Drew ~ Philadelphia

[Drew]

OK. Over winter break I had't played much footbag besides a few sessions with Bob Riefer and Brian Buchane, or with Carrie in Philly. I've been playing almost everyday lately and I can see big improvements already.

Before I go on to that, I want to note that my fitness and health have improved drastically in the past few months. About 3 months ago I decided to start lifting weights at the gym again, and I've been consistently keeping up with it since. I'm eating better, salads are almost a daily thing for me now, just a few months ago I despised salads, but now I love the taste and the healthy mood from 'em! I completely stopped drinking soda products, I consume about 2 glasses of orange juice a day, it tastes great and keeps your immune system healthy, I haven't felt sick or ill since I've changed my habits, perhaps it's coincidence?

From the middle of December to now I had no gym to exercise at, so I've been using 30lb free weights in my room back home. Every night I would come home-no matter what state of mind I was in-and lift weights for an hour and some cardio. All of this has helped me get into great shape, just 2 years ago I was a 6-foot senior in high school weighing 225 lbs out of shape, and now I'm 6'1 175 lbs in such great shape that it surprises me often.

Footbag has helped with that over the past year, and before that in high school it was hacky that helped. Today was possibly my single most improving and hardest shred session I've had. I took the time to drill basics and smooth out my game before I attempt to move up to the next level.

My endurance is a lot better, as is the understanding of where the bag will be next. It's becoming easier to see the p[problems I have with tricks and after standing back and reflecting on it, I can fix what I was doing wrong.

I hit some new stuff today, but I'm mainly happy after being able to string tricks together and execute them smoothly and clean. my bothsidedness is coming along great, I can hit all of the tricks in my repertoire both sides except for a few 4 adds like torque and smear, but flipsides will be had soon.

dimwalk>dyno>dyno>butterfly>whirl>osis>whirl>torque
drifter b2b
dyno b2b
symposium mirage b2b
illusion flipside
pdx mirage b2b
spinning osis

more coming soon

[Drew]

illusion both sides
torque both sides
symp mirage bsos
spinning osis both sides
...and THEN some!

[Drew]

had a short 1 hour session in my apartment earlier. Hit some new stuff for the first time, worked on DLO's, pixies, and blenders.

pixie>dyno
pixie>whirl
pixie>pickup
pixie>legover

[Drew]

So I can now hit double-dexterity moves both sides, not BSOS yet, but soon.

flip smear
DLO

and lots of drilling and new combos hit.

[Drew]

Shred with Tom for an hour, just got back. I've had about 8 sessions since I've played with him, felt like I was steppin it up a notch. Today was supposed to be the day I stop playing footbag, now I've played for 5 days this week, but today was worth it


DLO
pixie op legover < DLO
pdx drifter
symposium whirl
pixie whirl
smear B2B

Within the next week I'll be hitting PS whirls, came really close a few times. Drifters b2b coming along nicely, whirls are alot smoother, illusions are gettin there. Flipside pixie needs to be controlled more and I need to keep the bag closer to my body, pixie underneath me rather than in front of me.

I want to school DLO's, swirls, and smooth out everything I currently have before I move on to sets like atomic and quantum. Tom was explaining the quantum set to me earlier, I could have it if I devoted enough time to only that, but I'd rather have that solid foundation first! Big things coming soon in footbag

[Drew]

Monday I twisted my ankle shredding. It swelled like a fucker, sitting on the bench for now

[Drew]

My ankle has been sprained for a week, and I started up footbag again today, really anxious.

Only shred for about an hour today, but was warming up mostly and drilling flipside pixie.

'tis very nice, I like

[Drew]

On an impulse decision, I modded my blue leather lavers this morning before class. Good decision, everything just feels so much smoother, drills are easier, I beat my record of flipside consec clippers by 14, and was hitting drifters all over the place.

[Drew]

It's Thursday!

I've been playing alot of footbag lately. Got a Claven's amaretta bag in the mail yesterday and had a chance to shred with it for a little while today. The bag is sick, freeform pattern, blue/lite blue/brown ish, but it's kinda small for me.

