JakeM's Footblog

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 20 Apr 2006 12:13

Hi everyone reading this blog, my name is Jake McCleary. I live in Exeter, NH. Welcome, nice to meet you... all that stuff...

Anyway, sometime around late spring of 2005 I discovered footbag because I was looking for "hacky sack" tricks on the internet so I could add variety into the circles during lunch at school. I stumbled upon http://www.geocities.com/trippderelict/, which led me to footbag.org. I got lavers right away and that summer I played occasionally, but really got footbag when I discovered modified.ca. I played in my basesment almost everyday I didn't have work. Now I can finally play outside. I've played alone 100% of the time, the websites I mentioned are the only resources I have, if I'm doing a trick wrong I won't know until I meet someone else out there who plays.

Now I'm a solid tiltless player, I like to think of myself as pretty much guiltless... there's a lot of 3's I can do.

Some of the tricks I can do include...
-Most 2's
-DATW (in-out both sides)
-Whirls (need more work, usually 2/5 I hit)
-Pixie set tricks (PLO, Smear, Magellan... etc.)
-Stepping set tricks (ripwalk, sidewalk, stepping legover, blurry, blizzard)
-Atomic sets (atomsmasher, legbreaker) - not as strong as my pixie/stepping
-Around 10-15 different 4 add tricks, most both sides
-Torque both sides

I can get great tiltless runs, usually easily around 15-20 contacts. I want to be able to hit many two dex tricks in a row and get down a strong guiltless shuffle by the end of the summer. Right now I can only link a few two dex moves, but since it's nice out I think that with the rate I am playing it will come by the end of summer. I have also hit one triple dex move (pixie DLO), which I'm very proud of because when I first found out about footbag I was like "wtf?" at two dex moves.

Anyway, I'll probably post a lot, but I'm going to be taking a few days off I think because my right hip hurts when I bring it up (in an atomic-like movement) on the tendon. It's been like that for like two weeks, and I want to let it heal before it gets worse.

Thanks to anyone who gave this blog the time of day to check out, expect another update in about a week.

-Jake McCleary

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 20 Apr 2006 18:10

I forgot to say I'm 18... anyone who wants to replay to anything can feel free to. I'll probably ask some questions about various tricks or concepts of footbag later when I have my next session.

sen · Post by **sen** » 20 Apr 2006 18:44

Hey, nice to hear about your game. I know what you mean about shredding alone. I'm the same.

I'd also like to suggest that you see a Doctor about your hip. I'd hate to see you injure it!

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 23 Apr 2006 16:39

Thanks for a response already! I wouldn't have thought it would happen that fast

. I was going to take like a week off, and play, then if my hip still hurt see a doctor before it got to bad. I still haven't played, and it sucks. Its hard to resist playing when I really want to, I think about it all time. I have a new problem now though, randomly yesterday the inner side of my heel just started hurting, it sucks. I got new shoes, which could be the problem since they were a little tight. Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions or ever had a sore heel for no reason and could post anything about it that'd be sweet.

I think I'll play tomorrow if its nice out and I feel good. If not, as soon my heel pain goes away I'll play again. I'll probably wait until that session to update my footblog again.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 25 Apr 2006 08:51

I had another session. Hip is still sore, I'm going to try icing it daily for the next week, play, and then if that doesn't work I'll visit the doctor. Heel still is sore, but I didn't notice it while I played today which was sweet.

Today I worked on my BOP's a lot, I need to strengthen them in order to strengthen my guiltless. I noticed how bad I am at infinity>infinity... I started off not being able to do more then 4 consecutive infinities, but then something clicked suddenly and I more than doubled that a bunch of times.
Then I went on to same side butterfly>osis>pxdmirage>rpt, I hit that twice (could do it a bunch of times with out the rpt). I firuged it was a good drill because it used the B the O and the P all in one

.
I also hit stepping opclipper>rpt X3 and Butterfly>pdxmirage>rpt X9.
I ended with whirls, I can't do anything out of them except toe stall and sometimes opposite clipper. I guess they need some work also.

It was nice to play again even though I know I shouldn't with my hip being painful and all. Footbag is like a drug sort of... I get cravings for it and I need it sometimes despite whether or not it will hurt my body. I think it was worth it today

.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 27 Apr 2006 12:06

I got a recruit!!! I let my friends little brother borrow my lavers because he gained interest. I guess he found flipsider and was like wtf... footbag's way cooler than I ever though possible. So I let him borrow my old lavers because I have G-Unit's, and gave him one of my old 32's that always seemed to light for me.

