Shoulder injuries or other...?

[Whiper Jones]

Have you get any shoulder, elbow, wrist or such injuries with whipcracking?
I do not mean hitting, I mean strain or sprain?

[Bufflehead Jones]

I just got my first whip and was trying to learn how to crack it. I was determined to learn and went out and cracked for a long time. The next few days, my elbow was sore. I guess, instead of tennis elbow, I had a crack elbow. I am sure that a lot of it had to do with my poor technique.

[Obi1kenny]

I seperated my shoulder a few years back whiel skateboarding, yeah yeah long story there, but I still skate.

Anyhow, I have not noticed any pain from cracking my whip, but I was told I should never throw a football or baseball, in game play, without some sever conditioning first.

[thefish]

I'm doing a whip handling workshop in Jamestown, Ohio this weekend, and after spending from 9-5 yesterday getting down the basics, the only problems that I'm having is the joint at my elbow is a bit sore, (that and the palm of my right hand is a little tender because of the oversized turkshead on the end of the whip I was using yesterday.)

Shoulders and wrists are fine, but then, we're also switching to offhand as well, so both arms are getting a pretty good workout.

This is the first time I've handled a REAL whip, (I've had a swivel-handle one that has a baleing twine core with and integral fall with laces that run about an inch wide at the top of the thong for about 17 years, but it's @#$%.) I spent a considerable amount of yesterday with a 6 foot Indy-style by Joe Strain, and I am HOOKED!

[Richie]

don't grap the handle tight if you crack the whip!

[Tennessee R]

Yes, I usually crack for a long time, and my shoulder gets very sore and feels out of joint for about a day.

[thefish]

don't grap the handle tight if you crack the whip!

But this was a BIG Turks head knot! It was like there was a golf ball in there! I tend to grip more by the knot than by the handle itself.

The practice whip I bought doesn't have a knot so big, and I think has a better weight than the one I used most of the day yesterday. It's very comfy, and will do nicely to learn with until I figure out exactly what I want, and commission it.

[English Whip Maker]

Have you get any shoulder, elbow, wrist or such injuries with whipcracking?
I do not mean hitting, I mean strain or sprain?

Hi

It's something people don't think aboutmuch, but joint and muscle injuries are not uncommon. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which is an inflamation of tendons in the lower arm and hand (correct me if I'm wrong, folks) is especially debilitating and a real risk if you practice without warming up, practice too much (!) or ignore the twinges and sorenesses that are the warning signs of a sport injury on the way.

Elbow injuries are sometimes a sign of over extension, or over powering the throw. Good technique is about conservation of energy.

When you start doing anything more than the occasional crack, you need to remember that whip cracking is a sport and, like any other sport, you need to warm up properly before hand. If you're going to do serious amounts of it, it's worth considering doing complimentary excercise to help prevent related injury.

Funnily enough, juggling is great excercise and warm up for whip cracking. It exercises fingers, wrist, forearm and elbow - all the most common places for whip sports injuries - and helps with spacial awareness and coordination. Plus, it's great fun and can be done pretty much anywhere. Using heavy balls develops stamina in all the right muscles: we sell a line called Power Balls, which are filled with lead. The lightest weigh about a pound each. There must be something similar available in the states (but dont try with these if you haven't yet learnt to juggle or you'll get sore toes ).

Dave

[Indiana Texas-girl]

Hi

It's something people don't think aboutmuch, but joint and muscle injuries are not uncommon. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which is an inflamation of tendons in the lower arm and hand (correct me if I'm wrong, folks) is especially debilitating and a real risk if you practice without warming up, practice too much (!) or ignore the twinges and sorenesses that are the warning signs of a sport injury on the way.

I have carpal tunnel syndrome, but it's a good while since it's acted up. Using a whip has yet to restart the inflamation. However, I'd like to know how you warm up for cracking a whip to delay any problems I may run into in the future.

[Robert Duke]

Strain or sprain?

My belief is that people that get these injuries are overdoing it. Firstly, they are cracking too hard. That is they do fast, hard powercracks til they are worn out. The crack is addictive, no doubt as testified by my t-shirts.
My belief is that whipcracking should be full of grace, and less full of power. Slow and easy cracks are more pleasant to watch and do. Sometimes the fear factor of hitting yourself may cause your stress level to rise and not think about what you are doing. Slow down and make it graceful.

[Cooler King]

I love the shirt Robert! Very nice!

I've gotten my arm very sore from cracking my whip a number of times but I've never injured it, atleast not that I recall...

[thefish]

I saw an interview with Harrison Ford years ago, (I think it was maybe when he was out promoting Last Crusade,) and someone asked him about learning to use the whip, and he said that it was all just a process of looking like you were working really hard at it, while you were actually just keeping your movements smooth, and letting the whip do the work, (or words to that effect, it was a long time ago and I was young.)

When I heard that, I went out in the back yard with my India-made-baleing-twine-core whip and gave what he was describing a shot, and actually got the piece of @#$% to crack.

That's something I try to remember every day when I pick up my whip. Not to work so hard at it. The whip wants to crack. It's what it was designed to do. Just help it. It doesn't take a lot.

[Mike]

Like Obi1kenny, I've separated both my shoulders in years past playing hockey. I'm now loose jointed in each. If I crack for an extended time without having done so in a while, I'll get a little sore. But the same is to be said of any activity that involves my shoulders these days.

Oh, and Kenny, I mostly throw a baseball side armed anymore.

Mike

[Robert Duke]

You are on the right track.

I demonstrate how effortless whipcracking can be by only dropping my arm down while doing a circus crack.

On another note. Oprah had Halle Berry on her show yesterday which she brought her Catwoman whip out with her. She did several good horizontal cracks. The crowd loved it. Oprah loved it and encouraged Halle to do more. LOL Halle gave credit to Alex Green as her whip coach for the movie. She mentioned the whip she was using was a gift from Alex and said that whip was better than the whips they had used in the movie. Note, she said W-H-I-P-S.... more than likely they use different lengths for wraps, or whatever they will do in a scene.

[Obi1kenny]

Oh, and Kenny, I mostly throw a baseball side armed anymore.

Mike

Yeah, that about the same way I threw around the Nerf football the last time we were playing around.

I should really do my rehab exercies and get it stronger, but at least I try and stretch it out before I do to much.

And both shoulders playing hockey huh, yup that will do it, as I have a few friends that play and they are always getting hurt in one way or another.

[Mike]

To quote another Kenny, "I feel your pain". I should be doing my exercises as well... especially as lately, my right one's been clicking... kinda like cracking an knuckle, I guess... but for me, stretching is actually a bad idea. I was told that they were so loose, stretching probably exacerbates the issue.

On another tangent... there was a time when I was alternating popping them in hockey and aikido. It used to cause some terrifying looks when someone would flip me and it'd go. I'd just click it back in and continue on... but pay for it later once the adreniline wore off.

So should we be workout buddies, and get back on track with our exercises? ...ahhh... pass the remote.

Mike