Hey, not sure what to say in a first entry. I've been playing freestyle for only a couple months now and I'm loving it. I've learned a lot but I believe it'll be some time before I master even some of the more basic moves to the extreme that I want to. Anyways, I've had my lavers for about a month but I didn't want to mod them at all so I've played up until now without modded shoes. I just now did the toe and inside mod stuff and I'm about to go play again to see how it feels. At least I know the shoes will feel more comfortable now.
It's getting close to christmas. I hope I get a digital camera so I can start recording myself.
The story of a lonely traveler
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lonelytraveler8
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The story of a lonely traveler
Greg Thomas
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lonelytraveler8
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Well, my ankle is sprained. I sprained it about a week ago and after the pain away I didn't stay off of it. I haven't hurt it again since, which is lucky, but I've decided I'm going to take a break from footbag for sometime. I think I'll do some stall drills to keep my stalls and delays up to speed, but nothing serious. I still have diving so hopefully that'll keep me flexible and my legs strong.
On a different note, playing with the modded shoes was more comfortable but I don't think it affected my game much. I came up with a simple drill to keep my delays and stalls working while I let my ankle heal. It'll also help me work my left foot (my switch foot) since it is far behind and really can't do half of the things my regular foot can. The drill just requires that I do one of the six basic stalls (outside, inside and toe) followed by another. I have to make sure I switch feet with each stall and I have to do all six before I can repeat one.
Besides that, I'm going to do alternating insides, outsides and toes, etc. in which I simply do a stall/delay on one foot and then the same one on the other foot. I continue this until I can get 10-20 stalls/delays. I think most of my trouble in landing a lot of tricks I've been trying and some of my linking of tricks is due to my weak outside stalls (especially on my left) and my bipolar toes. I swear that sometimes my toes like the hacky sack and practically eat it they hold onto it so well, while other times they don't and instead let it roll off my foot, even if it is against the force of gravity. While I may be exaggerating a bit, the point is my toe stall ability seems to fluctuate for some odd reason.
Anyways, I'll keep this updated on how my ankle is coming along and how my stalls hopefully improve.
On a different note, playing with the modded shoes was more comfortable but I don't think it affected my game much. I came up with a simple drill to keep my delays and stalls working while I let my ankle heal. It'll also help me work my left foot (my switch foot) since it is far behind and really can't do half of the things my regular foot can. The drill just requires that I do one of the six basic stalls (outside, inside and toe) followed by another. I have to make sure I switch feet with each stall and I have to do all six before I can repeat one.
Besides that, I'm going to do alternating insides, outsides and toes, etc. in which I simply do a stall/delay on one foot and then the same one on the other foot. I continue this until I can get 10-20 stalls/delays. I think most of my trouble in landing a lot of tricks I've been trying and some of my linking of tricks is due to my weak outside stalls (especially on my left) and my bipolar toes. I swear that sometimes my toes like the hacky sack and practically eat it they hold onto it so well, while other times they don't and instead let it roll off my foot, even if it is against the force of gravity. While I may be exaggerating a bit, the point is my toe stall ability seems to fluctuate for some odd reason.
Anyways, I'll keep this updated on how my ankle is coming along and how my stalls hopefully improve.
Greg Thomas
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lonelytraveler8
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mosher
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I like the way you think regarding footbag.
Keep up the pressure on being bothsided, you will thank yourself down the line.
Also, don't stress the outside stall sucky-ness, you won't be using them much unless you get into the funky jon schneider-esque dragon stuff.
Have you started trying clippers yet?
Really drill your inside stalls and you will get more comfortable with catching the bag on that part of your foot.
good luck man.
Keep up the pressure on being bothsided, you will thank yourself down the line.
Also, don't stress the outside stall sucky-ness, you won't be using them much unless you get into the funky jon schneider-esque dragon stuff.
Have you started trying clippers yet?
Really drill your inside stalls and you will get more comfortable with catching the bag on that part of your foot.
good luck man.
Tom Mosher
hate is a waste of passion!
hate is a waste of passion!
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Mathochist
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Don't let anyone scare you off, though, from playing with outside delays if you like. One of our current world chanpions did quite a number of those in her routine at World's. Jon Schneider's is a funk to be emulated.mosher wrote:Also, don't stress the outside stall sucky-ness, you won't be using them much unless you get into the funky jon schneider-esque dragon stuff.
That said, everything Mosher wrote is true, especially about bothsidedness. Keep at it, brutha.
My favorite trick is knowing when to pass.
