The 10/10 Challenge

[Tristan Foy]

Something that irritates me with the RHC is that even if I bring the whip back gently to the side from the front, the momentum always carries it around behind me and snaps me somewhere on my back.

And today while doing the FC, as I wrote above, I had my whip out front and I flipped it it back as I brought my arm to the 12 o'clock position (I don't know how you know the whip is in the 9 o'clock position though) and as I cracked it forward, instead of being in a straight line over my arm, it came from behind my head and clipped one of my ears while the cracker caught me in the cheek and lips. It made me a little gun shy. I continued practicing but not as comfortably.

[Guest]

I seem to have the same problem every time I unintentionally and unnecessarily turn my upper body when I take my hand back from front to back. This turning makes the whip go behind my body rather than in a straight line behind my hand and due to the nature of the crack - straight to the face from behind. In any case you're not taking the whip straight back and it goes diagonally behind your body - I started using a line in the ground. You can also practice just the motion where you take the whip from front to the 9 o' clock position, and - without turning your body - look where the whip goes and start to be confident that it's not going behind you anymore. Also listen to where the whip is going, this helped me.

I noticed on the Forward Crack you have to "let the whip hang" in the 9 o' clock position slightly longer whereas in the Horizontal Crack it's more immediate when you bring it from the back to the crack.

[Tristan Foy]

Thank you Erik. That makes sense. It's always easy for me to imagine that I am doing everything in a straight line but the results say differently.

[Guest]

Exactly! I thought I was making perfectly straight pulls but I had to admit different after reviewing my own video = D

I've thought it would be useful to go to a gym with big mirrors. The camera does the thing too, but a big mirror would be the next best thing after a good teacher around.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Mirrors are great for training. I wish we had a big one at our hall where we run our kickboxing classes. It's so useful to be able to see your own body as it goes through the motions.

[Roy Partin]

Here is a short clip of yesterdays forward crack practice. I haven't wached it before and I was surprised to see that I've also been lifting up my free hand during the practice (I did visualize the spear throwing motion that Robby mentioned in the Whip Basics DVD but I didn't conciously lift up my free hand).

http://vid1098.photobucket.com/albums/g ... ipkjkz.mp4


All the best
Ben

Ben,
My one thought on this crack is your rushing it a little bit. Let the whip come up behind your head a little more before throwing it forward. There is a sweet spot there and once you find it the crack will become effortless. Keep up the practice and you will surely have it in no time.
This is the most important crack in my arsenal. I use it the most for driving cattle. A slight crack on either side of the animal will steer them one way or the other.

[Jessie Edwards]

This is a hard crack for me. Robby spent a lot of time laughing at me when I practiced this in Germany. I'm too slow, almost. I think, with this one, you have to throw it easy. No shortcuts. My problem is, I am so worried about technique, I don't throw at all.

[Roy Partin]

Jessie, pretend there is a rock tied to the cracker and you need to fling it off

[Ron May]

Thanks for those tips Roy.
With the shorter whip I don't hit the back of my head so much as with the longer whip.
I also have a difficult time keeping the arm, wrist and thong in the same plane. It ends up almost like a diagonal line like a pitcher finishes the pitch in baseball.

Ron

[Roy Partin]

Ron, with the longer whip its much more important to bring it up higher behind your head. Most of your power should be placed in the swing from front to up and behind. Bringing it forward for the crack doesn't need much power

[Guest]

Roy that's interesting to hear about driving cattle! Also thanks for the tips : )

No practice for me today, wasn't feeling totally well again. Also it's getting really cold and I haven't really gotten to the attic to get my winter clothes - I didn't want to catch a cold after running around in town half the day!

I'll let my subconscious process what I learned yesterday.

[Ron May]

I had to back off again today, so no practice for me.
This is getting very old.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

I spoke too soon about saying the FC was easy for me. Turns out I didn't know what I was talking about. Smacking myself in the head/face yesterday has made me gun shy and forced me to go much slower. I need to rewatch the video once more. I tried to imagine flicking a stone off my whip but it feels like even that is too advanced for me.

I've noticed that having a target in mind helps for most of the cracks though. when I'm doing the RHC I imagine I'm skipping a rock towards a rock/patch of grass, etc. and it really helps take the focus off the crack and just get into the motions.

[Ben Varsek]

Thank you so much for your advice Mr. Partin !!!
I'll keep in mind to bring the thong behind my head a little more !!!
I didn't know that this crack is the most important crack in your arsenal - thank you very much for sharing !!!


Jessie, I think that the way you're practicing (focusing on the technique as priority) will lead to great results.
Practicing "to slow" is always better than practicing to fast !!!


Ron, my best recovery wishes to you - get well soon !!!


Erik, I hope you won't catch a cold !!!


Tristan, Erik, Mr. Tuson:

Mirrors are great for practicing - no doubt !!!
But what's even better than a mirror is a person that knows a little about whipcracking observing and correcting you.
I've done all of my practice sessions with another person so far (either a "whipcracking" friend or my wife). In my opinion another person who tells you what you've done right or wrong is even better than a mirror.
People who are practicing with mirrors are naturaly focused on their movements in the mirror - in other words: they correct their movements by a visual control and not "only" by "feeling" their own "body movement".
Having "one more level of control" sounds great but it also limits the development of the "body movement feeling" because a part of the brain is focused on the visual mirror image.

Yesterdays and todays practice have been okay - no big steps of improvement or drawbacks but two nice and fun practice sessions !!!


All the best
Ben

[Ron May]

Ben, "no big steps of improvement or drawbacks" is progress and progress is improvement.
And you're right it's fun.
Good going.

Ron

[Guest]

No practice today either. I blame it on the lousy cold rainy weather but I also made the choice to finish my bullwhip instead = )
I'll make up for it for sure though.

[Ron May]

I didn't think I was going to practice today but started to but after only 5 attempts I had to quit.
5 cracks is not a practice but it did reinforce how important it is to practice if not daily, as much as possible if you want to improve.
Erik, bad weather sucks but at least you put the time to good use in finishing the overlay to your very nice and colorful whip.
I am feeling a tad better so with some luck I can do a valid practice tomorrow. I feel like I am way behind on where I wanted to be.

Ron

[Ben Varsek]

Thank's Ron !!!

It's very important that you'll recover from your cold Ron (no reason to "feel behind") and I'm glad to hear that you're feeling a little better !!!


Today has been perfect whipcracking weather in my area: sunshine combined with mild (not too warm) temperatures.
I didn't make huge improvements on todays practice but it fealt like a little improvement to me.
I was paying close attention to bring the thong up higher behind my head (9 o'clock position) and the forward "throw" of the whip fealt more smoothly.


All the best
Ben

[Ron May]

Ben, now that is progress.
The way the throw feels is important to being able to do it consistently.

Ron

[Jessie Edwards]

HA! Done! I sucked, but i'm done. I'm going to use my just handle to practice throwing spears with and tomorrow I'm going to spend a good amount of time on my practice. This crack is the DEVIL.