The ideal footbag

richardabshire · Post by **richardabshire** » 13 Aug 2004 08:28

I am very curious about what all of think is the ideal footbag right now. I don't want names of stitchers, but specific info to create a prototype from this topic. If there is a gap between what I am making and what you want, then let me know so I may close that gap and provide the BEST footbag money can buy. I already have the next level bag in the testing stage, but it will not be ready for a few months. Richie

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 13 Aug 2004 08:44

Here are the things I find make a bag 'choice':
- ability to maintain it's round form during set and flight
- enough filler to ensure the bag is felt on the foot
- a filler that complements the facile well. there are many different stitching styles and I feel that many fills are innappropriate for the styles of stitching used.
- many bags have very loose and open holes between the hexes and I find that this is an unnecesary feature. On one bag I had it led to a complete change in the bag's play. The heaviest part of the filler were small metal bb's that were mixed in with larger plastic pellets and pebbles and such. What happened was the small heavy pieces fell out of the holes where as the larger lighter ones did not and this resulted in an overall change in the size to weight ratio and thus the play of the bag.

As for comments on your bags I can only say that I have found them to be lighter than I like, but that is purely a preference thing, and something that I could change if I wanted.

MrRoboto · Post by **MrRoboto** » 13 Aug 2004 08:53

Well, Mosher just covered pretty much everything I can think of, nice job

The only other point I can think of is size. I think the size issue is going to have to vary between players. I have pretty small feet, 8 1/2, and I see people with these monster size 12 lavers, dwarfing their big well broken in bags, but I find harder to delay these big bags then my two smaller ones I'm now playing with, (one of your mini's, and a Fred bag)
So I suggest a limited choice in bag size, small med large maybe.

cd · Post by cd » 13 Aug 2004 10:18

I think your design, richie, is a very satisfying bag in all aspects. Here are a few characteristics to think about if you are looking to improve on it:

Panel design- the 32 hex/pent pattern is great for keeping a uniform shape while shredding. However, the bag I bought from Monsterhack has a couple of odd panels that are noticeably larger than the rest. It doesn't bother me, but there are lots of people who are very mindful of such details, so a consistent panel size is something of importance.

Weight/bounce- The plastic pellets that normally come in your bags are just too light and bouncy, but heavy metal pellets such as bebe's like to make the bag roll around on your foot if there are too many mixed in. I filled my bag with fine gravel (small enough to fit through a straw, but not the size of dirt) which can be easily separated out using a screen. Now my bag is nice and heavy, wind resistant, and sits better than a sandbag.

Size- I think this is a matter of personal preference. I was really liking playing with mini (and sometimes extra mini) bags at worlds, but thats not for everyone. If providing various size choices isn't possible, then I think that the ideal all-around bag for everyone would be slightly larger than one of your mini bags.

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 13 Aug 2004 11:03

32 panels
about 45 grams
a tiny bit bigger than Abshire minis

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 13 Aug 2004 11:52

Not that it will ever be made, but this would be my IDEAL bag.

32 Panels
heavy
golf ball size
Big enough spaces between the hexes to fit a small straw into if I feel the need to switch or modify the filler, yet not so loose that the filler falls out.
Soft and posh.
Stays round.
Stalls flat and stays that way.
Indestructible. Yet still soft and posh.

Outsider · Post by **Outsider** » 13 Aug 2004 12:28

My "Ideal Bag" has changed alot lately, but thats because my selection of tricks has changed alot too.

Now I like bags that have alot of bounce to them (relatively speaking, of course, since what I'm really saying is "alot of bounce for a nice facile 32") and have a relatively high volume of filler (bouncy like a brand new facile 32 and relatively full make rolls and flapper kicks easier).

So, some of the ideal characteristics depend on how you're using a footbag. The next characteristic of an ideal footbag would seem important to every freestyler out there, especially those who play in public or wind up being filmed or taped (especially if this video is going to be seen on television): BRIGHT COLORS!
A bag might look real nice up close, but cool colors (like purple, blue, black, dark green, etc) generally look pretty bad from a small distance off, or on a TV screen. What I'm suggesting here is that all freestylers, for the sake of our image, try to use bags that REALLY show up when people are watching. Being able to really see the bag makes a big difference to spectators, and something that is so bright that it seems to be on fire or lit from within could help many more people appreciate our skills. So when you're selecting the colors of a bag, don't consider only the colors that you like, or the colors that you can see. Take into account the colors that will stand out to non-footbag players who might be watching you from twenty feet away or on a small screen.

richardabshire · Post by **richardabshire** » 13 Aug 2004 13:27

I am using a bag that is just a little larger than my normal mini and weighs about 43 grams. The colors are med in thickness and the bag was shred ready the first session. No joke. I can create any filler ratio that you want, some may feel better than others but may have a shorter life. I have a dense ratio with two types of metal and one hard plastic. This is for the serious only. This is not a ratio to start out on. If custom filler is that big of a deal than I have quite a few tested filler combos. The ones that you get through me have a standard filler combo. It has average to good life with most types of play. If you want something plush and dead, springy, tight and pinpoint,or the standard, I can make those as well. What I go by is the weight of the bag. Too much of anyone kind of filler will throw the bag off in flight. 43 grams seems to be the proven test weight for the minis. Anymore and the weight takes over the bag and too little and the bag has a slower response. The standard size bag is another story. There are endless filler combos for this bag as well as color combos. It is just the right size for the fabric and the filler to work perfectly together. The mini has to have a dominant filler due to the size of the bag and the amount of fabric on the bag. I hope this info will help you decide on the types of bags you want in the very near future. I mean whenever you decide to order one. I have had this type of customizing for the past several years. I guess at the time the sport was not that concerned with the performance level of specific footbags. That has changed and the bags are there. Hope this helps,Richie

cclaudia · Post by **cclaudia** » 13 Aug 2004 18:21

my ideal bag are the ones i make. it's a 32 made with a material that i am not really sure the name of.... but it feels a whole lot like ultrasuede light.... with a very very heavy filling... the bag must be quite small.... like a mini... maybe even a tad smaller.