We were going to play today, but I had work and couldn't get a hold of him so I guess he's going to play alone. He already hit 8 consecutive toe stalls on his first day, and this is someone who couldn't do more than two kicks when I gave him my old lavers. I think tomorrow we'll play.

I also ordered myself a pair of Nastase's. I think it looks like a cool alternative to the laver, I want to hold off on modding them, but most likely I won't be able to resist. We all know how fun it is to get new shoes, cut them up, and then play footbag in them. I'll post pictures when I get them, and then if I mod them I'll post pictures of them after also.

Anyway about my session...
-I had some good guiltless strings with lots of butterflys/pxdmirage but my osis still isn't very strong.
-I hit drifter for the first time today on my strong side a bunch of times, but only like 2 or 3 times on my flip.
-Worked on flip DLO, and kind of figured out why it sucks, I think I need to lift my miraging leg higher.
-Worked on atomic for a while, but with my damn hip pain I can't see how I'll ever get good at it unless the pain ends. (The hip pain hurts the most when doing atomic-like motions.)

I'll play tomorrow, so there will be another update very soon!

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 04 May 2006 11:56

So I didn't end up playing. I made a good choice to not play, and my hip is feeling a lot better now than it had before. I don't feel it when I'm doing casual activities like I did before. I'm going to wait until next sunday to play, then I'm hoping the pain will not come back.

Anyway, today I got my Nastases!!! I'm totally stoked, they're beautiful. I am going to hold off on modding them and wear them to school for a few weeks (maybe until summer). I'm still not to sure about how to mod them either. I noticed the tounge is stiff, I think I'm going to take off the inside of it because it is very soft material. I also think I have to just mod them like leather lavers. We'll see how it goes after I get some use out of them.

If anyone wants to drop me some advice who has actually modded these, I'd love it.

Anyway here are some pictures...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/549 ... 2208qvdIvu
http://community.webshots.com/photo/549 ... 2208DhoCHI
http://community.webshots.com/photo/549 ... 2208XFXRIO
http://community.webshots.com/photo/549 ... 2208DvJZdT

I can't figure out the thing, is this wrong?

If someone wants to tell me the right way that'd be nice.

Now really I'm going to wait until my next session to post...

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 06 May 2006 11:39

So my hip was not hurting during the day for the past 2 or 3 days, and I decided to have an easy session today just playing tiltless for about 15 - 30 min. Guess what, my hip hurts again. I'm pissed, this stupid little injury is ruining footbag for me. Fuck it, I'm going to play one good session tomorrow and then I'll see the doctor next week. I'm sick of this.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 07 May 2006 14:38

Yesteray was my first time doing physical activity with my hip. It was a sweet day, I played in a softball tournament that I've played in for the past like 6 or so years. It's called the Wright Start Memorial Fund (named after my best friends mother Karen Wright, who died of cancer), and the money goes to the Wright Start which is like a pre-school for little kids. My hip hurt some that day, which was depressing but I decided to play today anyway.

I played with that kid that showed interest like two weeks ago. He already has his toe stall down, but I don't think he ever tried the basic kicks, which as we all know is a fundamental building block of this sport. I guess I have to tell him to take a step back before he can take any more steps forward, because he couldn't really get more than 3 or 4 kicks when he tried them. It was still a fun session and nice to play with some company.

My hip didn't hurt to badly!!! I heated it before warm up for like 20 min, warmed up/stretched, and then heated it for 20 more min before I went over to play.

Highlights of my session:
-barrage for the first time on both sides.
-pdx barrage on my strong side
-flip pdx whirl finally
-blurry whirl!!!! my first 5 =)
Barrages are friggen sweet. They feel awesome to hit, I think I'm going to incorporate more pdx/toe barrages into my game when they get stronger, I never really see other people doing those.