Rob Creel III
Rob Creel III
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lonelytraveler8
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Yeah, clippers aren't too much of a problem. I could use a bit more control on my right clipper and a lot on my left, but I can still do a clipper on both and several tricks from a right clipper. I figured that since I can't really do much hopping around for awhile, I'd concentrate on working my control, especially with my left foot. It didn't take long to get all the stalls working with my left foot the past two days, but it still feels weird trying to set it and such with my left. I s'pose I'll get there, so I'll keep practicing.mosher wrote:I like the way you think regarding footbag.
Keep up the pressure on being bothsided, you will thank yourself down the line.
Also, don't stress the outside stall sucky-ness, you won't be using them much unless you get into the funky jon schneider-esque dragon stuff.
Have you started trying clippers yet?
Really drill your inside stalls and you will get more comfortable with catching the bag on that part of your foot.
good luck man.
Greg Thomas
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lonelytraveler8
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edit: I can't find the thing to get pictures off my memory card, so until I do there won't be any pictures in this post to help, but it's not too complicated.
I got home today and put my lavers on. As usual they were tight and annoying. I like shoes because I'm flat footed and need the support, but I don't like them being too tight around the opening in the shoe. In other words, I like them to slip on and off relatively easily without damaging the shoe (i.e. stretching the opening with your finger to slip your foot in through a very tight opening). So I unlaced one and decided to do a little customizing with the lacing and I liked how it came out...it even opened the toe box more. So here's a little picture diagram of what I came up with:
1) Start by going up through step 7 on [url=http://hood.012webpages.com/Living%20Ro ... rMods.html[/url] lacing guide.
You should end up with something like this:
2) Make sure you pull what you have done so far tight, because chances are that it will be very difficult to do so later on. Next, lace the strings down through the third eyelet, back up through the second eyelet. You should have the string going through the second and third eyelets twice now.
3) I think this step is optional, but I think it helps keep the toe box open more by keeping the string tight on everything you've done so far. For this part, simply lace the string back down through the third eyelet again, which can be a tad difficult. When done you should have something like this (step two will look like this two, but they are different):
4**) If you don't mind have your shoestring lace under the bottom of you shoe, then follow the red star. If you do then here is the last step. Lace the string up through the first eyelet then down sixth eyelet. Make sure it's on your foot so you can pull it tight to your liking and then tie. It should look like this:
**Ok, I find this better for opening the toe box. Continuing from step 3, lace the string up through the first eyelet. Now take the strings and pull them down, slightly toward your ankle and around the bottom of your shoe. (Don't go around the top at all) lace them down through the sixth eyelet, pull tight and tie. If you pull too tight, it can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't take much to open the toe box wide.
Now adjust the the tongue of the shoe to your liking and that's it. I like to make the toe area a little lose to add more cushion for the footbag, but that's just me. With this lacing I can slip the shoe off and on a lot easier without it falling off on its own, adjust the tongue much easier and it's just more comfortable overall for me.
I got home today and put my lavers on. As usual they were tight and annoying. I like shoes because I'm flat footed and need the support, but I don't like them being too tight around the opening in the shoe. In other words, I like them to slip on and off relatively easily without damaging the shoe (i.e. stretching the opening with your finger to slip your foot in through a very tight opening). So I unlaced one and decided to do a little customizing with the lacing and I liked how it came out...it even opened the toe box more. So here's a little picture diagram of what I came up with:
1) Start by going up through step 7 on [url=http://hood.012webpages.com/Living%20Ro ... rMods.html[/url] lacing guide.
You should end up with something like this:
2) Make sure you pull what you have done so far tight, because chances are that it will be very difficult to do so later on. Next, lace the strings down through the third eyelet, back up through the second eyelet. You should have the string going through the second and third eyelets twice now.
3) I think this step is optional, but I think it helps keep the toe box open more by keeping the string tight on everything you've done so far. For this part, simply lace the string back down through the third eyelet again, which can be a tad difficult. When done you should have something like this (step two will look like this two, but they are different):
4**) If you don't mind have your shoestring lace under the bottom of you shoe, then follow the red star. If you do then here is the last step. Lace the string up through the first eyelet then down sixth eyelet. Make sure it's on your foot so you can pull it tight to your liking and then tie. It should look like this:
**Ok, I find this better for opening the toe box. Continuing from step 3, lace the string up through the first eyelet. Now take the strings and pull them down, slightly toward your ankle and around the bottom of your shoe. (Don't go around the top at all) lace them down through the sixth eyelet, pull tight and tie. If you pull too tight, it can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't take much to open the toe box wide.
