DATE |
RESULT/
ACTIVITY |
COMMENTS |
BALL USED-ball inflation
SHOES USED |
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Saturday
Jan 20 630-753 PM |
Rainbow kick
while dribbling
forward at slow jog
experiments
67 mins
MAN THE VIDEO-CAMS! CAESAR
RAINBOGUS' FIRST SUCCESSES AT RAINBOW KICKING BALL THAT IS DRIBBLED
FORWARD AT SLOW JOG WITHOUT FIRST STOPPING BALL
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Wore soccer shin guards, ankle guard on both
ankles under long white soccer socks.
Dribbled approx 8 yds forward at slow jog, then executed
rainbow kick with body and ball both moving forward, with ball not stopped
before the rainbow kick.
I felt that I had become like a
spit-and-polish shiny-helmeted parade ground deity, able to do a
rainbow kick but not very quickly, after stopping the ball after dribbling
forward at a walking pace--I felt that such might end up looking
impressive with long air-dribble runs tacked on to it, but I felt the
urgency of a need for quickness in execution of the kick in actual
game-type conditions.
I wanted to be able to do what I had seen the
afore-mentioned child-deity do on the playground--he did rainbow kicks
while he and the ball were both moving forward at a jogging pace without
first stopping the ball. So today I switched to further attempts at
the emulation of the playground child-deity.
Up till now what I have been doing in this rainbow kick
project, is dribbling forward at the speed of a walk 3-4 yds, stopping the
ball, and then executing the rainbow kick. This has been more difficult
than you might think because the soccer ball on the wooden basketball
floor, continues moving sort of randomly and aimlessly for quite a while
after you stop it--I do the kick before the ball completely stops other
wise the kick would be too slow.
When I started the rainbow kick project January 8 '07, I
attempted to do this trick of executing the rainbow kick with both body
and ball moving forward and ball not stopped before rainbow kick executed,
but could not succeed in doing it even once--this despite the fact that
this was something the aforementioned playground child-deity was able to
do. Till today I was never able to do what the child-deity
did.
Today I experimented with another alternative
(stop-simultaneous method) for increasing the speed with which the
rainbow kick was executed, this other alternative was, that after the ball
was stopped, the next immediate move with the feet was that both
feet simultaneously grabbed the ball in position for the rainbow kick, as
opposed to the foot that stops the ball hitting the ground after it stops
the ball and before the ball is grabbed between the feet. This alternative
did not work out too well.
Results for the
segments were as follows:
(DEFINITIONS: Starred success means after
rainbow kick I got to THE ball before it hit ground.
Success means the ball was kicked over me and out to a
point in front of me.
Half-success: almost a success.
AD means Air Dribble, there was an air
dribble after the Rainbow Kick so that a certain number of yards were
travelled with the ball kept in the air but off the ground in between the
time the heel hit the ball in the rainbow kick and the kick that
signified the end of the Air Dribble. The number after the AD is the
number of yards traveled on the air dribble. The end point of the air
dribble is the point at which I last touch it before it hits the
ground.
BAD means Bounce Air Dribble, there was
an air dribble after the Rainbow Kick so that a certain number of yards
were travelled with the ball kept in the air but bouncing only
once, in between the time the heel hit the ball in the rainbow kick
and the end of the Air Dribble. The number after the BAD is the number of
yards traveled on the bounce air dribbles. The end point of the air
dribble is the point at which I last touch it before it hits the ground
for the second time.) EXPERIMENT 1
heel position: straight
An experiment designed to test a method for improving
speed of rainbow kick execution
Stop simultaneous method (see above).
minutes 12
successes: 9
starred successes: 5
BAD: 15
NOTE: I by mistake reverted to normal as opposed to
stop-simultaneous method of execution of rainbow kick half the time in
this segment
EXPERIMENT 2
heel position: bent
An experiment designed to test a method for improving
speed of rainbow kick execution
Stop simultaneous method
minutes 12
successes: 8
starred successes: 5
BAD: 20 20 20 20
AD 20
NOTE: I by mistake reverted to normal as opposed to
stop-simultaneous method of execution of rainbow kick half the time in
this segment
EXPERIMENT 3
kicking heel position:
straight
An experiment designed to test a method for
improving speed of rainbow kick execution--both body and ball are moving
forward at a slow jog when the rainbow kick is executed, the ball is not
stopped before the rainbow kick is executed.
minutes 12
successes: 3
starred successes: 2
half-successes: 4
NOTES: This was a tremendous achievement for me, 3 times
and for the first time in my life, I succeeded in doing exactly what
I had seen the afore-mentioned child-deity do on the playground. I
dribbled the ball forward at a slow jog and then without the ball or me
slowing down or being stopped successfully executed the rainbow kick, the
ball rolling up the back of my left calf and then being heeled above me
and to in front of me in the direction I was moving before I started the
kick, with my left heel.
