Alright, is there anything I can do before taking on some...

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 02 Mar 2006 18:43

trick-learning?

I've been playing for ~5 months now. I can do a clipper fine, all basic stalls and kicks, and that's about it. I'm just learning the around-the-world. You may be thinking "God, this guy is slow", but I have been introducing the sport to my school and its really become a hit. A kid even got Lavers, but is unwilling to modify them. But this is what my topic is about - the Lavers.

What can I do to get the most out of them, modification wise?

Already, a cut out the canvas of both of my shoes, well, most of it. I didn't get too close to the edges. But it's close enough I can get without the job getting hard. I cut open the lacing rims near the toe, and laced it so that it opens up the rims when I place giving me a bigger landing deck. Is there anything else I should do, or am I fine?

I don't wear shorts - because I have none. And I just purchased a Dryden Footbag, a Facile Mr. Sandbag, and a regular Mr. Sandbag, so I feel I'm ready.

EDIT : Also, what does a mirage look like?

Bander87 · Post by **Bander87** » 02 Mar 2006 19:04

Hey Tad,

It's good to hear your starting to up your game! Good start with the mods on the lavers. Just be sure you have the basic lacing mod too and your all set (http://worldfootbag.com/shoelacing/shoelacing.html). Good choice on the footbags you bought, they are highly recommended for beginners. Try picking up a pair of shorts too, they will do you as much good as those lavers probably. If funds are tight, try goodwill or something. As far as the tricks go, learning the basics is definatly the hardest. After you learned them, you'll be taking off in no time and progressing like crazy. Check out the practice room on flipsider.com (http://www.flipsider.com/media2/practice/index.htm) and on hackrifice.com (http://www.hackrifice.com/move.html).

Good luck! Oh yeah, tell your friend that lavers are no good if you don't mod them and that they will just get dirty and messy anyways!

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 02 Mar 2006 19:11

Bander87 wrote:Hey Tad,

It's good to hear your starting to up your game! Good start with the mods on the lavers. Just be sure you have the basic lacing mod too and your all set (http://worldfootbag.com/shoelacing/shoelacing.html). Good choice on the footbags you bought, they are highly recommended for beginners. Try picking up a pair of shorts too, they will do you as much good as those lavers probably. If funds are tight, try goodwill or something. As far as the tricks go, learning the basics is definatly the hardest. After you learned them, you'll be taking off in no time and progressing like crazy. Check out the practice room on flipsider.com (http://www.flipsider.com/media2/practice/index.htm) and on hackrifice.com (http://www.hackrifice.com/move.html).

Good luck! Oh yeah, tell your friend that lavers are no good if you don't mod them and that they will just get dirty and messy anyways!

Thanks very much. And about my friend - I don't think I can convince him until I start progressing way ahead of him. He thinks it is cheap, but he doesn't know it is nearly a requirement for skilled players everywhere. He also might not be able to do it - or is just afraid of the stupid look. The only thing that looks a bit stupid is that we both have the same shoes.

EDIT - Also, that was the guide I Followed for lacing originally.

dp · Post by dp » 02 Mar 2006 19:24

I'd say shorts are more important than lavers. Definitely try to find some shorts somewhere.

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 02 Mar 2006 20:01

Pirate Man wrote:I'd say shorts are more important than lavers. Definitely try to find some shorts somewhere.

I have no reason to buy shorts if I'm not going to wear them. I have the cash, easily, but I have little reason to play in shorts because I want to impress others. I dont' wear shorts in public ever. And since I don't. I'd rather just deal with the jeans.

jake · Post by **jake** » 02 Mar 2006 20:04

i never wear shorts either but u play in jeans for a while then in shorts it makes big difference.

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 02 Mar 2006 20:08

jake wrote:i never wear shorts either but u paly in jeans for a while then in shorts it makes big difference.

I don't see the difference besides the friction that happens when lifting your leg, which can be easily ignored. Plus, a lot of times I get lucky and my jeans themselves catch the sack.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 02 Mar 2006 20:09

If you're doing any manner of dexterity tricks you will find shorts 1000% easier. You will also have more overall flexibility, less weight, and less chance of something snagging the bag in midair. Watch any footbag videos and try to imagine the player shredding in pants...it doesn't work. Your windows are reduced to crap. Why handicap yourself? If you don't see the difference now and you continue to progress and get serious about the game you will probably wish later on that you had bought shorts when we suggested it.

If you want to impress someone, wear the gear and let people know it's a sport. It will be easier to learn new tricks fast in shorts, and that will help you impress others and display the potential of the sport to the kids at your school.

Shoe mods are good, but not always necessary. If you're unsure about mods then just don't do them, and if you have trouble with the shoes starting out, maybe then you could consider specific mods.

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 02 Mar 2006 20:31

Erik Chan wrote:If you're doing any manner of dexterity tricks you will find shorts 1000% easier. You will also have more overall flexibility, less weight, and less chance of something snagging the bag in midair. Watch any footbag videos and try to imagine the player shredding in pants...it doesn't work. Your windows are reduced to crap. Why handicap yourself? If you don't see the difference now and you continue to progress and get serious about the game you will probably wish later on that you had bought shorts when we suggested it.

If you want to impress someone, wear the gear and let people know it's a sport. It will be easier to learn new tricks fast in shorts, and that will help you impress others and display the potential of the sport to the kids at your school.

Shoe mods are good, but not always necessary. If you're unsure about mods then just don't do them, and if you have trouble with the shoes starting out, maybe then you could consider specific mods.

