can you get a good crank if you dont have one naturally?

maverick-morley · Post by **maverick-morley** » 08 Jul 2009 22:52

hi guys,

just joined, advice from a legand DAVID CLAVENS!!!!! so i thought i would take his advice!!!!

however i do have a qs, people are always talk about a natural crank, if you dont have on (i dont, my ankle v stiff) can you get one????

please help!!!!!!!!!

WyrmFyre · Post by **WyrmFyre** » 09 Jul 2009 04:05

I cant comment on it too much because i dont know myself, but ive been playing now for around 8 weeks, and in the beginning I couldnt for the life of me see how i was ever going to land anything on the inside of my foot, let alone do clipper.

However, there are some excersises suggested in this forum for helping improve ankle crank (cant seem to find the thread right now, but ill keep looking) which ive been doing. That, combined with just getting out there and practicing over and over again means that now I can land maybe 80% of my inside stalls. Im not wearing lavers though (i wear some big chunky airwalks at the moment) and i kinda hope that the other 20% will come once im in a more suitable shoe.

So in summary, Id be inclined to say yes, with practice, excersise and a good warm up routine, you can.

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 09 Jul 2009 04:46

ill try to help from my experience
"ankle crank" is used for clipper and inside stalls
i honestly dont know if i have natural ankle crank i am in pretty good shape of that has anything to do with it but i dont think you should worry or be concerned with ankle crank just get your body used to the unusual motion of clippers

search ankle crank in google and the third result down is another article from this site that has a link to a freedom footbags article with an ankle crabk stretch

hope this helped

maverick-morley · Post by **maverick-morley** » 09 Jul 2009 04:57

thanks mate

i will keep practicing my ass off!!!! it dont help that i dont have the right shoes but a bad workman always blames his tools so no more will be said.

i can kinda do a clipper but it always seems to catch at the very back of my shoe, down by my ankle.

im not convinced this is even a real clipper.

but when i hit the middle of my foot is just roles off (hence the qs about the ankle crank)

is there another way i can get a flatted surface for the bag to land on????

im appreciating the help!!!!

PoisonTaffy · Post by **PoisonTaffy** » 09 Jul 2009 05:00

The right shoes WILL help you allot with clipper.
I personally have a pretty crappy crank. I've tried the ankle stretches for a period of time but I have no way of measuring whether they helped or not. My crank is still crappy, but at least my clippers are consistent. Don't know if they'd be worse if I didn't try the stretches.

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 09 Jul 2009 05:02

curl your toes and watch the david clavens clipper tutorial its the best tutorial i have seen

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 09 Jul 2009 05:46

If you're just beginning, its too early to worry about whether your crank is holding you back or not.

First, get the right shoes & make sure you've got a usable bag. Second, use the videos & tips on this forum to study technique. Visualize yourself doing the technique, and practice. A reliable inside or clipper is about balance, hopping into the delay, and cushioning the bag with your support leg. And yeah, your crank probably will get better with time, because you'll gain more control of your ankles than you've got now.

Even if you do, eventually, determine you have bad crank, that still doesn't have to hold you back. Just stay focused on practicing good technique.

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 16 Jul 2009 18:08

The trick to clipper isnt in the "crank" it isnt even in that foot at all. The key is positioning and to balance good on the other leg.

calemccoy · Post by **calemccoy** » 16 Jul 2009 22:08

Footbagger007 wrote:curl your toes and watch the david clavens clipper tutorial its the best tutorial i have seen

weird, for me those two things happened in the opposite order...

Mgrant · Post by **Mgrant** » 20 Jul 2009 03:57

From my experience (I'm no pro but it worked for me back in when I played in high school and to this day) is to do a psudo-stretch to attune your ankles to being at that strange angle. This may sounds like some BS but give it a try.

Throw some shoes on and take a seat somewhere. Crank your ankle to the outside useing the sole of the shoe as a lever. Put A LITTLE pressure and you will feel the muscles in your shin start to stretch. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that your realize that this isn't at all a natural angle for your ankle to be in, so putting too much pressure on it can result in a similar injury (If not exactly the same) to an ankle sprain. So when you feel the stretch don't push it. Gradually it will loosten up and with more kicking youll see that you can crank your ankle much more comfortably.

Obviously the more you play the more you will improve. Also, a good idea is while you are on the couch, or in class, you can set your feet in that "crank positiion" for a nice long stretch without putting too much thought into it.

It worked for me but please be careful when using this. Overdoing it can be damaging. Be patient. Keep shreddin'.

renke · Post by **renke** » 01 Aug 2009 03:27

sit in the lotus position, each day, 2 minutes

Zeb Jackson · Post by **Zeb Jackson** » 01 Aug 2009 08:25

Its a common misconception that a lot of crank is needed, although it can be helpful there are plenty of really good players that dont have that good of crank. Just practice clippers the way it feels good on your body, if your ever feeling any pain while playing...your doing it wrong

maverick-morley · Post by **maverick-morley** » 01 Aug 2009 08:49

i put this thread on because i had a crappy crank, and could barely do inside stall, let alone clippers.

i just wanted to say that after a month my outlook on the need to have a good crank ISNT the same.

i now agree with zeb and others who can stall and do clippers etc. i just wanna say to any beginners (such as myself though doesnt apply because i now know this) who are curious of this qs like i was, i want them to know that crank doesnt hinder you as much as you might think, so dont give up, or conside breaking your ankle in a mad attempt to get a better crank.

take it from me because i thought this so much so i asked the bloody qs, its not the crank so much but balance, position, etc. so listen to the pros, because they are sooooo right.

tho im not one of em, i have however in the last month found the answer!!!!

modified

can you get a good crank if you dont have one naturally?

can you get a good crank if you dont have one naturally?

before and after