I've pretty much been using the bags I stitch during my sessions, I guess I make footbags based upon how I like to play with em. And I have size 13 Lavers, so I like my bags a little big, I can feel it contacting my foot and can see it.

So this Claven's bag is dope, I'm just not used to small bags.

I just finished watching The Champion's League, Vasek has been insane for like 6+ years? so he has probably been playing for close to 10 by now? Damn.

I'm getting more creative in my strings, or so I like to think. Spinning butters, drifters out of osi', sole stalls, xbod dynos, and walkovers. I've been drilling pixie both sides every day, soon I'll be able to work them into strings as shuffle tricks, that's going to be the bomb. yes, the bomb.

I've also been drilling random links like pixie<whirl, pixie<dyno, dimwalk<pdx mirage -rpt, pixie<ss osis<pdx drifter, I need more!!1!

March 22nd is the shred for savvy event in maryland, it'll be my first footbag event! I cannot wait, I'll have to either take a bus or hitch a ride, I'll figure it out soon.

Over winter break Bob Reifer gave me a clipper drill to practice for my clippers, and until this past week I had forgotten about it. Start with 1 left clipper, then 1 right, then 2 left, then 2 right, and so on up to 10. When I tried this drill Monday it took me about 30 tries to complete it, but when I tried today I did it in about a third of the drops! Nothing too big, but just some good random improvements in my basic foundation which is certainly necessary.

I've been working out at the rec center for usually 2 hours every day after each shred session, 4 days a week, for the past few months. I've seen such an improvement in my endurance, strength, and appearance! I have noticeably more girth than previously, and I think it helps my footbag. My balance is better, my movements feel more controlled, and sometimes my body feels lighter. I actually need tot ake a break from lifting for a few days, I think it has been effecting my energy, obviously, so I haven't shred as well as I want.

Does anybody even read my blog? seriously? i guess there's a few thousand fews for less than 100 replies, I hope that's not all me

anyway, I switched this semester to engineering major and I'm glad I did, it's what I've been searching for and what I'd like to be when I graduate. Sure, there'll be alot of math, but I can handle it, I'm in the right mindset to get the work done and complete what I need to to attain my goals.

finally I got some more thread. new bags coming soon, will post pics. peace.

[david]

Hey,

I read your blog today. I think me and Bevier are going to shred for savvy, maybe I will meet you there.

Sorry the bag is a tad small, didn't realize you had such big feet. Glad youre liking it though.

Have a good weekend.

dc

[Drew]

Been awhile since I posted in this thing. I went to my first footbag event over the weekend and I feel it's a significant point in my game. I dont have much time now in between classes but I'll try to post an accurate write up of how it went for me later on.

highlights:
-first footbag event!
-Met a ton of great people and new friends
-won my first event, intermediate circle
-hung out with some of the coolest laid-back people I will ever meet
-played some basketball

[Drew]

2.5 hour session today with Devin Kulp and Carrie LaGreca.

Improvement on ducking, stepping, pixie set, torque, swirl, and DATW.

Been drilling the foundation tricks, methinks the time is coming to step it up. A drill Reifer gave me helps, warms up my clippers. and helps me get my rhythm.

I've been playing fairly consistently but haven't been posting much lately. I've also been exercising at the gym often, lifting weights and cardio stuff, along with warming up and cooling down by running a few miles. My running endurance has greatly increased the past months.

now I just need to curl my toes so I catch the bag more, not as much a problem of lack of energy but I just drop when I shred. My strings are getting longer and more styley.

breaking in some bags that I stitched a lil while ago, play beautifully atm so maybe I'll stitch if I have time soon.

more soon, maybe a vid?

Edit:

Carrie played great, good to shred with her again. maybe she'll play mo' over the summer. Devin apparently recently recovered from an ankle injury and has been playing a couple times a week. He's pretty damn good too, not as good as Tom but Devin has his stepping, pixie, swirls, lots of variety in his game.

Should be interesting where this scene goes over the summer. I plan on shredding outside in the public eye as much as possible and spreading the word of Footbag around Philly!

[Rieferman]

Yo man, good to hear of your healthy lifestyle with all the exercise etc. Also happy to hear you're still playing a lot - you have loads of potential so I can't wait to see your game next.

