Stop "trying" to hit tricks and let your body do i

[Senor Grommet]

I'm reading The Inner Game of Tennis, a book about maximizing your potential at tennis (or any physical activity) through minimizing self-criticism and maximizing trust in your own bodily capabilities.

I believe that The Inner Game's teachings heavily apply to freestyle footbag, although I have only begun to test them on myself when I play net.

I would be interested in opinions you have after you have tried the following:

1) Choose a trick to school that is difficult for you.
2) Before you skool it about 20 attempts, really think hard about every part of the trick and what your body needs to do to correctly perform the trick. When you have fully analyzed the trick, attempt it 20 times. Try your absolute hardest. If you hit it, don't stop, keep going until you have tried it 20 times.

3) If you did NOT hit the trick in your 20 tries, choose the same trick again for step 4. If you DID hit it, choose another trick of similar difficulty for you for step 4.

4) Before you skool this trick, try it 3 times, paying special attention to observing your body and the motions it makes. Do not analyze anything and do not judge whether your motion was bad or good. Simply observe the way your body moves when trying the trick. Then, close your eyes and picture the way your body needs to move in order to hit the trick. Form a very accurate mental picture of successfully hitting the trick. After you have formed this mental picture, give this trick 20 attempts, but do not "try hard" to hit it. In fact, do not really try at all. Just observe the way your body is moving. Use the mental picture you formed as a reference. During these attempts, do not judge. You should not be angry or happy during this time. Simply trust that your body knows what it needs to do (the mental picture) and then give your body 20 tries to adapt to what it knows it needs to do.


5) After completing step 4, whether you hit the trick or not, do you now have a better feeling for the trick you want to hit? Were you able to take your mind out of the picture and be non-judgemental of your attempts? Do you believe that you can hit the trick? Do you feel closer or further from it? Which manner or "practice" worked best for you?


Please talk about the results of this experiment.

[C-Fan]

Sounds interesting. In my personal experience, I have found that when you master a trick, it is not hard to do. In fact, when you try and "force" a trick, it often comes out less cleanly.

[pips]

I did something like that for when I skooled ps mirage. If I just effortlessly tried to do it, I ended up doing a clipper-set mirage or something easy like that (It's been a while. I can't remember). I had to think, "put my leg down, put the other one up, keep it up, hop, dex, stall." This was one of my first complex tricks that I've hit by having to seriously think about it. And it helped a lot by doing so. When I get back to that level, I'm sure any other 4-add and better will take lots of thinking to do. And I'm sure it will help.

I hope this wasn't too far off topic.

[Pyroman924]

I am most certainly trying this tonight. Thanks for the interesting technique! I'll edit later with my results.

[kyle]

This thread looks like a good excuse to have another go at torque. I footed it yesterday, so lets see if i can seal it today. - Be back latter w/ the results.

[Maraxus]

I didn't read this thread until now, but I agree completely because that's what I had to do to finally hit Janiwalkers. Their getting easier every session.

[brinard]

i did a similar theory in hitting zoid ducking butter.

i thought about it.

did the motions without the bag.

hit it 2-3 tries.

i also did this with zoid barfly.

hit it once, in about 8 tries. didnt try more, moved on to another trick.

i didnt exert extra force tring to get the speed, or pull the set/delay.

dont force a trick. just do it.

[dyalander]

interesting.
I recognise aspects of this method in the way I play.
With some moves I found particualrly difficult to learn, at the step 2 stage i often do the move without the bag, and compare what my body is doing to what it needs to do.

[BenRea]

this is very helpull. if i really want to hit a trick it deffinalty helps it analyze it in my head, i usually think about em while im trying to get to sleep. its fun too