The 10/10 Challenge

[Tristan Foy]

Ok I just watched that video. That makes sense and I'll practice doing that today. Thank you Ron. :-)

[Ron May]

Tristan, some do and some don't, it depends on the crack.
The opposite horizontal is wrist action 'like skipping a stone' .
The underhand is wrist action "like bowling" .

Not all cracks are created equal.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

I definitely am getting more comfortable in the cracks and motions. I feel like I've made it over a hump where things are coming more naturally. I still don't have the finesse, but that is just as much learned as anything, I'm sure.

Ron, I'm going to have to practice muuuch more with what you suggested. I still made no progress that I could see with the HC, but I'm sure I will get there.

I realize I'm reporting mostly on my progress, but Ben, Erik, Robert, and everyone else, I'm glad to hear everyone is progressing forward, even if I don't always say so individually. I'm glad for you, and that you are keeping up, and it's also good for me to be part of a motivated and steady group.

[Ron May]

Tristan, making it over the hump is where you are starting to understand the mechanics of cracking.
The artistry and refinement will come with practice and I have no doubt that you will get there.
The support that every one show is integral to the success of us all.
We are awesome together that's for sure.

Ron

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Well - my first attemtp on a vid. Sorry - its a mess of various cracks - but i have just joined and am trying to catch up with the rest of you. It is my first cracks with this whip - finalised it last night.

https://youtu.be/yUm6Hb6yf98

[Robert Gage]

It's very good to see you joining the Challenge, Morten!

If I may, a couple of comments:

1. You're using incredible force! It's as if you're taking out all your frustrations with each crack, or perhaps hurling darts at an enemy who wants to kill you! Your head snaps back each time: it must be hard on your neck - and on the whip! Try using about a quarter as much power, or even less - the least power needed to make a crack. You'll find it's much more elegant!

2. I'm sure you can see your Opposite Horizontal Crack is not horizontal at all. You bring the whip down in a 45 degree angle towards the ground. Try to make sure your hand stays level; you can even try lifting it as the whip cracks. The whip will do exactly what you tell it to do, not what you want it to do!

3. This looks like a really nice whip! Well done!

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Hi Robert

Comments are more than welcome. You are right about the force - i have to use much less of it - small explanation is that the whip is still extremely stiff with parafin - its getting better when it breaks in - but 90% of the real root cause is my skills (or lack of so far) :-)

you are right about my neck - it is hurting - from the practise - and from sitting in the couch plaiting - need to learn to use a hook - and less force.

Will work on the horisontal crack.

Also have to say - it helps seeing yourself on video - make it a lot easier to see what you are doing.

I noticed on my circus crack that i dont get the arm up at 12 - but stopped somewhere around 10.48 - tried to go out afterwards - and needed much less force when getting the arm up to 12.

[Robert Gage]

Morten, I've always found that self-criticism is the most useful of all. Watching yourself is invaluable!

[Bob Ouellette]

Hey all, I haven't had much time to post with family happenings and whatnot. Here's a video that ends abruptly when my phone falls over.

https://youtu.be/f4go3JlxSso

I know it's pages back by now, but for Tristan, I posted a video about rolling the whip back instead of swinging it off to the side. I think others have commented on other things. It's tough playing catch up!

[Ron May]

Bob, that looks really nice. Good timing , good tempo.
Thanks for posting that video.

Morten, I can see that you are not finishing your throws.
As I understand it each throw should end up where it started if possible.
Like the circus crack starts at 6:00 and should end at 6:00 and not at 4:00.
That way the whip will not come back at you so much.

The overhead (horizontal crack) is really looking more like a diagonal circus crack.
The movement should finish at your side at head high or higher ending in a slightly upward motion to keep the whip on the horizontal plane.

The opposite horizontal should start out in front of you because we are going to combine that right after the circus crack. Again follow through with your throw. Stopping it in front of you will tell the whip's recoil to come right back at you.

And as Robert has said, use only the velocity (muscle power) that you need to make it crack cleanly. Starting off it really doesn't have to even crack. Just concentrate on the form and the crack will follow all on it's own. Start out in slow motion and slowly increase speed until you get the "poof" or crack.

The whip does look like it cracks nicely though. Good job .
And thanks for sharing the video with us. It does help me to watch my own to tell me what it actually looks like and try to correct it the next time.

Ron

[Guest]

Thanks for posting, Bob! I love the ending It seems like you do on the CC what I do on the sidearm crack - twitch your body a little bit to achieve the momentum. I'm not sure how correct this is, but it looked silly to me when I watched myself do it. It's like I can't achieve a strong crack without "putting some body into it".

