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Author Topic: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top  (Read 3466 times)

Shootist

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Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« on: September 18, 2011, 02:57:23 AM »

This story starts with my son and I throwing our tops in the yard of our residence. After throwing for about an hour, a neighborhood boy show's up and proclaims that we are performing magic. Due to his interest, we decided to show him how to throw a spinner with my Black Giulia. This neighborhood boy an 11 year old, tried for over an hour to make the top spin on a black rubber mat that was setup in the yard. My son and I worked with him until it was almost dark. I decided to go in and take a shower and left my son with the neighborhood boy spinning tops in the yard. The neighborhood boy wanted to throw a spinner with my Giulia onto my concrete driveway. My son told him to keep the tops on the rubber mat. The neighborhood boy frustrated with himself for not being able to throw a spinner threw my Giulia across my concrete driveway. Needless to say my Giulia has some scars from this concrete throw however, as Neff has proclaimed Strummol8 makes some very Tough Tops capable of withstanding an 11 year old neighborhood terror.
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2011, 08:05:33 AM »

Sorry for the scars but keep up the good work of spreading the good news of top spinning!
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Neff

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2011, 07:30:45 PM »

Ahh, the frustrations of top spinning.  A problem I've noticed with quite a few beginners is that they let the top hit the ground too early, thus the top does not flip over all the way.  This is especially problematic with short people throwing bigger tops.
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johnm

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2011, 08:07:18 PM »

Ahh, the frustrations of top spinning.  A problem I've noticed with quite a few beginners is that they let the top hit the ground too early, thus the top does not flip over all the way.  This is especially problematic with short people throwing bigger tops.

With new players, I've found it helpful to have them hold the button end of the string with their arm positioned at the end of their throw and then I stretch the string out in a straight line to the ground (preferably a target like a frisbee) so the knot just touches the ground.  This way they can get a real sense of how far out to aim and what throw angle is appropriate.
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SpinQueen

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2011, 09:11:20 PM »

  A problem I've noticed with quite a few beginners is that they let the top hit the ground too early, thus the top does not flip over all the way.

Strange.  I've found just the opposite.  The kids I notice who are having problems are usually crossing past the release point and as a result, are turning their hands (and top tips) to the side, rather than tip up.   I usually correct this by having them release just before the release point so their hands don't have the chance to turn sideways.   Hmmmm
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Neff

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2011, 11:22:52 PM »

I see a lot of that also, but the short kids are often doing it right but the top is hitting the ground before the top can flip all the way over.
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jim in paris

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2011, 12:30:44 PM »

i really like this story....thanx for sharing

how about giving the neighbourhood kid a wood-top ?



jim
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Shootist

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2011, 02:09:40 AM »

Jim

We gave him a Spintastics Spintop instead of a Wooden Top and we are still working with him. 
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WaxyAxle

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Re: Neighborhood Boy Throws Top
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2011, 06:02:02 AM »

Your forgiveness is commendable.  It is so much harder with kids that are not your own.

On little kids throwing, my younger daughter is 5 and fairly small for her age.  I encourage here to throw smaller tops but she always wants to throw the RC (it has been named Earthquake for some reason).  I have her stand on a stepstool so that the string can actually unwind before the top hits the ground and she has a fair amount of success that way.
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