The downside of today's session were my pixie sets, they totally blew for some reason. I guess in that week+2days rest they went down hill, I had trouble linking double dex's. I can fix that next session I think. Time to stretch and heat my hip again.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 10 May 2006 11:27

After talking to a few different people about my hip pain, I think that I have tendonitis in it, so I'm taking time off again which is a drag. I haven't played since sunday, it sucks but I have to take a break to help myself progress forward anymore. I'll wait like a week more off, and play next wednesday i guess. Cross you're fingers that my hip isn't lame anymore =/.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 24 May 2006 12:50

Yay!!! I had a pain free session today. Was my first time playing in almost 3 weeks, which felt like FOREVER. I kept this session easy, I didn't do any uptime components. I stuck with 2 add's and BOP's, and I actually practiced my spinning game today. I hit spinning clipper on my strong side a few times, it feels cool. I also footed gyro mirage a bunch of times. I cannot wait to be healed up again, so I can continue on my way to becoming pure guiltless! I'm just glad that I'll be healed before summer rolls around.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 28 May 2006 09:33

Alright so I think my game is back where it was. Getting it back only took me 3 sessions, not to bad. My game today kicked ass, my guiltless runs were longer and more consistent then ever (still not to great compared to other people, but awesome for myself).

Highlights:
Doing sets again without pain!!! (pixie/atomic/stepping)

I hit a couple ducks mid string, and before today I could never really get enough height out of my clipper set to duck it.

And....

Blur>Atomsmasher!!!! (Totally stoked about this, I think it's like 1/3 of Rubberman)

Some goals for this summer:
Learn swirls
Hit rubberman
Get better osis, I noticed today a lot of my guiltless strings end on a dropped osis.

I'm feeling great right now, having footbag back it the best thing I have going for me.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 06 Jun 2006 12:56

Finally, another session. After I was all healed up I got some medication put on a plantars wart I have on my foot which made it blister up like a bitch, so I had to take more time off. It's hard to play with blisters on your feet the size of quarters. Anyway, that healed up mostly, so today I had a great session.

My Highlights:

-Magellan>smear>plo bs (i couldn't link the damn combo for a rpt)

-Butter>blur>butter>rip (i just started hitting stepping out of butter today)

-My longest guiltless string (probably 10 - 13 contacts), I even managed to throw a spinning clipper into it.

-Spinning Clip weak side

-Almost hit 3 different types of set's in one string, I got the pixie/stepping, but could not hit them and an atomic too, maybe next session.

All in all today was one of my best sessions. I really hope I didn't play to hard because I don't want my hip problem to come back. If it does the doctor told me I'll need physical therapy to get it gone for good. I just get carried away and all my sessions end up being so much longer than I intend them to be.

On a side note this is my last week of school, today was my last real school day. I have two days of finals, then friday is just a chill out day, then prom/senior week, and then... I graduate from highschool!!! I can really up my footbag time after that and boost my play level. All I have left to do is finish a math project tonight (which is my final in that class).
Shower/Stretch Time!!!

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 12 Jun 2006 11:22

I had an awesome session today. I can totally feel myself getting more better/consistent. My guiltless game is looking soooo much better than it did even like 2 weeks ago. I have a lot more variation. It feels friggen great.

Highlights:

Pixie Butterfly>torque

My stepping has improved soooo much, its just about at consistent as my pixie setting now. And my hip hasn't been bothering me to much!!! This was the first time I felt good enough to play two days in a row. If this keeps up I'll be able to shred everyday over the summer. It feels great.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 16 Jun 2006 09:29

Played again, nothing amazing happened, I'm just still on my way to improving my consistency/string length. The one thing I liked about today was an old lady in my neighbor hoods daughter was visiting her, and when she drove by she was interested and stopped and was like "what's that!!! it looks like a good workout!!!". I was able to throw down a little guiltless play as she drove by, I guess it caught her attention.

Recognition feels good.

If anyone could post some paradon/ddd/dod/barfly tips in here I'd appreciate that a lot too, the first dex is hard for me, although I have a strong illusion and butterfly. Which is easiest to learn first out of those 4 tricks?

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 17 Jun 2006 13:39

Shitty session today, I think it's because last night I was up all night on my final class trip of senior week. We took a bus to UNH and there were a lot of activities to do for the whole night (until 5am)

Anyway, highschool is officially over for me, which is kind of sad but kind of exciting at the same time. None of my friends I actually hang out with went on the last trip, they're all going to a concert in Saratoga, NY. I didn't want to make a 6 hour drive after graduation. Them not being on the trip forced me to make connections with people that I had not before. So, last night I talked to a lot of random people I really hadn't during high school. I had a really good conversation with a girl who I had one class with junior year, and never really talked to. I vented a lot to her, for some reason I really felt like she was someone I could trust to not go telling other people what I had said, and even if she did highschool is over, so who cares? She was so easy to talk to, I got a lot off my chest and didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. To anyone who is reading this, I highly recommend venting to someone if you don't usually do it, it feels fucking great. I have to try it more often.

