Chronicles of a Footbagger

[PrunusAberration]

I was interrupted quite a few times today by this mother and her kid. The mother was blatantly hitting on me. She played music for me, had her kid play ball with me, and asked me to buy her kid a hacky sack. The only cool interaction was the hacky sack. I told her that would be awesome if he stated kicking now. Never a dull life in the shoes of a shredder. I am starting to understand illusions a bit better now. I can't get my support leg down in time to catch the bag with my other foot. However I understand most of the movements on both sides now.

toe flicks b2b 16x
inside kicks b2b 16x
toe stalls b2b 10x
inside stalls b2b 15x
mirage b2b 4x
pickup b2b 2x
legovers b2b 2x
around o > ss around i > op toe > ss around o > ss around i
clipper ss 3x > ss toe > op toe > ss clipper 3x [this was a bit sloppy though]

I am glad that my around and clipper game hasn't slipped at all. I haven't been practicing them much. I have been playing around with knee bumps and some knee stalls. The stalls are way harder. Also, I scored a homeless suitcase today for my bike. Quite excited about that as I do most of my grocery shopping by bike now. One more tidbit, the video from yesterday failed. So. I re-uploaded it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x181EQY7UMM[/youtube]

[DC Clinks]

Props on the toe stall record. Don't hand catch if you can keep going!

That ATW/Orbit drill seems pretty good, I'll have to try it out later myself.

[PrunusAberration]

Dan, They are a fun drill. I have been working on them to get back to my original drill though.
toe around o > ss toe around i > ss inside around o to toe > op inside > ss inside around o toe > ss toe around o > ss toe around i
However hitting this was extremely hard for me. I don't even think I have hit the around inside version before I know I have hit it with outside version of this once or twice. I am looking forward to hitting this with a legover thrown in as well.

Also, I was blown away by the mirage 3x > legover > mirage > legover string you hit the other day. I said to myself, damn Dan is killing it. So I worked hard on my mirages yesterday. lol Almost hit a string of mirages beesauce 2x. I think, I am throwing the bag up too high on my flipside. I noticed if I threw it a bit shorter it was easier to hit.

[Cass]

Props on the toe stall record. Don't hand catch if you can keep going!

Hand catches feel epic. If I'm tired and can end on a good number with a handcatch (ie. infinityx100>handcatch) then I do it. That's just me.


That being said, 61 is a pretty random number to do a hand catch. But hey, if you like that number then by all means.

[PrunusAberration]

Cassy, lols. You caught me. I lost count and I was getting tired. So I just ended it hoping it was more than 50 contacts. hahaha

[PrunusAberration]

Hot day today, but I don't seem to mind. I wonder how much it affects my game though. I use to hate the heat with a passion of Mr. Freeze. [Get it? He's cold and heat would be his arch enemy? eh? yea?] However I have adjusted to the temperature and all is well. Found a sweet spot today as my old spot is being overran by invaders. :/ The spot was excluded and was filled with shade and breezes. Focus more on mirages, legovers, pickups, and arounds. I thought I would hit more tricks, but I just couldn't snap them. Still working on the right leg movement for illusions and mirages. They feel odd. Pickups seem a bit better.

toe flicks 8x
inside kicks 25x
mirage b2b
legover b2b
pickup b2b

One of these I got 4x, but I can't remember. XD

[PrunusAberration]

Had a short session in the back alley yesterday as my usually place has been overran by hostiles. I found an extremely accommodating spot at a school. I wonder how long it will take before I get kicked out kicking there. However I get there about 5:30 to 6. So I may be fine.

It was kind of hard hitting tricks yesterday. Barely got a pickup b2b in before the sun hide behind the horizon. I haven't done any work on my clippers lately, but I can usually hit them back to back within the first or second try. My strong side is now my weak side and that needs correcting. I can't hold the bag in place on my strong, only on my flipside. I'll upload some footage of my illusions soon. I am unable to get my foot down in time to catch it. Though I may be executing it wrongly.

toe flicks b2b 6x
inside kicks b2b 15x
inside stalls b2b 10x
pickups b2b
legovers BSOS [3x legovers in total]
legover b2b
ss clipper 2x > ss toe > op toe > ss clipper 2x
mirage BSOS
some around & orbits

Couldn't really stick my arounds and orbits. On my flipside orbits are extremely slow and lazy. I'll have to put some work into it. My orange bag is dying. I found two more holes in it and it needs get restitch in two areas as well. Does anyone have advice on how to restitch a bag correctly?


