Immortal: Ben's 1 year shred video

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 04 Feb 2007 20:18

I've been playing footbag seriously for a little over a year now. I knew about freestyle for a little while before I found modified but when I got here and saw how seriously some people here take this sport that I was inspired to really get into it. I'd like to thank everyone who has shredded with me or given me advice in the past year, it has all helped me become a better player.

Please comment on the shred and the editing. In the process of filming and editing this I noticed that a few of my concepts that I thought were clean and solid actually looked a little sketchy. So I'd definitely love any comments or suggestions, challenges too

http://www.footbag.org/gallery/show/10985
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6WXI6FJAo

[ 3:59 | 57.55 MB ]

beenjammin · Post by **beenjammin** » 04 Feb 2007 20:23

I'd like to thank everyone who has shredded with me or given me advice in the past year, it has all helped me become a better player.

Even me?
i havent seen the vid yet but I cant wait! I hear your spinning now and I am very happy for you, this will open up a whole new world! You remember how lmuch I spun!
This vid truley is immortal!

brinard · Post by **brinard** » 04 Feb 2007 21:08

Nice BEN!!!

liked that you know what, and the string length was solid.

keep it up, and make more videos.

Zeb Jackson · Post by **Zeb Jackson** » 04 Feb 2007 21:30

hey!

nice man! theres definately been a ton of improvment in your game since the last time was shredded together!

props on blur,smear, and merkon!

Wumbo · Post by **Wumbo** » 05 Feb 2007 09:00

you inspired me to do the same, as i play a bit longer than a year. you have a very high set, if you like it than thats ur style, good. string length is ok, i like you can vary those 2 adds quite mixed. drifter? ive only hit it once, but my best tip is to start from left to, plant fast, and do as much of the dex uptime as possible. imagine a clipper next to ur support foot, it must travel in front of it elsewise its dada curve. good luck!

Psilocybe · Post by **Psilocybe** » 05 Feb 2007 11:11

Nice shred.

I recommend landing on your toes and hoping with your support leg when you clipper and toe stall. It helps not only cushion the stall, but also helps set straight up, give height to the set, and strengthen your calves. Plus I think its very stylish. Keeping your game on your toes helps with stepping set a lot.

Good luck with the drifters. I still haven't got those solid and I've been working on them for many months. I recommend setting really close to your body, turning your body roughly 90 degrees, and being really fast. I've found torque to be an easier move for some reason so it might help to learn that first.

Pyroman924 · Post by **Pyroman924** » 05 Feb 2007 16:43

Awesome stuff man! Your toe game is very string. I liked all of the Illusions and Paradox Mirages thrown in there. Lot's of nice Symposium stuff too. I agree with landing on your toes more though. It may have just been the angle of the camera but it looked like you were landing flat-footed more often than not. Helps with the shin splints too. I didn't see any Flip Pixie stuff in there though. WORK ON IT!

Sweet video overall though.

-Alan

shredzilla · Post by **shredzilla** » 05 Feb 2007 18:15

Sweet vid ben. Props on all the stuff that everyone has mentioned. String length looked great. I agree with everyone, play on your toes, but it took me over a year to learn how to do that myself, so I can't knock you for it. also, if it doesn't hurt to do so, school BOP as much as possible. Again, this took a long time for me, but it's because those moves hurt for me to execute. I'd really like to see some osis in your game though. anyway, you're lookin solid bro, keep it up.

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 07 Feb 2007 08:33

Thanks for comments everyone. How about the editing? Any feedback? Any tips to make it smoother? I noticed I kinda f&*$%d up the slo-mo of the eggbeater.

Also it would be way cool if some of the really good shredders watched my vid and gave me tips on form and technique, etc.

@Brinard: Thanks for the comment on string length. I've been working on endurance and string length a lot the past few months, especially in '07. I was really happy to be hitting 15 contact strings on video. That Bubba BSOS was for you dude, based on your suggestion

I will definitely make more videos. We have a new guy in Austin (DaGoodSmoke) who's been playing this past summer and is just starting to get good, I think I may do a video on him.

@Zeb: Thanks man. Looks like we will be shredding together at MFJ so I'm pumped. I actually hit some more 4's in there than just those you mentioned

Watch again and see if you can spot them

@Wumbo: Glad I inspired you to make a 1 year video. For a while I wasn't 100% satisfied with my game and didn't want to make a video. Then I decided, screw it, I love footbag, this is where I am these days, I'm just going to make a vid. Surprisingly I played better than usual, like that one string of 7 guiltless, 6 unique is something I can rarely hit, it just sort of happened because I was so pumped. So yeah, DO IT. Make a 1 year vid. It was tons of fun for me, I highly recommend it

@Psilocybe: First off, cool handle

Appreciate the advice on playing on my toes. I've been trying that the past couple session. It's made clippers, osis and pixie set much easier

I can't believe I've been playing for a year and no one's ever told me that. It's feedback like that that makes me really glad I made this video. Plus, my shin splints have waned down in intensity quite a bit. THANK YOU.

@Alan: Paradox mirage was my first 3-add move. It's 2nd nature for me, so I use it a lot. Illusions were something I sucked at for a while, so I spent a lot of effort trying to improve them. I want to get them solid to the point where I can hit flails and eggs with ease. Also, I like symposium mirages too, but I try to do them sparingly, because they aggravate my shins. I don't think I managed to hit one clean flip symp mirage on this video though

Flip pixie is coming along. I've been dexercising and really working on refining my technique. I hit flip PLO last night and footed flip smear a couple times

@Zilla: Thanks for comments. I agree, I want to school BOP some more. My pdx mirages and butterflies are pretty solid, but my inifities and osii need work. I did hit ONE osis, it was spinning osis

right where the song is like "I am immortalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!". And yes. Playing on the toes. So glad ppl gave me that advice. I'd never been told that before. It will take a little while to adopt, but it's been very helpful so far.

Thanks,
Ben

Senor Grommet · Post by **Senor Grommet** » 07 Feb 2007 10:56

Ben, I only watched part of the vid, Im at work. I notice that you aren't using the "magic hop" for some of your clipper moves (and toe?) . You ARE using it when you do infinities and butt>pdx mirage, but NOT when you are doing clipper set far legovers for example. You should be using an extra hop-step for all moves ending on clipper because it improves timing, balance, and makes shred look more rhythmic overall. that's my advice so far.

Liam027 · Post by **Liam027** » 10 Feb 2007 09:08

Props on Pixie Symp. Mirage

JelloFootbags · Post by **JelloFootbags** » 12 Feb 2007 10:57

Be proud ben your video is going on my psp at this moment frankly because you've helped me alot and inspired me.

Sporatical_Distractions · Post by **Sporatical_Distractions** » 13 Feb 2007 17:11

I wish I would've played like that after 1 year. nice work!

for drifter: try using more hip and flex