Another thing I made sure not to do was be a dick to anyone, and really try to get around to a lot of different people just to say hi and shoot the shit. Make one final impression on them. Why not leave on a good note? I really made an effort to put anything behind me that I had (such as dislike's for other kids), I think that no one should leave high school hating anyone, it isn't worth it.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 23 Jun 2006 13:15

Today was one of my best sessoins yet (I know I say that a lot... but they really do get better and better, which is definately a good sign.) My guiltless is improving a lot, I still have a few two's in my runs, but more then half the tricks I throw down are 3's, and even somtimes a 4.

For a while when my hip hurt I stopped trying drifters, because the really made the pain act up, but today I tried them again and my strong side drifter is good enough to hit midstring. A new 3 to add to my repitoir. My weak side still needs some work.

I also worked my gyro clippers and I think once I nail them consistently, my spinning clippers will improve drimatically.

Highlights:
Butterfly>whirl>rpt

Butterfly>whirl>drifter>gyroclip off foot

My osis seemed to be a LOT better than normally today.

Tapdown mid string

A few tapping mirages, they were coming very naturally.

I usually don't remember a lot of the better combos I hit for some reason.

On a side note, I got a longboard as one of my graduation presents, and it is soooooo fucking fun. To anyone who likes snowboarding and doesn't want to wait until there is snow, do yourself a favor and get a longboard. Going down hills is a huge rush, especially when you get going really fast and can't stop (sounds sketchy, but it's so scary it's fun). The only downside is I think I hurt my groin muscles from pushing off to much and not stretching, so I'm going to be taking the next couple of days for relaxation. Last time I didn't let myself heal up my hip tendon got messed up, which I don't want to happen to my groin. Peace.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 26 Jun 2006 09:20

Today the rain could not have come at a worst time. I was all done with my warmup, went inside to stretch, I drank a lot more water then I usually do before hand, and I even drank a monster energy drink (last session I had one and I think it made me play way better). Finally, I'm all pumped up and ready to have the best session of my life (thinking positively

) and... I come out of my room only to see a complete down pour! I can't think of where I should go to play now, my basement area is all dirty and we got a new dog who took a bunch of craps down there, which I really don't want to clean up. All I can do is wait and hope for the rain to stop and the ground to dry quickly. If that doesn't happen then I'll just feel like I wasted a lot of time and an energy drink (those things are damn expensive for their size...). I just had to write this in my blog to get out some of my anger at this rain. Maybe later I'll post again if I can squeeze in a session. Thanks for reading.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 26 Jun 2006 10:57

Cool, the rain ended and I got to go outside. The ground was damp to begin, but after a while it dried up, I just had to play with some damp bags. For some reason all my bags are getting holes all over them, I don't have one bag that does not have steri-strip patches all over it. I don't understand, before the past month I had not really got too many holes in my bags. It's like some bag-plague recently has infected all my bags. I think it may be time to buy a new one.

All in all I had another fulfilling session, a couple drills came together for me today.

Highlights:

Butterfly>Ripwalk>Ripwalk

Butterfly>Ripwalk>Sidewalk (bs, not rpt though... Can't wait until i can hit that a few times in a row.)

SSButterfly>ducking clip>rpt.

PS mirage bs

Backside Blur (my second 5 yay) one side, footed on other side

The garbage man stopped and was like, woah you're good at that. More recognition!!! Can't argue with that. The main bad part about today was my whirl consistency was not as good as it usually is, but maybe next session it'll be good.

My groin still hurts, I'm going to take another 2 or 3 day rest. I wonder what it's like to not have any pain at all when you play, it must be great. Anyone who plays footbag pain free, cherish it well you are still 100%!!! And by the way even if it is just a mental thing, energy drinks have been making me play so much better.

Jman9089 · Post by **Jman9089** » 30 Jun 2006 09:21

I played the other day and today, nothing too great came out. My stomach felt a little gross the whole time, almost like I was going to throw up at some points. One plus about today was that I was hitting more gyro clippers mid string which was sweet.

I really want to be able to hit more than 2 ripwalks with ease, but I'm having trouble linking anything that is stepping to anything else stepping. I want to be albe to hit stepping clip> stepping opp clip>rpt, but it just wasn't happening today. I can't play tomorrow because I have work all day, maybe a rest until sunday will allow me to play better.