I realized at this point that I had
finally stumbled upon the child-deity methodology, which had been a
mystery to me (...how did he do that?...). I undertstood
what the basic technical method is that allows one to accomplish
this very impressive looking trick. The trick is that when the ball is
being dribbled forward prior to executing the rainbow kick, the ball must
not be dribbled forward at a pace that is too slow.
On the internet the gurus declare that the rainbow kick
can be surprisingly easier to do when you are moving forward with the
ball--but you will not understand what they mean until you realize that
you could be moving forward with the ball but at a speed that is
insufficient.
EXPERIMENT 4
kicking heel position:
bent
An experiment designed to test a method for
improving speed of rainbow kick execution--both body and ball are moving
forward at a slow jog when the rainbow kick is executed, the ball is not
stopped before the rainbow kick is executed.
minutes 12
successes: 7
starred successes: 3
half-successes: 1
NOTES: This was again a tremendous achievement
for me, 7 times and almost for the first time in my life, I
succeeded in doing exactly what I had seen the aforementioned child-deity
do on the playground.
EXPERIMENT 5
kicking heel position: bent
Emphasis on: body leaning forward at time rainbow kick
executed.
An experiment designed to test a method for improving
speed of rainbow kick execution--both body and ball are moving forward at
a slow jog when the rainbow kick is executed, the ball is not stopped
before the rainbow kick is executed.
minutes 12
successes: 3
starred successes: 1
half-successes: 2
NOTES: Seems leaning forward too much can screw things
up. When I saw the kid do it, he seemed to lean forward alot while doing
it.
EXPERIMENT 6
kicking heel position: bent
Emphasis on: body leaning forward at time rainbow kick
executed.
An experiment designed to test a method for improving
speed of rainbow kick execution--both body and ball are moving forward at
a slow jog when the rainbow kick is executed, the ball is not stopped
before the rainbow kick is executed.
minutes 7
successes: 1
starred successes: 0
half-successes: 4
BAD: 12
NOTES: segment cut short due to gym
schedule Thus today experiments 1 and 2 showed me: that the
method tested in these experiments was not the method I saw the
child-deity use on the playground; that the improvement in speed with this
method is small compared to the reduction in performance
quality.
Experiments 3 and 4 showed me that as of now I
am for the first time able to rainbow-kick a ball when the ball and myself
are both moving forward at a slow jog pace--an impressive trick indeed
when executed well as I executed it well a few times today--a
trick that would look tremendous in a video clip.
The way I did it today, the ball went from directly
behind me to directly in front of me as I ran forward at a slow jog pace
without me turning around backwards to watch it; and then I was able to
reach the ball after I rainbow kicked it to in front of me without it
first touching the ground--which come to think of it finally gets
me to a point ahead of the child-deity of the playground, because when he
the child-deity rainbow kicked it he would not get to it before it
bounced.
Today doing the jogging forward rainbow kick for 24
minutes in the segments in which I did not emphasize leaning forward, I
succeeded in doing it 10 times, and 5 of these
successes were star type successes. There were 5 half
successes.
Retrospectively, Jan 8, in 24 minutes I could not do it
once. Jan 20 in 24 minutes I could do it 10 times. So my estimate now is
that at the current rate of progress in terms of rainbow kicking a ball
that I am dribbling forward at a slow jog without first stopping
it, in a couple of weeks I will have mastered this skill. But over
the past couple of weeks I have not been doing the jogging forward rainbow
kick in practice. |
Bracara Indoor shoes unless noted
Adidas replique unless noted
psi had gone up to 8.5, reduced
to 6.0 psi |
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Sunday January 21
459-740 PM |
Rainbow kick on the run drill 161 minutes |
On both ankles no ankle guard; long white soccer socks
and shin-pads.
Drill today involved doing a rainbow kick while
dribbling forward at a slow speed without stopping the ball before doing
the rainbow kick.
Starred successes per ,minute were up, overall
successes per minute
were down. But I did today 25 times, what I did
yesterday only 6 times that is the starred success. Hey a mere success is
often quite inferior compared to a starred success. Seemed no ankle guards is not good for the on the run
version of the rainbow kick.
Seems the important thing is to concentrate on getting
the body angles right before and during the rainbow kick.
Seems warming up with the stop and go rainbow kicks as
was done yesterday but not today is an advantage.
NOTE: When I keep score there is no warmup. Everything
is counted and reported from the first kick of the day onwards.