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 13 Aug 2004 18:26

richardabshire wrote:I am using a bag that is just a little larger than my normal mini and weighs about 43 grams. The colors are med in thickness and the bag was shred ready the first session. No joke. I can create any filler ratio that you want, some may feel better than others but may have a shorter life. I have a dense ratio with two types of metal and one hard plastic. This is for the serious only. This is not a ratio to start out on. If custom filler is that big of a deal than I have quite a few tested filler combos. The ones that you get through me have a standard filler combo. It has average to good life with most types of play. If you want something plush and dead, springy, tight and pinpoint,or the standard, I can make those as well. What I go by is the weight of the bag. Too much of anyone kind of filler will throw the bag off in flight. 43 grams seems to be the proven test weight for the minis. Anymore and the weight takes over the bag and too little and the bag has a slower response. The standard size bag is another story. There are endless filler combos for this bag as well as color combos. It is just the right size for the fabric and the filler to work perfectly together. The mini has to have a dominant filler due to the size of the bag and the amount of fabric on the bag. I hope this info will help you decide on the types of bags you want in the very near future. I mean whenever you decide to order one. I have had this type of customizing for the past several years. I guess at the time the sport was not that concerned with the performance level of specific footbags. That has changed and the bags are there. Hope this helps,Richie

Since you introduced me to your mini's I loved them but I wanted them slightly larger. Now you have them... and Ct300's... damnit all. When I get back I'm crashing at your house for like a week to just kick, I'll be the guy on the couch.

richardabshire · Post by **richardabshire** » 16 Aug 2004 08:30

Anytime, take care over there and come back in one piece with the rest of our boys over there.Richie

Maraxus · Post by **Maraxus** » 16 Aug 2004 10:53

richardabshire wrote:Anytime, take care over there and come back in one piece with the rest of our boys over there.Richie

sick, ill buy the pizza

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 16 Aug 2004 17:55

Whoa, I was just discussing this the other day with my friend Kim. He actually owns `the ideal footbag.` This is how our conversation went:

Ken: Wow, this footbag stalls better than any footbag I`ve ever played with, and its the ideal weight!
Kim: What`s even cooler, is that the panels are made of a glow in the dark fiber, so you can play even at night, and there`s no danger of losing it!
Ken: Hm, maybe we shouldn`t play on this pier. I mean, it would be a tragedy if the bag landed in the lake and we lost it.
Kim: Don`t worry! That`s another incredible thing about this bag: it floats! So no chance of it getting lost in the lake.
Ken: That`s incredible. Still, with all the dogs running around in this park, aren`t you afraid that maybe a dog might come chew it up or eat it (this has happened before to me)?
Kim: Actually, the chemicals in the glow-in-the-dark fabric smell horrible to dogs, so no danger of a dog coming in and running away with it.
Ken: But what if you kicked it into a bush or something?
Kim: The material is photo-sensitive, so when it gets deprived of light like that, it emits a humming noise.
Ken: Damn Kim, where did you buy this bag?

*drum roll*

Kim: I found it.

Liam · Post by **Liam** » 16 Aug 2004 18:28

hahaha..

Ideal bag for me would be something slightly smaller than a standard abshire bag. I really loved mine before I lost it (:(:(:(), but if I would change anything I'd have made it a tad smaller, and the break in time was a bit too long also. If you could make it the same weight as regular abshire but slightly smaller that would be awesome too.

Chris Hanratty · Post by **Chris Hanratty** » 17 Aug 2004 06:14

-32 Panels obviously.
-Heavy (a little bit heavier than the mini abshire weight).
-The size of a Fred bag; pretty close to the size of a golf ball.
-Soft.
-Stays round.
-Color combo that doesn't include weak colors that will develope holes as easily.
-Strong stitching.
-Consistency in panel size, I know it's obvious but with the mini abshire I bought at World's there's one panel that's significantly bigger than the rest. I thought it might just be breaking in faster, not sure though. There's also one that's not as big, but bigger than the rest. Both of them are pentagons.
-Colors that accent and contrast eachother for both looks and visability.

Outsider · Post by **Outsider** » 17 Aug 2004 08:31

-Consistency in panel size, I know it's obvious but with the mini abshire I bought at World's there's one panel that's significantly bigger than the rest. I thought it might just be breaking in faster, not sure though. There's also one that's not as big, but bigger than the rest. Both of them are pentagons.

I've noticed this too in my Abshire bag, and it worried me a bit at first, but I've also found that in all the time I've used the bag it has not seemed to affect the preformance of the bag at all. These tiny aesthetic details don't worry me at all now.

FlexThis · Post by **FlexThis** » 17 Aug 2004 08:40

ptaku · Post by **ptaku** » 18 Aug 2004 12:34

Hmm... 4 words:

small, heavy, always_round_in_the_air, SOFT

Bane4 · Post by **Bane4** » 18 Aug 2004 18:46

what r u talking about

LittleBoy footbag · Post by **LittleBoy footbag** » 18 Nov 2004 13:19

Richard, here's my dream part:

Obviously nothing but 32 panels.. whoever invented that was freakin smart... dead like roadkill, slightly heavy (maybe 45,47), kickass colors, a filler... wait screw that that's already good... and some material that makes break-in quicker... if you can find some way to make facile soft like mushing up the stuff b4 you make them.... that's would be quite pleasing....Thanks!

modified

The ideal footbag

The ideal footbag

Re: The ideal footbag