Practice makes perfect

brady · Post by **brady** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 6:55 pm

I've had my whip for a couple weeks now but have just gotten around to cracking it, freaking snow! Anyways I can do the forward crack most of the time and the crack which is like throwing a baseball (sorry I don't know the name). When I do them however I don't get a very loud crack out of the. I've seen people describe some cracks as "thunderous" and like gunshots but I can only get them to sound like firecrackers. Anyone have and pointers. I'm going to record myself doing a couple crack as soon as my roommate gets back to put on my website so maybe you guys could take a look and critique. I really wish there was a WE member close by so I could get some hands on feedback. I'm moving to Maryland soon after graduation and Mike will be close by so maybe we can get a few people together and work on things over the summer. Its a lot of fun I just need to keep at it and practice. Also if my shoulder muscles hurt afterwards does that mean I'm trying too hard. Bernie said it should crack pretty easy but I feel as though I have to "muscle-it" harder than he did in his video demonstration. I'll take all the help I can get so let it fly guys. Thanks for replys ahead of time, I'll get that video up with a link later tonight hopefully.

brady · Post by **brady** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 8:55 pm

Alright here's the video, it should pop right up in Windows Media Player when you click on the link. I don't know why but I could to the baseball crack as I call it just fine, but couldn't do the forward crack for the life of me. I'll work on it and send more tape at a later time. Enjoy!

http://www.clarkson.edu/~sherlobm/crack.wmv

zohar · Post by **zohar** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 9:34 pm

Looks like you're doing fine. The cracks are sound quite loud on my computer.
Every time I've attempted the forward crack, I end up hitting myself. I guess I'll have to study the Alex Green tape some more.

The problem I had yesterday was that I keep losing crackers. I've tied them on using Kyle Shold's method, but I keep losing them. I guess it's because I haven't become proficient with it yet.

My shoulder/back is sore too, and I exercise constantly (racquetball). I think it's just from using muscles that weren't used too much before.

I wish I could get out and use mine more, but we're going to have more rain till Saturday. :evil:

By the way, what do your neighbors think of all the noise?

sab04 · Post by **sab04** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 9:58 pm

your forward crack looks good and sounds good. To get a better circus crack, flick the whip over your head and when you throw it foward don't stop, like it looks like your doing, but follow through. That should result in a louder crack. Don't be surprised to get a few licks from the whip when you first try it. hope this helps. Have fun + good luck
-Scott

Rabittooth · Post by **Rabittooth** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 6:57 am

What I think is happening in this video, aside from your just needing more practice with the circus crack, is this:

Your first few cracks sounded great..perfect. Then they got less and less powerful. I thought I saw a considerable amount of spray coming off the whip as you continued to crack.
I've had this problem. Dew or moisture on the grass after repeated cracks gets the end of your whip wet and slows it down, giving you a harder to handle and wimpier crack.
You'd be better off practicing in dry ground conditions for more consistent handling of the whip when practicing. The wet or even damp cracker and fall will defintely give you less spectacular results when yer just starting out.

-Rabittooth

TheOther Jones · Post by **TheOther Jones** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 7:48 am

The things I noticed with your circus crack - I think you're making the turn, i.e. bringing the whip hand forward slightly too early, and the crack goes into the ground. Also, try to bend your wrist before you make the turn, as it seems you're bending it too late. Then again, I couldn't really see that much on the video, but give it a try anyway

Indiana Joe · Post by **Indiana Joe** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 9:33 am

Rabittooth wrote:Dew or moisture on the grass after repeated cracks gets the end of your whip wet and slows it down, giving you a harder to handle and wimpier crack.
You'd be better off practicing in dry ground conditions for more consistent handling of the whip when practicing. The wet or even damp cracker and fall will defintely give you less spectacular results when yer just starting out.

I have a nylon whip and have practicing after the rain stops for an hour or so. I noticed the spray during the cracks and thought it looked cool but never thought about the added weight of the water and the imbalance it creates. It makes sense.

The Other Jones wrote:The things I noticed with your circus crack - I think you're making the turn, i.e. bringing the whip hand forward slightly too early, and the crack goes into the ground. Also, try to bend your wrist before you make the turn, as it seems you're bending it too late. Then again, I couldn't really see that much on the video, but give it a try anyway

That's what I was thinking too. My 11-year old son, Logan, was having the same problem, made a similar correction, and now his circus crack is not only good, it is consistent. Pick a "target" to aim at that is about shoulder or chest level and make the whip crack there, out in front of you, on the shoulder plane. If you crack it just a little off the plane, like just a little more in front of your body, you are more apt to have it come back at you and give you a lashing. BTW, your forward crack looked and sounded pretty good.

Keep it crackin'!