Seems the medium pace is the pace to dribble at when
executing the on the run rainbow kick, as opposed to slow or fast judging
from today.
Definitions re terms used in results: Starred success means after rainbow kick I got
to the ball before it hit ground; success means the
ball was rainbow-kicked over me and out to a point in front of me;
half-success means almost a success.
AD means Air Dribble, there was an air
dribble after the Rainbow Kick so that a certain number of yards were
travelled with the ball kept in the air but off the ground in between the
time the heel hit the ball in the rainbow kick and the kick that
signified the end of the Air Dribble. The number after the AD is the
number of yards traveled on the air dribble. The end point of the air
dribble is the point at which I last touch it before it hits the
ground.
BAD means Bounce Air Dribble, there was
an air dribble after the Rainbow Kick so that a certain number of yards
were travelled with the ball kept in the air but bouncing only
once, in between the time the heel hit the ball in the rainbow kick
and the end of the Air Dribble. The number after the BAD is the number of
yards traveled on the bounce air dribbles. The end point of the air
dribble is the point at which I last touch it before it hits the ground
for the second time.)
Note: on the running rainbow-kick, everything happens so fast I
cannot control whether the heel is kept bent or straight.
Results: Segment 1
Dribbled towards the 1230 (as on watch 1200 being
straight ahead) angle on this and all segments today
minutes 12
half-successes: 1
simple successes: 2
starred successes: 0
TOTAL: 2.5 0 stars
Segment 2
minutes 12
half-successes: 6
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 2
TOTAL: 5.0 2 stars
These two dismal first segments were witnessed by a white man
speaking French to his two boys.
Segment 3
minutes 12
half-successes: 5
simple successes: 1
starred successes: 1
TOTAL: 4.5, 1 stars Segment 4
Emphasis on rear foot being sideways
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 2
TOTAL: 3.0, 2 stars
Segment 5
Emphasis on rear foot being sideways & body angle
minutes 12
half-successes: 5
simple successes: 1
starred successes: 3
TOTAL: 6.5, 3 stars
Segment 6
Emphasis on body
angle
minutes 12
half-successes:
3
simple successes:
2
starred successes:
7
TOTAL: 10.5, 7
stars
Segment 7
Emphasis on nonchalance
minutes 12
half-successes: 4
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 2
TOTAL: 4.0, 2 stars
Segment 8
Emphasis on snug soft pickup
minutes 12
half-successes: 6
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 2
TOTAL: 5.0, 2 stars
Segment 9
Emphasis on leaning forward
minutes 12
half-successes: 6
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 4
TOTAL: 7.0, 4 stars
Segment 10
Emphasis on ball being to side when approached
minutes 12
half-successes: 3
simple successes: 1
starred successes: 2
TOTAL: 4.5, 2 stars
Total stars: 25
Total minutes: 120
Total minutes per star: 6 Starred successes at slow pace total: 9
Starred successes at medium pace total:
9
Starred successes at fast pace total:
7
Avg score: 5.25, 2.5 stars
Simple successes at slow pace total:
0 Simple successes at medium pace total:
4 Simple successes at fast pace total: 1
By way of contrast yesterday the pace was one starred success every 8
minutes. Whereas today the pace was one starred success every 6 minutes.
At this rate of improvement I will have thoroughly mastered the skill of
the quick rainbow kick with with body and ball on the move in 8 days. But
this morning after the first two segments I felt like giving up and
progress has seemed to be painfully slow, what with constantly rising
expectations. I expected much more of myself today than I did yesterday.
But I have to admit the average total score yesterday
was 6.4 today it was only 5.25. I attribute this to the fact that
yesterday I was warmed up doing other drills before I did this one, and it
seems at least on the running rainbow kick (the stop and go rainbow is
different), the ankle-guard-braces, help to improve performance. The
tendon at the rear side of the ankle, the tendon the ball is rolled up, is
narrow and hard. the ankle-guard softens up and widens this area of the
ankle. Likewise the part of the right ankle I use to roll the ball up the
rear of the left calf, gets softened by the presence of the ankle guard.
Seems without this softness, often the ball merely bounces off the rear of
the left ankle result failure. |
Replique psi fallen to 6.5 overnight, inflated to 7.5 psi prior
to practice |
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Monday
Jan 22 07
440-630 PM
Waltham YMCA |
On-the-run Rainbow Kick Drill 60 mins
A starred success every four minutes |
On left, lead ball-heeling ankle no ankle
guard; ankle guard/brace right ankle only; long white soccer socks
and shin-pads.
Drill today involved doing a rainbow kick while
dribbling forward at a slow speed without stopping the ball before doing
the rainbow kick.