I think, it's a great time to explain my main picture in my original post. The orange bag and the pink bag was made by one of the twins from CIC. I have only used the orange bag since I started kicking back in 2007. However, I am trying to break in the pink bag now. Any suggestions on how to do so? The shoes in the middle are my old broken down custom-made pink vans that I started using back in 2007 as well. But since coming back, I grabbed a new pair of Rod Lavers which is what I am using now.

Any suggestions on breaking in a new custom-made 32 panel bag & how to restitch an old bag?

[F[uns]tylin' Eclectic]

For bag break in, you should just play with it. Kicks and dropping to the ground help break in. Glad you started playing again. Here is some hope and positive vibes to help you achieve all of your footbag goals. You made a wise choice to start playing again. This sport can be very self rewarding.

[PrunusAberration]

Thanks Nick for kind words and support. I hope to kick with you soon! I think, I have another goal or two for my list. Either try to get 10 to 20 contacts and/or get 10 to 20 consecutive of the basic tiltless tricks. [They go hand in hand though.] I want to get some tasty strings down soon.

[Derek]

I know there is some liquid stitch stuff out there, that people claim to be wonderful. Otherwise, you should be able to patch it up, it'll give the bag that Frankenstein's monster look. Lookin' gravy, Señor. Tasty strings will be had. Do you ever freestyle your stalls? Something along the lines of Inside >ss muted Inside >op Toe >ss Toe >op Inside >ss Toe >ss muted Toe >op Inside >op Inside >op Toe >op Toe >blah, blah, blah, and so on. Does that make sense?

[PrunusAberration]

Derek, I'll look into the liquid stitch stuff. I have never heard of it before. Also, the "brought back from the dead"/Frankenstein look is cool in my book. Regarding the stalls, not really but I can, it should be quite easy. However, inside and toes are boring, no? I am trying to string together more interesting stuff like clippers and legovers and around and so on. Why do you ask? Am I missing the basics here?

I found the best place to kick at on Sunday. It's a park district building. They got a soccer field, an ice rink, a swimming pool, and more. I spoke with an employee and he said it shouldn't be a problem kicking there. If I can snag the room, the door can be shut but it does have windows, adjustable air conditioner, a projector, aux in, and controllable lights as well. I'm looking forward to kicking there more often.

I hit a few arounds, orbits, legovers, clippers, and some pickups at the park district building. I have notice a bit of pain in my knee. I think it's from my mirages. I filmed some of it and well upload it soon. Thus, I have been taking a bit of time off because of the slight pain in my knee/back of the knee. It been hurting for a week or so. I don't want to further injure it.

toe flicks 7x
legover b2b
mirage [both sides]
pickup b2b
clipper > ss toe > op toe > ss clipper
clipper 2x [beesauce as well but different strings]
orbit > ss around > op toe > ss orbit > ss around

I took Saturday and Monday off. It kind of bums me out. However, I have been kicking with my pink bag exclusively and it still hasn't been broken in yet. Inside stalls are almost impossible, but other than that, it doesn't seem like the bag is hindering my play that much.

[PrunusAberration]

I hit up the school again yesterday. It was a pretty cool session. I can't decide on hitting tricks b2b or practicing one side at time. Been dumping more time into arounds and orbits. I filmed a bit yesterday, but it is time for me get a better camera as my phone isn't cutting it anymore. I hit a delicious string as well, but it wasn't too crazy. Toes b2b, insides b2b, around b2b, and clippers b2b. I filmed it, but I don't think I actually got it. 10 minutes filming limit plus no mount plus battery dying equals a lot of miss footage. Oh well, I finished off the session with a banana or two.

[Add Block]

It's good to practice new tricks from hand catch to hand catch at first, then try them in drills. But ultimately, once you're fairly comfortable with a new trick, you need to be using it in an improvised shred.

Consider you can do a trick if you can do it to and from every other trick you can already do.

[PrunusAberration]

I never do hand catches. I always try to push it a bit far. "Awesome, just did legover b2b 2x. Maybe I can go for another b2b set." *Bag drops to the floor* "Ohhhh." This happens every time. I have notice though with legovers, I can do them on the same side way more than I can do them b2b. Even though, the opposite side I can stick them on the same side just as well. It's weird that I can't do them as well b2b.

