Peg top progress log of ortwin and random questions

[ortwin]

I think I admitted in the very first post in this topic that I stole the title from you paxl!

[ortwin]

Progress: I was just able for the first time to perform the trick  "Lasso".
I used the wooden top from Rocco to do it.
That means I could do all the tricks from my goal list for the fixed tip tops at least once - except for the regeneration, but that is a different story as ta0 convinced me.


goal list of tricks I want to be able to do with a peg top one day:
green: on video in this thread
red: I have never done it yet
black: done, but no video to prove yet


goals specificly for fixed tip top:

   
• arm walker
• wire walker
• short circuit

   
• cable car
• around the world
• lasso

   
• some type of regeneration (Roller Coaster, Drumbeat, Orbits, Barrel Rolls,
  Sewing Machine)

From the bearing tip top list there are two tricks that I never was able to perform so far:
"hop the fence" and "whip".

   
• spinner
• target
• big scoop
• sky rocket
• boomerang
• boomerang under leg
• hacky top
• merry go round
• pole dancer
• crazy 8
• trapeze
• gyroscopic flop
• corkscrew
• mach 5
• upside down merry go round
• hop the fence
• whip

[ta0]

Congratulations!
Lasso is needed for roller coasters and the gateway to freestyle play.
Now you need to get consistent. I recall than when I first started I need somebody to tell me if the string had gone under or over the top when I missed.

You have advanced greatly this year since the Marines festival! It would be great to see at what level you are at the next festival.

[ortwin]

Congratulations!
Lasso is ..... and the gateway to freestyle play.

Thank you! The applause of you and others here on the forum  definitely is a factor in keeping my motivation up!


The part with the "gateway to freestyle play" I do not really understand. By what is "freestyle play" characterized?  Do I want to do "freestyle play"? Is it being able to spontaneously putting together various tricks?

..
You have advanced greatly this year since the Marines festival! ...

Well, that is easy to advance if you start at zero. I am also very lucky that I could afford putting that many hours into practicing. I do not advance because I am especially talented or that I have very good coordination skills.
I am also looking forward to the next festival: Marines, Loon, Cremona, ...?... who knows...

[ta0]

The part with the "gateway to freestyle play" I do not really understand. By what is "freestyle play" characterized?  Do I want to do "freestyle play"? Is it being able to spontaneously putting together various tricks?

Freestyling is doing a long series of diverse tricks from a single throw, generally while regenerating (but could also be with a long spin bearing top.) I would add that you should have the freedom to change the routine on the spot. Roller coaster is the most popular regeneration and the basis of most freestyles and you need to be consistent doing lasso for that.

I am also looking forward to the next festival: Marines, Loon, Cremona, ...?... who knows...

Perhaps even sooner. Announcement this week   

[ortwin]

Random question: Which tricks can exclusively be done with a bearing tip spintop?


I mean in principle, not that I aim myself to be able to do all the tricks with a fixed tip top.
I saw the video where Gus  does the mach5 with a fixed tip. But is the gyro flop also possible?


And I don't mean something like "For doing 10 circles of mach5 you definitely need a bearing top". Because Gus proved that in principle mach5 can be done with fixed tip.


So again, my question is,  what are the tricks that really do not work in principle with a fixed tip but require a bearing tip?

[ta0]

Random question: Which tricks can exclusively be done with a bearing tip spintop?

Well, if the tip neck is thin enough and the string is slick enough, a the fixed tip would work as a bearing tip, so I don't think there is an absolute answer to this.
Gus did break the limits of what was considered possible with a fixed tip. He told me that when he first saw a video of Steve Brown doing a Mach 5 (circa 2000) he didn't realize that he was using a bearing top. So he tried very hard to do the trick with a fixed tip! 
My guess is that a single and fast gyroscopic flop is possible. But the top has to be bound in a way that the string provides the necessary torque. I'll ask Gus for a video 

[ortwin]

Progress: I was just able for the first few times to perform the trick  "Hop The Fence"  .
I used my Augusta to do it.
That means only the trick Whip remains to be conquered for the first time on my bearing tip spintop goals list.
But I am seriously considering to expand that list once more. The "Orbits" version you can see here would be the addition.
It is only kind of the big brother of Crazy 8 I think, but still cool looking  and maybe it helps being able to do it for the orbits trick with a fixed tip top where it works as regeneration, what do you guys think?

