I thought this might fit under "How to present Footbag to a group", but this is more about your trick selection, and string length rather than physical explanations or recruitment issues.
Basically I got to thinking about why Jorden and Scott fared less than perfect when presenting Footbag in Popular video formats.
I felt that although both represented their skills rather well. They unintentionally dis-connected themselves from their audiences with hard to follow or hoooky(sp?) presentations.
I feel that there must be some formula similar to the ones that jugglers follow that engages the public without overly confusing their senses. Like a string of tricks that tells footbag's story without saying a word.
Some of the earliest tournament 2 minute routines did this. Why wouldn't we do something similar with shred that is geared more towards the ignorant and less to the common footbagger.
I'm sure this has been hashed out many times, and yes I used the search button. But I feel NO ONE has hit this mark yet. And I feel it is attainable without a lot of technical skill.
For instance when a performer, say a magician, presents a trick, he engages the audience, directs their focus to what he needs to get his message across, and then manipulates that situation to pull off what seems like magic.
I feel footbag can do this to, and it might be what we all need to help bring footbag into the mainstream.
Imagine Jorden or Vasek starting a routine. He shows the bag, then kicks it with a toe > toe rpt. x 3, then inside > inside rpt. x 3, etc... Until he has shown all the basic kicks in a rythmn that can be easily followed. Then repeat this exact same exercise with stalls. Now all the kicks and basic stalls have been shown in a repeatable pattern of simplicity. Can you see where I am going? If he continues slowly increasing the difficulty but follows the same exact method to show how each new series of tricks builds on the previously shown set, then the public stays connected.
An example of dissconnection would be completely randomness of moves and tricks with super high add counts, etc...
What do you guys think?
Footbag Flow For Passersby
Footbag Flow For Passersby
Go out and shred already.
~Damon Mathews
~Damon Mathews
I see your point of showing the basics of footbagging, starting out with stalls and the like and I think that David did a better job than most footbaggers in this video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hjvn8OT0h0I
However, I also think that if you just didn't show people the hard tricks, that it would almost be "lying" to the audience. I mean, for purposes like Jorden, trying to get votes and the like a show that could enthuse the audience, not seem like a blur and be something they could follow would be perfect, but just having a show trying to explain footbag (ie, exactly what clavens did) should have something big, something that is "top level". Maybe even if after a routine, that was that simple if the performer did a really unique high level string I would be pleased with it.
I almost feel like this post of mine is useless.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hjvn8OT0h0I
However, I also think that if you just didn't show people the hard tricks, that it would almost be "lying" to the audience. I mean, for purposes like Jorden, trying to get votes and the like a show that could enthuse the audience, not seem like a blur and be something they could follow would be perfect, but just having a show trying to explain footbag (ie, exactly what clavens did) should have something big, something that is "top level". Maybe even if after a routine, that was that simple if the performer did a really unique high level string I would be pleased with it.
I almost feel like this post of mine is useless.
Jay Boychuk
Wow, I'd never seen that presentation by David. In my opinion, that's a realy really great way to show the sport - it was understandable and funny, and by the time he ripped out the tricks, the audience was ready to be wowed.
Things I noticed: He told the audience before the routine what constitutes a good routine - this way they knew when/how to cheer/get excited. Also, they loved ducking and osis. That's something we all knew - easier tricks that look different than the others are appreciated by the masses. But I was surprised to see that they liked blurry whirl and stepping ducking tricks too. I think the point is that when the trick breaks out of the visually similar look/feel (like shuffle is pretty much indistinguishable to the average viewer) they like it.
Great demo David
Things I noticed: He told the audience before the routine what constitutes a good routine - this way they knew when/how to cheer/get excited. Also, they loved ducking and osis. That's something we all knew - easier tricks that look different than the others are appreciated by the masses. But I was surprised to see that they liked blurry whirl and stepping ducking tricks too. I think the point is that when the trick breaks out of the visually similar look/feel (like shuffle is pretty much indistinguishable to the average viewer) they like it.
Great demo David
Bob R.
Dave's routine was close to what I am talking about. I was thinking more about not having to say a word. Like the routine itself tells the story without having to explain a thing.
I agree about the difficulty at the end. The way I see it, if you build upon previous tricks in a visually easy way, then the big tricks you pick at the end will make sense to them.
I am still contemplating what a string or routine like that might look like. But I feel that this is something that could become like a mainstream warm up drill that is easy to do, easy to follow, and keeps the audiences attention.
For instance if you want to show mirage, you could do a toe mirage > toe mirage > same side toe mirage > toe mirage > toe mirage > same side toe mirage. This would be your 2 add base. Then build it up in 3s, then 4s, then 5s.
I am most interested in a progressive string that incorporates as much of the base as possible before escalating.
I agree about the difficulty at the end. The way I see it, if you build upon previous tricks in a visually easy way, then the big tricks you pick at the end will make sense to them.
I am still contemplating what a string or routine like that might look like. But I feel that this is something that could become like a mainstream warm up drill that is easy to do, easy to follow, and keeps the audiences attention.
For instance if you want to show mirage, you could do a toe mirage > toe mirage > same side toe mirage > toe mirage > toe mirage > same side toe mirage. This would be your 2 add base. Then build it up in 3s, then 4s, then 5s.
I am most interested in a progressive string that incorporates as much of the base as possible before escalating.