I.J.

TheOther Jones · Post by **TheOther Jones** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 9:58 am

Yep, the "forward toss" was perfect!

Pyroxene · Post by **Pyroxene** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:06 am

I can't quite tell from the angle of the camera but wasn't that the reverse horizontal crack and not the forward toss?

brady · Post by **brady** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:39 am

Hey my brother's name is Logan too. Not a really common name (not that Brady is either) I just thought it was neat. Thanks for all the comments!

Paul_Stenhouse · Post by **Paul_Stenhouse** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 10:59 am

Dear Brady,
I'll throw in a blatant plug for myself. I swear this will help you out! Others can also attest to this.

http://www.geocities.com/paulbrianstenhouse/index2.html

Best Regards,

Paul Stenhouse

The_Edge · Post by **The_Edge** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 1:08 pm

A few things I saw;

1.) It looked like you were pulling the whip back at yourself very fast when doing the forward throw. Practice just throwing the whip foward and letting the whip travel out and pop with out pulling it back. Straighten your arm, let the whip terminate in a crack and then go limp. It should crack and then loose all it's energy with out coming back at you. Once you get this down then you can practice bringing the whip back over your head.

2.) You don't need the loudest crack possible everytime you crack. Using a lot of muscle and cracking loud everytime is how you loose poppers and break falls early. Finesse is the key. Go for a nice sharp crack but it doesn't have to sound like a cannon every time.

3.) You're timing is off on your circus crack and your wrist is too loose. You are throwing the crack forward too early. Let the flexing you want to naturally do with your wrist happen evenly through out your shoulder, elbow and thong junction.

Neat video, BTW! Thanks for sharing!

Sergei · Post by **Sergei** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 1:49 pm

Brady,
BTW nice video clip. I would agree with Kyle, that there is tooooo much pulling back the whip.

This is what I would recommend, don't worry about the crack. Concentrate on technique, the crack will come later. Also visualize. You need to visualize that the crack is a result of forming the "hairpin" loop. So when you do a forward crack, you need to think that the "hairpin" must form. Remarkably the body adjusts if you visualize that.

What I would recommend is going to the "Bullwhip Org" website. Go here:
http://www.bullwhip.org/faq/forward.html

The instructor is Karen Quest. There is an excellent write up of what I am discussing above about the "hairpin" loop. Also, there is a .mov file that shows her cracking. Just study that page and study the .mov.

Then go on to her "overhead" and "sidearm" crack.

Like any sport, you need to concentrate on the fundamental basics of technique and not go for the "maximum" possible crack. In fact, I derive more enjoyment having to crack a loud one, without very little effort. When you do it that way, it's a positive feedback loop that you did EVERYTHING PERFECTLY.

-Sergei

brady · Post by **brady** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 8:04 pm

Well I went out again today and worked on it for about an hour. Today is the total opposite from yesterday. Today I have the circus crack down and working 90% of the time but now I'm having trouble with the forward crack. I'm trying to make the forward crack stop and hit the ground instead of bringing it over my head like in the video from yesterday, but I can't seem to get it down. I've also been working on the rising crack that can be seen in one of our old discussion done by Sebastian in a video Pyro took. I can do that one too but feel that is getting ahead of myself. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go out again tomorrow and work on the forward some more. I also would like to try the overhead crack but I am nervous about getting my first good kiss. Then after that I'll have to get the reverse crack down. Well thats enough of an update, thanks for all the tips on the circus crack, they helped a ton. I'll get some more video up to document my progress. You all seemed to enjoy it. Thanks again!

Sergei · Post by **Sergei** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 8:11 pm

Don't get fancy, just do 2 to 3 cracks. Do them constantly.

Part of the experience is developing that 6th sense of knowing where the tip of the whip is constantly. So it feels strange now, but after awhile by developing good form and technique you build up that confidence. With confidence comes that 6th sense. Don't get me wrong, I miss cracks all the time and see the pros do so as well. The difference is, we know when a crack has failed and know when to abort the crack before harm comes your way. It's the Zen philosophy from Caddy Shack: "Be the whip, be one with the whip".

)

-Sergei

Indiana Joe · Post by **Indiana Joe** » Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:27 am

brady wrote:I also would like to try the overhead crack but I am nervous about getting my first good kiss.

Keep on crackin'! I've found that practice, practice, practice, really helps me out.

I was so scared to try that overhead crack until I watched Alex Greene in the Mark Allen video. In fact, to make sure I was doing it right, I held the whip with only my two fingers and let the technique crack the whip and, whadaya know? It worked! Just wear some protection. Leather jacket, hat, racquetball goggles, something. It may give you the extra boost of confidence to wield that whip around over your head without threat of lashing your noggin.

I.J.

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