My Very First Whip (a Pagey)...with new Videos

ksteryous · Post by **ksteryous** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:21 pm

So I finally broke down and got my very first bullwhip after wanting one since I was a kid. It arrived yesterday!!!

What took me so long was that I decided I wasn't going to go for just any ol' cheap whip, but rather if I was going to get one, I wanted to get a nice one. But every time I was about to pull the trigger on one, I would back down (they're not cheap, you know).

Then along came Pagey's whip he had listed in the Bazaar, and I couldn't resist. There was no long wait time involved, and the price was at his older price, and it was a 10 footer.

So after I ordered it (about 2.5 weeks ago), I began watching all the videos I could find on YouTube about cracking whips (Thank you Adam Winrich). Then I borrowed my sister's 7ft. whip she got over in Australia, and started practicing. Well, this 10ft. Pagey 'feels' twice as heavy and twice as long and twice as unwieldy as that little 7 footer. But after practicing tons yesterday, I managed to get a few of the cracks down, and below is a link to a video.

From you who are experienced, I would welcome any tips or tricks on my form. I fly fish, and so getting the whip to actually crack wasn't that big a deal to me as the principle of keeping a tight loop is the same in casting a fly rod.

Anyway, here's the video (click here).

Regards,
Kenton

ksteryous · Post by **ksteryous** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:18 pm

YouTube's video is really poor quality, so I also posted this video to my personal website which is much better quality even though the video size is smaller.

Here is the link to that if you're interested...

WhipDude · Post by **WhipDude** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:31 pm

Not bad for a starter. Not a whole lot of jerky arm going on or anything. Good job!

bobm2004 · Post by **bobm2004** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:45 pm

Outstanding! Practice till it hurts!

Shagbd · Post by **Shagbd** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:04 am

i would suggest on both your underhand flick and overhand flick... work on the planes!
This is something that took me a while to learn but helps when you get into combo cracks.
when you bring the underhand flick up, its crossing over your diagonal shoulder... it should come up straight in front of you and travel over your hand your holding the whip with.

Same thing wiht the overhand throw... make sure to keep it "straight up and down" in its motion.

Honestly, for starting out with a 10 fter you have done well!
the trouble you mentioned you are having iwth the cattlemans is probably due to the length of the whip...... you have to let it fall behind you, and due to its length, takes a bit longer...

I HiGHLY suggest Robbys video on whip cracking for ALL beginners: you can pick it up here http://www.midwestwhips.com/
youve spent good money on a good whip, so spend a bit more for good training..... it will protect YOU and your whip

hollywood1340 · Post by **hollywood1340** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:09 am

That's not to say your doing it wrong mind you. You've mastered the upper diagonal flick and the overhead diagonal. The 8 lines of attack, or the 10 depending on who you talk to. I touch on it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX7r3KiVgKs
Make sure you have a good idea of what crack your doing, so you can now have both your true underhand and your diagonal cracks. Keep up the good work.

ksteryous · Post by **ksteryous** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:05 am

hollywood1340 wrote:That's not to say your doing it wrong mind you.

So even when I was wrong, I was really right?? I've been trying to tell my wife that, but no luck so far.

No, seriously, thanks to everyone who has given me tips so far, and the video, Hollywood, helped a lot...I had a feeling that my current underhand was more of a modified side arm crack, so now I'll try getting things more vertical as soon as I get some feeling back in my right arm (chuckle).

By the way, I assume the stiffness of a new whip gets worked out naturally as you use it, correct??

Thanks again.

purewhips · Post by **purewhips** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:23 pm

Very nice! You are doing great. Keep it up you will get more natural at it.

Gus Caicedo Jr.
www.purewhips.com

ksteryous · Post by **ksteryous** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:10 pm

After taking advice from you guys, and watching Hollywood's video, here is another video of my underhand crack that is much more vertical (followed by a forward crack)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF2I6LL0 ... re=channel

Also, here another attempt at the behind the back crack with a shorter whip....much easier than the 10ft beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRYsvns2uS4

Thanks again, guys.

Post by **BullWhipBorton** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:32 pm

Hi Kenton, I've enjoyed the videos. I think you are off to a very good start, You've already gotten alot of good advice and clearly your picking up the techniques quickly.

The best advice I can offer is to have fun, relax and don't fight or force the whip to crack, just take it nice and easy and let it do all the work for you. You'll get some smooth easy cracks and you won''t wear out your arm as fast.

Who made your Sisters whip? Australian bullwhips are typically lighter with a longer handle then the Indy style, that's one of the reasons there often preferred for fast paced work and multiple cracking.

Keep practicing and keep up the good work, you'll be doing multiple combinations and target cutting in no time.

Dan

ksteryous · Post by **ksteryous** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:48 pm

BullWhipBorton wrote:Who made your Sisters whip? Australian bullwhips are typically lighter with a longer handle then the Indy style, that's one of the reasons there often preferred for fast paced work and multiple cracking.

Dan

Thanks for the advice, Dan. That's a good question as to who made my sister's whip. I don't really know, and I don't think she does either. She visited Australia 7 or 8 years ago, and picked one up while she was there. It's a 12 plait roo hide, but that's about all I know about it. It is, however, super light compared to my 10ft. pagey.

After working out with my 10ft., and then picking up that 7ft. Aussie whip, the 7 footer feels like a toy, and I'm not looking forward to giving it back. It's made me realize that I will have to break down and get a second whip real soon to give my 10ft. Pagey company and give myself a break now and then.

What to get for a second whip is the question!

IndianaBravo · Post by **IndianaBravo** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 9:10 am

Well done! You are lucky to have gotten a Pagey. I just checked his website and it looks like he has retired. Handle with care

Nevermind, I just saw you other post about the plait separation . I hope Pagey makes it right.