I am sure about all mods, and have done every single one I've seen, but that has only been about what - 3? And I have no problem with my shoes, but theres still nothing wrong with upgrading them.

There really isn't much else to do at my school to spread the sport. I don't need to look.....well...stupid doing it. The gear I will wear in public is my shoes, and I don't care about any modifications that might make the shoe look lame because I don't care. But I *really* don't like my legs, and it is cold+wet in Seattle. At home - I'd wear those really short shorts, but not at school.

jake · Post by **jake** » 02 Mar 2006 20:52

i fell your pain it isnt much dryer(spl?) in oregon.

janis · Post by **janis** » 02 Mar 2006 20:57

Personally I play barefoot or in un-modded new-balance tennis shoes (when with friends) and can seem to play alright in them, your friend with the lavers doesn't need to modify them to play though I'd highly recommend changing the lacing. People tend to dex significantly worse in jeans or long pants. Biggest piece of advice, play in shorts, and tell anyone else you are playing with to play in shorts too, it helps sooooooooo much.

Best of luck with the frestyling

get as many friends as possible to start shredding

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 02 Mar 2006 21:02

janis wrote:Personally I play barefoot or in un-modded new-balance tennis shoes (when with friends) and can seem to play alright in them, your friend with the lavers doesn't need to modify them to play though I'd highly recommend changing the lacing. People tend to dex significantly worse in jeans or long pants. Biggest piece of advice, play in shorts, and tell anyone else you are playing with to play in shorts too, it helps sooooooooo much.

Best of luck with the frestyling get as many friends as possible to start shredding

I have played in really short gym shorts a bit back, and I can't say that the advantages were worth the embarassment. I asked my mom if she can pick me up some shorts when she has a chance, and I'll see if anyone is shocked considering I've never worn shorts in public before. Ever.

And thanks for the luck - I'll probably need it.

janis · Post by **janis** » 02 Mar 2006 21:17

if you play in a circle with other shredders it won't be embarrasing to play in shorts, in fact it would be embarrasing to play in long pants. A friend of mine never wore shorts until he got onto footbag, now he only ever shreds in shorts.

mc · Post by mc » 03 Mar 2006 00:33

yo dude, it's fine to hack in pants, but if you're going to play freestyle seriously at all, you've got to lose the pants and put on some shorts. trust me. Watch any video of freestylers. If we do anything in pants, it's 1 move out of 1000 on the video.

if you want to be decent at footbag, you have to get used to looking and acting differently than everyone else around you. Believe me, once you get some control, it's respectable.

Your claims about pants being just as good don't really stand up. Do you think we all prefer to play in shorts for no reason?

Bagira · Post by **Bagira** » 03 Mar 2006 08:04

Definitely get rid of the pants first. Some people don't modify the Lavers at all. It's just preference.

About the shorts, I also never wore shorts around people I didn't really know well. Closest to shorts that I came to wearing in public was wearing trunks at the beach, which was a routine 7 minute walk there, 15 minute swim, and 7 minute walk back. However, after shredding in shorts at home, it was totally different than with the baggy pants I usually walk in.

The pants are fine to do kicks/basic stalls in, but anything that requires a dex is bad in pants. Unless you wear the incredibly-skin-tight pants, in which case, I don't see why you won't wear shorts. Reason is, when you do a dex with pants, if they aren't skin-tight, chances are they'll catch the bag as your're doing the dex and throw it somewhere. It won't be a clean dex.

In general, you want shorts to prevent them from snagging the bag around knee level, letting you use all the flexibility of your legs/joints, and reducing the weight around your letgs/feet. Some shredders go as far as wearing short shorts. I would too if I had any. My shorts are simply short pants from a few years back, so they still go below or at the knee and snag the bag.

Seriously though, if so many people are offering advice about shorts, that should be the first piece of advice to take. Before modding your lavers. Which, I repeat, is not necessary.

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 03 Mar 2006 15:16

janis wrote:if you play in a circle with other shredders it won't be embarrasing to play in shorts, in fact it would be embarrasing to play in long pants. A friend of mine never wore shorts until he got onto footbag, now he only ever shreds in shorts.

They aren't shredders.

They are leanring with me. They wear shorts sometimes, but that's not the point.

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 03 Mar 2006 15:19

Matt Cross wrote:yo dude, it's fine to hack in pants, but if you're going to play freestyle seriously at all, you've got to lose the pants and put on some shorts. trust me. Watch any video of freestylers. If we do anything in pants, it's 1 move out of 1000 on the video.

if you want to be decent at footbag, you have to get used to looking and acting differently than everyone else around you. Believe me, once you get some control, it's respectable.

Your claims about pants being just as good don't really stand up. Do you think we all prefer to play in shorts for no reason?

I don't have claims saying pants are just as good.

But I do have claims that I shouldn't have to have shorts just to do low-end lowbie shredding.

"if you want to be decent at footbag, you have to get used to looking and acting differently than everyone else around you. Believe me, once you get some control, it's respectable. "

This is far from my issue. Most kids in my school wears shorts.

dp · Post by dp » 03 Mar 2006 15:42

Then what is your point? Why won't you wear shorts?

jake · Post by **jake** » 03 Mar 2006 16:11

yeah really why not ??

t1337dude · Post by **t1337dude** » 03 Mar 2006 16:16

Pirate Man wrote:Then what is your point? Why won't you wear shorts?

I extremely dislike my legs. Simply as that. And, as said before, It just really isn't weather smart.