It's hard for me to get down into the city.. Any chance you can come shred at my house sometime soon? Weekends are definitely best. I have a great area to play (installed a 1/2 court basketball area behind my barn). Let me know, PM or in my blog or whatever

Later

[Drew]

played for an hour around 1pm and then another 45 minutes that night working on ducking.

My upper legs haven't hurt this bad in a while, that's a good thing. Need to shred as hard more often.

[Rieferman]

yo, that weekend you mentioned looks like it will probably work out on my end. Touch base when you're back in P-Ville and we'll set it up. If you don't have my number still, PM me

[Drew]

DATW in-out bs
ducking & diving clipper bs

[Rieferman]

ok, props, so now you're healed, and you should come kick at my house, let me know

[Drew]

dimwalk>ducking butterfly

working on barfly, swirl, and incorporating flip pixie moves.

[Drew]

Shred'd with Bob Reifer on Saturday for about 2 hours, was a good session. He recorded some of it, hopefully I'll be able to see myself on video and be able to tweak things like my form.

I hit Blur for the first time! Worked on some links that bob challenged me to, also got a list of drills from him to work on. Apparently I can hit Terrage(sp?), now I need to work on datw out-in so I can hit paradons and double over downs and that good stuff. Stepping is coming along but it still has a while to go, I'm guessing it'll randomly come to me like it did last time, before I sprained my ankle and was set back.

I realized I've been weight lifting so much, and still have some flab on my belly I don't like, so I'm going to change my diet and include more fruits and veggies, work lower midsection more, and keep shredding to get rid of that! Want to tone up, my upperbody and lower body have seen the improvements, time to make it mid section too

I'm moving into a new house in a couple weeks, much closer to campus, so it's not in the best neighborhood, but I'll be closer to my friends, school, and the gym so it is worth it in my eyes. Just going to have to watch out for myself more. The house is really great, can't wait.

Summer classes are awesome, I wish the regular semester went by so fast, the only con is that it doesn't leave much room for stuff after working and the gym, and you must keep up and not get left behind, classes move fast, but I'm handling it well.

Plan on attending the NYFA event in July, should be a blast. I think I'll be a good bit better than I was at shred for savvy, but more importantly it'll be fun to be in the Big City shredding and meeting new faces to kick with.

Try to make some bags after classes are over to pay for some of the trip to NYC.

I've been thinking alot lately about what exactly Footbag is to me. For some people it's a hobby, a sport, even a way of life, and I can sympathize with all of them. It has definitely changed my life for the better, it is something I am passionate about and devoted to. It sort of feels like a discipline, day after day, week after week, training my feet and the bag to do what I want them to, for personal improvement in the sense of the game. It has definitely helped me develop a sense of patience, waiting 'til I reach a point in my game where I can hit something I've always wanted to, or waiting in a string to hit a trick in combo. Physically the benefits are obvious, in better shape, I can do things with my feet I never thought were possible ( )

I sometimes hear about people taking breaks from the game, like they're fed up with it and it sounds like what they've become due to the game? But I can't really sympathize with this, when it breaks down, it's just a game with a bag and your feet that requires coordination and endurance.

So to some people it's definitely more than that, because they can become so anguished with an aspect of it. It sounds like this anguish might be the footbag community sometimes too. I'm sure there are other things invovled, but unless physically disabled I don't think I'd ever have a reason to lose interest(knock on wood).

Basically, I'm pretty fucking glad I found this game of kicky bag. It was the foot in the door to a healthy lifestyle I hope to lead the rest of my life. The people I've met so far through the game are eccentric, every one of them, and I couldn't ask for it any other way

[Rieferman]

Good post man. Good attitude, and I'm glad you'll be sticking with it! can't wait to see where your game goes, your athleticism and length are things I envy.

Btw, thanks a million for fixing those bags up for me and sending them back. They're all totally shreddable now, especially the purple and yellow one. I really will try to capture some vid from our sesh for you so you can learn from it. edit: and that gumball bag that you stitched is choice too. Different style of stitching from the others I have (less "gather"?) but sits real nice on my foot. So THANKS!

Let me know when classes are over and you want to try to set up something semi-regular to shred it up.