Why the Greats are so Great

Uranos · Post by **Uranos** » 13 Apr 2006 23:13

I don't think Ankle crank is what make the greats so great.

james_dean · Post by **james_dean** » 13 Apr 2006 23:25

I waste so much time here. It doesn't affect my shred time too much but I'm spending less time here because a lot of it is just a waste of time, really. Hell, why am I here writing this now? note to self: get a life

beenjammin · Post by **beenjammin** » 14 Apr 2006 06:19

Ok guy's this is not a flat ankle thread, please dont clutter it up thats what other threads are for.
The thing that makes the greats so great is hunger. You have to have a certain passion that burns you up inside. You have to love the sport and put in more hours of practice than anyone else. You have to want everything that footbag offers. It is all a mental game. I think that any person, as long as their knees and other important parts hold up, can be just as good as any other person. Alot of people will say they want it, and they do, but what sets the greats apart is there willingness to do whatever it takes and the fact that they do.

mtoolan · Post by **mtoolan** » 14 Apr 2006 07:14

What about natural talent or backround. The way people are built can make them really good from the start or can slow them down a lot compared to others. Also, what if you played a sport or had a hobbey that somehow prepared you in some way previous to playing footbag. I'm sure the flexibility part of footbag doesn't really scare former gymanasts. All these little things add up.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 14 Apr 2006 08:42

mtoolan wrote:What about natural talent or backround.

Whining about the natural talent is for those, who don't have it. Go to play footbag instead.

Guest_2 · Post by **Guest_2** » 14 Apr 2006 09:06

I play as much footbag as my knees can handle

I hang around modified instead of fooling around with girls!

SlashC · Post by **SlashC** » 14 Apr 2006 09:22

What makes the "greats" so great.

A bowl of KELLOGG'S FROSTED FLAKES as a complete part of their morning breakfast!

mtoolan · Post by **mtoolan** » 14 Apr 2006 10:28

You must have misunderstood. I wsn't whining that about it. I was simply stating that the way people are built can affect the learning curve of footbag players, and thats why some people learn faster than others.

Sorry for sounding like a whiner before.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 14 Apr 2006 10:43

I am of the same opinion as the esteemed Mr. Dawson.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 14 Apr 2006 11:03

its not that they're we're great...its just that everyone else kinda sucks...

Slowsis · Post by **Slowsis** » 14 Apr 2006 12:44

SlashC wrote:
What makes the "greats" so great.
A bowl of KELLOGG'S FROSTED FLAKES as a complete part of their morning breakfast!

They're GRRRRREAT!!!

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 14 Apr 2006 20:37

I don't think it has anything to do with how much time they spend on modified.

The "greats" are great because they push themselves the hardest. If you want to be "great" then you need to push yourself harder. Maybe that means changing your priorities. It depends what you do in your life.

I don't think a lack of "natural talent" is by any means a thing that can stop you from being a "great". It's just a good excuse for not pushing yourself to see how good you can get. I tend to believe that anybody has the potential to be at least as good as any of the top players - you just need to work harder.

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 14 Apr 2006 21:09

Flat ankles!! Lol. I spend 2-3 hours a day, 5-7 days a week shredding. Should I not spend some of the remaining hours of my week communicating with other people who share my interest in the sport, and discussing footbag and non-footbag related topics? I really think it's cool that we have the ability to communicate with footbaggers from all over the world. Man when I was growin up we didn't have this stuff.

The greats are great because they wanted it badly, and they practiced 4-5 hours a day, 7 days a week. They also have some natural talent. And like it or not, Vasek's admitted to standing on his ankles since he was 5 years old!

Dude, it's the footbag community. If it weren't for Modified, a lot of newbs may have given up. The support that we provide for beginners is amazing. We have chat, SICK vids to watch, help topics, help vids, stickys with all the right info, AND if you want to know what your fellow footbagger thinks of life, the universe and everything, we even have that. Modified rocks!

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 14 Apr 2006 22:22

Obviously, what makes the greats so great, is skateboard ramps made from plastercine that they attach to their lavers, ala Lynton.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 15 Apr 2006 04:23

mtoolan wrote:You must have misunderstood. I wsn't whining that about it. I was simply stating that the way people are built can affect the learning curve of footbag players, and thats why some people learn faster than others.

Sorry for sounding like a whiner before.

No, you didn't sound like a whiner. I know talent has an affect, but that's why the other people just have to train harder to be the best. It's unfair.

Jorden · Post by **Jorden** » 15 Apr 2006 09:08

Nobody is born great. To get good at freestyle it's all about goal setting and always pushing, never just maintaining. No trick is ever perfect, so there is always room for refinement. Even basics!

Flat ankles is not crucial for success, but man it certainly helps! I don't have very flat ankles and it creates further obstacles in my game. Flexible ankles really help for precise spinning sets (like spinning sucking and surging), swirls and swirl sets, and osis bails.

So yeah, the key is to always want more.

andr00 · Post by **andr00** » 20 Apr 2006 12:33

this thread has quickly progressed from humor to ankle crank whining to inspiration! thanks modified

jon · Post by **jon** » 20 Apr 2006 13:47

To ignore factors like natural ability/talent/aptitude and gentics is foolish in my humble opinion. They along with hard work and intelligent training are what make a player great. Just like every single other sport and basically everything in life.

SandWraith · Post by **SandWraith** » 20 Apr 2006 16:08

Sports is a lot like academics-- it's not a level playing field. There are people here that study like 5 hours a day for a week in advance of a chem test, and they are beaten by people that looked at the material for a half-hour the night before. Sure, I'll agree that just about anyone can get an A if they put in enough effort-- but there's definately a different amount of effort required for different people.

Just call me hagesy · Post by **Just call me hagesy** » 20 Apr 2006 18:12

Obviously, what makes the greats so great, is skateboard ramps made from plastercine that they attach to their lavers, ala Lynton.