[Derek]

Definitely gives the bag some character. About the stalls, just cause something is boring, doesn't make it any less necessary. Vasek Klouda manual says to be able to do 100 stalls before trying Tiltless, 100 Tiltless before Guiltless, and so on. I always try and warm up with 100 stalls, with no drops. Seems like you are getting ahead of yourself a wee bit, but, everyone does that. Sets are everything in footbag, in my opinion, and stalls help solidify your sets. It also helps with endurance for longer strings. Strong foundation is key. I remember reading you bringing up DATW somewhere. For DATW, if you can't hit 20 regular ATW's, definitely shouldn't be trying the double. For practice, ghosting the motion really helps. Maybe snag a traffic cone, and practice the motion around the tip. Keep up the footbag, dude! Hope all stays well in ya cosmos.

[PrunusAberration]

Derek, I asked this exact question before and I am still wondering. Should I try working on kicks first before stalls? Or just work on stalls and then work on tiltless?

Right now, I do a huge warm up with toe flicks, inside kicks, and sometimes outside kicks. Then move to toes, insides, and once again sometimes outside stalls. Then I move on to tiltless moves. Are there other stalls to try before tiltless?
http://www.footbag.org/newmoves/list/1

I think, I might be able to hit 100 stalls, but inside stalls are way too hard for me with the Lavers. I miss my vans or even my horrible running shoes. They can inside stall better. However, I don't feel like clippers are hinder at all with the Lavers which is weird to me.

Yesterday sesh, I went to this new park and walked around for a bit looking for a spot to play at. Kicked inside on a basket ball court, but it was terriblely humid. So, went out back and hit up their packing lot. Practiced some kicks and stalls. I did pretty well with inside stalls for once. Maybe 20 contacts or more. I usually hit about eight to ten though at the most. I am still working on arounds and orbits and they are already paying off. Started working on my use-to-be strong side clippers. I had a lot of hardcore flipside clipper session a while back and now my flipside is my strongside. lol Still have a small bit of pain in my knee and back of the knee.

8x toe flicks [b2b]
20x inside kicks [b2b]
40x toe stalls [b2b]
20x inside stalls
around > orbit ss > op toe > ss orbit > ss around SO [3 different times]
pickup b2b
legover b2b [3 different times]
mirage b2b
clipper > ss toe > op toe > ss clipper

[Cass]

It's good to practice both kicks and stalls. I think this can be done simultaneously.

What about the Laver gives you trouble with inside stalls? Perhaps a Brocka mod is in order..

[PrunusAberration]

Cassy, I would like to hit 100 kicks & 100 stalls without a drop before each sesh. However, I am still working on that at the moment. I have thought about the Brocka mod, but I don't have any issues with my clippers. I thought the Brocka mod was more for clippers instead of inside stalls. No?

Had a smaller session yesterday. Didn't get too much though. Hit a few toes and inside kicks and stalls. My strong side inside has more of a flat surface than my flipside. I need to work on that a bit more. Stuck a couple good clipper strings which was groovy. Not too much to tell though. Just arounds, orbits, legovers, and some longer stall strings.

Toe > op toe > op inside > op side 2x OS
Toe > ss clipper > op clipper > ss clipper > hand
pickup b2b

Challenge update.
Well, I have set some goals and miss most of them. But I am getting better with all of them. The outside stalls need way more work and I haven't done so yet. I am going to update the list and aim for the new goal. I want to complete these stalls before doing more work on tiltless even though most of my sessions are tiltless drills. The new challenge will be updated now.

The old short term goals:
-20 toe flicks b2b [14-8-30] 15x
-50 inside kicks b2b [14-8-30] 21x
-10 outside kicks b2b [14-8-30]
-50 inside stalls b2b [14-9-15] 25x
-50 toe stalls b2b [14-9-15] Completed 14-8-22
-20 outside stalls b2b [14-9-15]
-10 Clippers b2b [14-9-15]
http://modified.in/footbag/viewtopic.ph ... 57#p490384

[PrunusAberration]

I had an awesome session tonight. I hit so much good moves even though I had to kick in a horrible spot. It rained a lot over here, so I was forced to kick in the basement. I couldn't practice basic kicks as I didn't have enough room, but I hit some tasty strings and a lot of stuff back to back. This is by far the best amount of tricks that I have hit in a single sesh. Also, working on my weak clipper as well.

clipper > ss toe > op toe > ss clipper 5x
legover > op legover b2b 5x
pickup > op pickup b2b 5x
around > ss orbit > op orbit > ss around 3x

For the strings, I was hitting each set five times in total, but it was in different strings. However, still quite awesome. I also ghosted some illusions, but they are hard for me to catch with my toe.

[Add Block]

I like those drills. Only one missing is the famous Legover > Mirage > repeat.

As for the spot, in Prague (czech), we always just keep playing if it starts raining. I played in a storm once, but I'll admit that was too much.