovers on my strongside and I can almost hit them on my flipside.

What I was wondering was...with any dexes, where does the leg actually have to circle the bag? I've been doing it anywhere between the middle of my shin and just above my toes; I'd just like to know the proper location that way I can start only doing it there to keep my game cleaner for later

Thanks again

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 28 Oct 2005 14:33

I got my lavers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gonna go lace 'em up quite right and go shred!

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 28 Oct 2005 14:44

Hey man,
In response to your question about where the bag should circle your leg. Anything that is somewhere along your leg is considered 'clean' however a dex that is in the foot region is considered 'thin'.

You should aim to get your dexes as deep as possible, as in, as far up your leg as possible within reason.

mc · Post by mc » 28 Oct 2005 15:09

yeah, just above the ankle to just below the middle of your calf is perfect dex region for dexes done with that part of your leg, called leggy dexes. if you're going to dex with the upper part of your leg, called a hippy dex, the bag can go right behind your knee.

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 28 Oct 2005 15:59

Oh my! Lavers are great! I just did the lacing mod up at worldfootbag.com and it seems to be working great

I can hit everything so much better now... and I'd still be practicing right now but it's Friday night on halloween weekend, so I'm off! Have a great weekend everyone

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 29 Oct 2005 02:34

Modding the insides and toe-box gives you a better touch with the bag - I hadn't done it until now and I regret it. Though do as you want, splitting the layers can be risky.

http://www.hoodshouse.com/ helps a lot with pretty much everything.

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » 30 Oct 2005 22:55

Few more questions

But first, I'm progessing nicely...can hit atw a lot more often now but I'm still having trouble setting from them, same with legovers.

1) I'm not getting any better with my kicks (and I'm actually noticing they're a bit harder with my lavers, odd...), should I focus more on my kicks now and get them down solid before I do much else? Right now what I'm doing is I kick for 5-10 minutes at the start of a session then 5-10 minutes afterwards.

2) I'm having trouble getting the rhythm down with toe stalls. I can go back and forth between toe stalls for dozens at a time, but there's a slight pause in between. I see the way my friend does it...he sorta bounces off his setting foot right after the set, but I can't see to get it down. Any tips for that?

3) Any tips for mirage? I can't even get close to doing it properly. I just fumble at it, jump at the wrong time, land on the wrong foot, hit the bag with my leg, all kinds of things wrong.

I think that's it for now

*edit*
Also! I'd love to talk to anyone from here but I'd feel silly just randomly IMing people...please, feel free to shoot me an IM, all my contact info is in my profile

mc · Post by mc » 31 Oct 2005 06:12

hey bud, once again, welcome to the forums

requests for trick tips like your last post should be placed with their own thread in the trick tips subforum AFTER you take a quick glance down through the topics to make sure your question hasn't already been covered.

please don't start a thread there called "just a few questions", start ones for the individual questions, one for mirage, one for kicks, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if there's already been some posts...

::looks::

yep, here's some tips for mirage.

as for kicks and those tiny toe stall switches you're asking about, I'll tell you what. If you start the thread, I'll answer the question. It will be good practice for both of us.

Senor Grommet · Post by **Senor Grommet** » 09 Nov 2005 15:17

Thank me later for this advice:

Focus not on hitting the trick but on hitting the trick in a controlled manner so that you may set the next trick. For an ATW, this means hitting the move with enough time to spare so that you dont have to rush your next toe set. You may want to try exaggerating the stall by prolonging the time the footbag is touching your laver surface when you're stalling.

EDIT: you also might want to practice freezing the stall after hitting moves like legover or ATW. By freezing I dont mean keeping your leg immobile while the bag hits your foot, I mean stalling with enough cushion of the bag that you can end the stall at its lowest point and the bag will not roll off. Then hold it there a sec and repeat.

CIC flurry · Post by **CIC flurry** » 10 Nov 2005 17:51

Word Senor Grommet!

I should do that more too.

hackeysnacker · Post by **hackeysnacker** » 10 Nov 2005 20:28

try incorportating consecutive knee bumps while you're still working on your consecutive kicks - that should help your toe-setting motion later on.