Break in Tips (was: doctor)

sen · Post by **sen** » 18 Jul 2006 00:20

Be careful with breaking in the bag. If you do it fast it can shorten the life-span of the bag.

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 18 Jul 2006 09:24

The hand break-in methods I use are from Jeremy Mirken and Tom Mosher. For Jeremy's, you can easily search for it in footbag.org and it's in his video section of his profile. Tom still has the video of his hand break-in method at Kingstonfootbag.com. I highly recommend in using them as a ritual for your bags, as they can significantly break-in the bag without so much as making it pill or get dirty. Washing the bag is also important in break-in, so you can find a good tutorial at the Kingston website as well.

Of course, it's widely known that the most effective in breaking in a bag is to just kick it around. It'll take some time, but with some free kicking it'll break-in the bag. And with hand-break-ins and washing, it shouldn't take so long to get your bag extremely shred worthy.

Hope this helps.

Spontaneous Spaz · Post by **Spontaneous Spaz** » 18 Jul 2006 14:50

yah, thanx alot for ur help guys

Badnfluenc · Post by **Badnfluenc** » 26 Jun 2007 18:11

anyone have any little tricks they use to break in a footbag rather than playing with it?
I have had this abshire for 3 months now and play every day but it still isnt broken in. I massage it when i have time, i have tried using water and massaging it but it just wont give. Any suggestions?

zeroman13 · Post by **zeroman13** » 26 Jun 2007 19:45

just keep kicking and massaging it, those are the 2 best things you can do to break in a bag!

ObArA'BaRs · Post by **ObArA'BaRs** » 26 Jun 2007 20:42

thats the only way you practically can do it without making an oily sticky bag.
Ive experimented many times with different methods of break in and they all seem to alter the bags playability and its durabliblity.

My only advice is to get some lead shot and fill the abshire bag heavily with it.

Then kick it around and resume the hand massage method until break in is complete.

Remove the lead, and refill to desired weight.

You can also try Cods poly pellet break in method of filling the bag full of poly pellets then massaging the bag. This may pill the bag a little depending on how patient/firm you are with the bag.

LEGOMAN · Post by **LEGOMAN** » 26 Jun 2007 21:20

ObArA'BaRs wrote:thats the only way you practically can do it without making an oily sticky bag.
Ive experimented many times with different methods of break in and they all seem to alter the bags playability and its durabliblity.

My only advice is to get some lead shot and fill the abshire bag heavily with it.

Then kick it around and resume the hand massage method until break in is complete.

Remove the lead, and refill to desired weight.

You can also try Cods poly pellet break in method of filling the bag full of poly pellets then massaging the bag. This may pill the bag a little depending on how patient/firm you are with the bag.

I don't know about filling it with lead shot man. Nick Landes wouldn't make my abshire that I bought at MFJ heavyer due to him saying it would die fast due to some reason for which I forgot.

My first Abshire that I ever had took me atleast half a year to break in. What I would do is get another bag from the stitchers list (Maybe a funk due it its fast break in?) and warm up with the Abshire with kicks and stalls until it is broken it. /2 cents

ObArA'BaRs · Post by **ObArA'BaRs** » 27 Jun 2007 09:23

well your not gonna fill it really heavy and leave it like that.

Your gonna make it heavy so the fabric breaks in faster when your kicking it around, then remove the lead after the bag is broken in enough.

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » 27 Jun 2007 10:47

[I merged "Breaking in Bags" with this thread.]
[I merged "breaking in tricks" with this thread.]

shred_4_jesus · Post by **shred_4_jesus** » 10 Oct 2008 06:13

Just a thought. I didn't read all of the posts. But I was thinking about washing a bag if it is filled with steel or lead. Wouldn't they rust and scratch the inside of the bag causing holes? If this is of new concern, please let me know!

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 10 Oct 2008 09:22

For steel, if you feel that a bag filled with this type of shot filler is rough and not smooth, it is most likely rusted. Rusted filler can kill bags, especially if you're the type of person that is rough on your footbags. My only solution is that you refill it with something else, like lead or tungsten (because lead and tungsten don't rust at all). Planetfootbag steel shot is also a good alternative, as I think in the process of making it into bits and pieces of shrapnel also broke down its anatomy as a metal in a way.

A few good indicators on how rust can creep up onto steel filler is (1) during play when rain water, sweat and even high humidity can interact with the filler, and (2) during the wash, when the filler is mingling with water. For #2, because most people just wash their bags and don't properly dry them afterwards, the oxidation from the water can initiate and spread the rusting process of the steel shot.

So to solve this, be prepared to have a dry towel at hand and just press and dry your bags occasionally after the wash to prevent this. And if you've sweated a bunch on your bags after a long session, or played in wet conditions within a long duration of time, give it a wash immediately to prevent any impure rusting to continue.

shred_4_jesus · Post by **shred_4_jesus** » 11 Oct 2008 03:20

Noted. Thanks!

STLshredder · Post by **STLshredder** » 14 Dec 2008 09:51

does all this stuff work for amaretta

Alf · Post by **Alf** » 14 Dec 2008 10:09

best way to break in amaretta bags is break it in by hand for 2-3 days and than have session with it were you kick the bag a lot and sweat it in as much as you can

sounds disgusting but works best for amaretta bags!!!!!!!!!!!!

(for facile bags, the sweat is not a good idea, wash it once and break it in by hands and with kicks)

zeroman13 · Post by **zeroman13** » 14 Dec 2008 12:37

For amarretta, kick it a lot, get it dirty, the dirtier the better, and like Alf said lots of SWEAT!

STLshredder · Post by **STLshredder** » 14 Dec 2008 13:42

I don't sweat during footbag

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 14 Dec 2008 21:03

I have the opposite opinion, but take my thoughts as you will. I think sweat on facile can be a good thing. It just depends on filler and how careful you are in washing your bags. I feel that amaretta bags are no different, though the less sweat the better. They are instantly shreddable, to some degree, so bags made with amaretta don't require too much break-in. Less sweat (on amaretta) = a less crusty bag.

But yeah, lots of kicking and some dirt will break-in any bag. General freestyle with a lot of good combos and links break-in bags pretty quickly as well.

thedudeman · Post by **thedudeman** » 17 Feb 2010 21:51

still trying to break in my abshire fearless 55
ive been kickin it 500 times a day for two days, and i just soaked it in warm water and wshed it out with some shampoo and squeezed out all the soap with warm water and gentle squeezing, do you think this should soften this up? this guy does not seem to want to break in

WyrmFyre · Post by **WyrmFyre** » 18 Feb 2010 02:35

I rub plenty of neat washing up liquid into the outside of the bag, then get them wet with warm water and just keep massaging and rinsing til the water runs clear.

Then they go into my airing cupboard overnight. Its really warm in there so the bag dries fairly quickly and on the inside too.

As for break in, just kick it, massage it, shred it... whatever. Personally i dont mind a bag with a longer break in, it shows its durable and its gonna last you!

mc · Post by mc » 18 Feb 2010 11:15

also, if you're used to a bag that is twice the size as that, and only 30% full of sand, don't expect your abshire to ever be like that. They're supposed to retain some roundness for preciseness of sets.

just don't be too rough with it. Practice your basic stalls until you can catch it the way it is. It's not supposed to be a stall cheater, like those massive sand floppers.