Morten, I'd recommend that you could skip back pages to the beginning of this thread and find our pointers about the circus crack and the horizontal crack so we're on the same page! There's a lot of useful information already about the proper technique : )

I played around with just the handle and studied what Ben pointed out how I let the whip go past the 12 o' clock behind me. It seems like I've been doing it all along for some time. I'll have to try with a cracking whip tomorrow to see if correcting it makes a difference for better or worse! I'll also see if I can eliminate the "twitch" I do on the sidearm crack.

On other notes - on the overhead crack - I observed that my problem might be that while I lift the whip above me in a diagonal line, it actually ends up diagonally behind me - causing it to wrap around my arm. So I have to hone it down so I take the whip up as horizontal as possible and won't let it "drop" behind me while it's traveling above me.

[Tristan Foy]

Morten, the whip looks and sounds great!

I have to say, I am impressed, I was throwing around and hitting myself all over the place before I got a decent report from my whip, and you were managing it pretty consistently! So you must have some experience already.

That said, I echo what everyone else has said: slow down and use waaaaay less power. I keep committing this sin myself, but a whip should be able to crack with minimal energy. It's a cracking tool, so get the motions down and it will do the rest. You probably haven't read it yet since it's towards the beginning, or maybe middle, but one of my major breakthroughs, if not my main one, came with my horizontal crack. I was holding the heel knot lightly (someone said imagine you are holding a bird) and gave it some motion, but just a flick compared to the air punches I had been giving it, and it gave off a nice crack. That was when I started to know what a crack feels like. You can feel it roll off the whip, like it's an extension of you.

Also, in my experience, throwing the whip around like it just seduced your partner is another way of saying you aren't comfortable with it yet. For instance, you duck with the overhead crack. So start moving slower with it, just swinging it around, to get used to having the whip moving close to you.

These are things that I am telling myself, too, and you will find that especially Robert likes to tell me take my foot off the gas, but like I said, you seem to be off to a good start.

[Tristan Foy]

Today was a good practice. I'm including videos of my three main focuses.

Firstly, Combo 2. I'm having hard time transitioning from the Circus Crack to the Horizontal Crack, as you can see. It looks simply, but my body just doesn't want to comply. I've also noticed that while I can do both cracks individually, combining them has caused me to feel a little off balance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRIuPnMWlY0


Secondly, my Overhead Crack. I still have a ways to go with it, but I think Ron's advice with letting my forearm drive the crack was what I needed to be told.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKHZEDtak5Y


And then my Forward Crack, which I'm starting to really enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb6EouyZcMU


In this crack, as with all of them, the key is proving to be not speed, but actually lack of speed and energy.

[Robert Gage]

... That was when I started to know what a crack feels like. You can feel it roll off the whip, like it's an extension of you.

Exactly!

Those latest videos show you much more relaxed, Tristan. But in the Forward Crack I see you doing what I do (and try not to do): as you come towards the end, either because your arm gets tired or your attention becomes less focused, you start using a little more force. But it still looks good - and I agree it's a fun crack to do.

[Bob Ouellette]

Erik, I'm not sure what you mean by twitching, but I studied 15th century German long sword for a year when I was in high school. I was tought to move your feet first, then you move your body, and finally your arms. Some of that might have influenced my style of throwing.

[Ron May]

Erik, I'm not seeing the "twitching" either during Bob's throws.
Perhaps you could clarify? Or did you mean something else?

I like the new avatar.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

Robert, I think it is a result of being tired in addition to still learning it. That was the last bit of a 20 plus minute practice session, but my whip is a heavy one to boot.

[Tristan Foy]

No real news today, except that I am am continuing all the cracks. Less success with the forward crack, more success with the overhand crack, about the same with combo 2. I cannot get the fluid transition down. They are still very obviously two cracks.

But still, it was good and fun.

[Ron May]

Tristan, it is very hard for me to make the two individual cracks on combo 2 into a fluid motion connecting the two as well.

Doing it very slowly both cracks aren't too bad, but when I try to combine them one or the other is dominant over the other.

Being consistent is the key for me. One time the circus crack is plainly there and the opposite horizontal is just a "wiff". Then on the next try the circus crack is the "wiff" and the OH is there cleanly.

Progress is being made but like I said, consistency is not easy to achieve.

Ron

[Bob Ouellette]

It was raining here today, so I took my nylon whip out for some practice. It's hard to resist adding an underhand crack to the beginning of this combo and finishing with an overhead crack.

Ron and Tristan, the transition will get easier with practice. It just takes time to plant the motion in your muscle memory.