[ta0]

Those "orbits" look like what we call blizzard (on the Spintastics patch). Ideally, you would also pass the top between the arms. It won't help you much with regen orbits but it's a cool easy trick.

[Texture]

Good luck learning the blizzard. It is a pretty cool looking trick. I always wanted to try to record a video doing the trick blizzard, with a spintastics blizzard top, in an actual blizzard.... Maybe one day.

As for the whip, personally I find it easier to do it with a fixed tip top, since it seems to absorb the impact of the whip better. With a bearing tip, the top seems to bounce a bit after it's caught and can even bounce out of the loop. Or maybe that's just me.

[ortwin]

Progress: Now I can do the trick  "Blizzard" some of the time. I do not always succeed and it also needs to become more natural to me to look cool but I am happy that I put it on my list ( at least the mental one, not written down yet).
The Whip, on the other hand, I can't get a lot closer to it seems  without some more input from you people:
I throw a trapeze, wait until the top precesses so that it is perpendicular to my sight line and then I yank it up.
Then what? Just somehow aim and whip at it? Most of the time I just miss hitting it and when I somehow hit it not much good happens. Any secrets or practice tips? Does it make sense to hit the top while I hold it in my non dominant hand? Just to practice aiming?

[ta0]

Good progress!

You didn't say if your whips are overhand or underhand.
Underhand whips are easier (it might not look like that to the espectador as they are more passive) and are also more versatile.

The following instructions are for a simple underhand whip.
You hold the loop of string so the string exits each side of your hand. Try to avoid the loop twisting on itself.
You whip around the loop in a circle, trying to time it so it first hits the top not too far from your hand (e.g. 20 cm).
You aim so that the tip hits the inner side of the loop but misses the outside of the loop.
You let the top fall to the bottom of the loop, trying to dampen the bump so it doesn't bounce off.

For more complicated whips you won't be able to hit the top close to your hand, and the difficulty increases.

Good luck!

[ortwin]

...
You didn't say if your whips are overhand or underhand.

I guess you would call that what I tried an overhand whip, like what Chris Neff is doing in this video: youtu.be/pBNkzrJzxHM?t=224

...
You hold the loop of string so the string exits each side of your hand. ...

That seems like a very good point that I did not do so far, will try tomorrow! Now I also see it done in the video of Chris Neff.

[ortwin]

Updated goal list and new progress video

https://youtu.be/s5wLG9Dt93E


goal list of tricks I want to be able to do with a peg top one day:
green: on video in this thread
red: I have never done it yet
black: done, but no video to prove yet


goals specificly for fixed tip top:

   
• arm walker
• wire walker
• short circuit

   
• cable car
• around the world
• lasso

   
• some type of regeneration (Roller Coaster, Drumbeat, Orbits, Barrel Rolls,
  Sewing Machine)

From the general tip top list there is one trick that I never was able to perform so far:
"whip".

   
• spinner
• target
• big scoop
• sky rocket
• boomerang
• boomerang under leg
• hacky top
• merry go round
• pole dancer
• crazy 8
• trapeze
• gyroscopic flop
• corkscrew
• mach 5
• blizzard
• upside down merry go round
• hop the fence
• whip

So there are still some tricks I need to catch on video but maybe it is okay to start thinking about regeneration already?
Any specific suggestions what type of regeneration I should try and what the first steps should be?

[ta0]

Nice progress! You have become a competent top player and are ready to start working on regens.

The most common first regeneration trick is roller coaster. There are some regens that may be easier to learn, but I would still recommend it as it's the most useful for freestyle play.
You could start with roller coaster from the hand to get the movement right. It's quite more difficult to achieve regen because of the friction from the hand, but once you have the lasso and the pop up pull figured out, you can skip the hand and the regen genie will likely visit you.