Now adjust the the tongue of the shoe to your liking and that's it. I like to make the toe area a little lose to add more cushion for the footbag, but that's just me. With this lacing I can slip the shoe off and on a lot easier without it falling off on its own, adjust the tongue much easier and it's just more comfortable overall for me.
Greg Thomas
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lonelytraveler8
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Well, my ankle is feeling better and I can play if I keep an ace bandage on. I found out I had the butterfly confused with the illusion. I've been playing with the illision for the past few minutes and I nailed it a couple times but most of the time I accidentally kick the bag the the floor. All in due time. My clippers got a heck of a lot better seemingly out of nowhere, especially my right clipper. I can even pull of a fairly decent osis on my right side, when just a few days ago I couldn't even come close. The only difference between now and then is that I've been forced to rest and not play at all. So I'm glad to hear that rest can do you good, but my stalling drills may have helped. Even though I didn't include clippers in them (it involved too much hopping sometimes), I think the regular inside stalls improved my clipper as well. Anyways, I pulled off my best string of moves last night.
toe mirage >> clipper >> paradox mirage >> opposite toe >> butterfly >> osis >> toe where I dropped it trying to do an ATW
On of my fellow divers at school saw this and asked me to do it again, but I couldn't even get as far as the butterfly again. I'm still very happy that I managed to do this and hope I can do it again soon. I have to show off to my fellow players at school
toe mirage >> clipper >> paradox mirage >> opposite toe >> butterfly >> osis >> toe where I dropped it trying to do an ATW
On of my fellow divers at school saw this and asked me to do it again, but I couldn't even get as far as the butterfly again. I'm still very happy that I managed to do this and hope I can do it again soon. I have to show off to my fellow players at school
Greg Thomas
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lonelytraveler8
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I've improved a lot since my last update. I can do a double atw now and I even caught it on video. I got a ripwalk on video, too. I can't do them everytime, but I'm getting better. I also came up with another practice run, and I'm getting better at the one I already had. They're both only four trick, but I'm still new to connecting tricks.
I was playing with my friend at the community Y the other day and did a double legover from a clipper. I was happy, because learning how to do that helped me figure out how to do the ripwalk more often, even though the style I use to do the double legover is completely different than the ripwalk. The other day in English class, I was talking with another footbag friend. He told me that my other friend was "freaking because he says your getting crazy and he has to practice like crazy to try to keep up with you." I felt kind of bad, because the person he was talking about is the one that got me into the sport, and I've always considered him a role model in the game. I've always tried to catch up to him and then, recently, I guess I just got much better seemingly out of nowhere. I was off my foot for a week when I sprained my ankle on the 4th, and when I came back to the sport, I was far better. I'm not sure how that works, but it did and I'm really happy to be improving even when I'm not playing lol. I just hope I don't discourage my friend. Who knows, maybe I'll hit a plateau with connecting my tricks and then he'll suddenly get it and fly by me. All I know is I'm going to keep playing. It's feels good to be able to play something like this really well (by my standards at least), even if few people I know can appreciate it.
PS - I got a digital camcorder for Christmas. Now I just have to get a new hard drive and then find a way to host videos online. Merry Christmas everyone, or Merry Holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas.
I was playing with my friend at the community Y the other day and did a double legover from a clipper. I was happy, because learning how to do that helped me figure out how to do the ripwalk more often, even though the style I use to do the double legover is completely different than the ripwalk. The other day in English class, I was talking with another footbag friend. He told me that my other friend was "freaking because he says your getting crazy and he has to practice like crazy to try to keep up with you." I felt kind of bad, because the person he was talking about is the one that got me into the sport, and I've always considered him a role model in the game. I've always tried to catch up to him and then, recently, I guess I just got much better seemingly out of nowhere. I was off my foot for a week when I sprained my ankle on the 4th, and when I came back to the sport, I was far better. I'm not sure how that works, but it did and I'm really happy to be improving even when I'm not playing lol. I just hope I don't discourage my friend. Who knows, maybe I'll hit a plateau with connecting my tricks and then he'll suddenly get it and fly by me. All I know is I'm going to keep playing. It's feels good to be able to play something like this really well (by my standards at least), even if few people I know can appreciate it.
PS - I got a digital camcorder for Christmas. Now I just have to get a new hard drive and then find a way to host videos online. Merry Christmas everyone, or Merry Holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas.
Greg Thomas