Looking at the results looks like I should test as
alternatives: Chris method; body angle emphasis; forward lean emphasis;
stop with front before follow with trailing foot emphasis; roll with spot
near front top;
NOTE: When I keep score there is no warmup. Everything
is counted and reported from the first kick of the day onwards.
Definitions re terms used in results: Starred success means after rainbow kick I got
to the ball before it hit ground; success means the
ball was rainbow-kicked over me and out to a point in front of me;
half-success means almost a success.
AD means Air Dribble, there was an air
dribble after the Rainbow Kick so that a certain number of yards were
travelled with the ball kept in the air but off the ground in between the
time the heel hit the ball in the rainbow kick and the kick that
signified the end of the Air Dribble. The number after the AD is the
number of yards traveled on the air dribble. The end point of the air
dribble is the point at which I last touch it before it hits the
ground.
BAD means Bounce Air Dribble, there was
an air dribble after the Rainbow Kick so that a certain number of yards
were travelled with the ball kept in the air but bouncing only
once, in between the time the heel hit the ball in the rainbow kick
and the end of the Air Dribble. The number after the BAD is the number of
yards traveled on the bounce air dribbles. The end point of the air
dribble is the point at which I last touch it before it hits the ground
for the second time.)
Note: on the running rainbow-kick, everything happens so fast I
cannot control whether the heel is kept bent or straight, and I have
little control over whether the ball is kicked up and over with the heel
or sort of thrown up and over.
Results today Jan 22: Segment 1
Dribbled roughly speaking straight ahead on
this and all segments today
This segment concentrated on general
technique
minutes 12
half-successes: 5
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 0
TOTAL: 2.5, 0 stars
Segment 2
Emphasis on stopping ball with rear ankle of front foot
first, and then second bringing ball to rear ankle of front
foot
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 1
starred successes: 7
TOTAL: 9.0 7
stars
Yesterday the first two segments were bad today only the
first was bad.
5 of the stars were at slow pace, 2 at medium and 1 at
fast
This segment the first four attempts were
all starred successes
In the middle of this segment 2, right after the fourth of the four
in a row that were all starred successes, Chris, the
veterinarian from Cornell U, and I started talking he wanted to know if I
wanted to kick the ball around he's the one who started talking to me.
I kicked the ball around for about 25 minutes and talked to him.
Chris is adept at taking the ball on the slow roll, doing the rainbow kick
as a throw with the ball thrown with the rear of his calf/foot as opposed
to kicked with his heel. His method is to drag the ball to the heel of his
front foot with his trailing foot when beginning the rainbow kick--his
method is the opposite of what I had been doing in segment 2 which I
interrupted to kick the ball around with him. In segment 2 I had been
stopping the ball with the front foot slightly before my rear foot rolled
the ball up the rear calf of my front foot.
Chris' method uses a spot near the front top of the foot to roll the
ball up the calf of the other foot; my method up till now uses a spot near
the middle side of the foot to roll the ball up the calf of the other
foot.
Chris said he played high school soccer and learned his version of
the rainbow kick watching others on the playground. He said he had seen
twice, pro players running at 75% of full speed do rainbow kicks in a
game.
He believes that an offense should keep the ball on the ground
because when the ball is in the air then the ball is "anybody's ball". We
argued and eventually he moderated his tone to the idea that the players
that he Chris personally plays with do better when they keep the ball on
the ground and are more dangerous when they keep the ball on the ground.
I told him that: in the World Cup they attempted often to volley
air-balls at the goal; plays in which the ball is kept on the ground also
have a low rate of success; what is required is getting the ball in the
air but in a more intelligent and skilled and talented way than has
been done in the past.
He said that the Harlem Globetrotters can do all kinds of tricks that
does not mean they are winners in a game. He considers air-dribbling,
especially the rainbow kick, to be "impractical" in a game. I got his
email address. I have to send him an email about soccer.
Segment 3
This segment I attempted the method taught by Chris, the ball dragged
to the front foot's heel by the trailing foot; however I used the side of
the foot to drag the ball to the heel as I am accustomed to as opposed to
near the front top of the foot to drage the ball like Chris.
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 7
starred successes: 2
TOTAL: 9.0, 2 stars
simple successes 4 slow 2 medium 1 fast Segment 4
This segment I again attempted the method taught by Chris, the ball
dragged to the front foot's heel by the trailing foot; I used the side of
the foot to drag the ball to the heel as I am accustomed to as opposed to
near the front top of the foot like Chris.
minutes 12
half-successes: 6
simple successes: 4
starred successes: 3
TOTAL: 10.0, 3 stars simple successes 2 slow 2 medium 0 fast
The Chris method works well with a slow forward dribble Segment 5
As in segment 2, emphasis on stopping ball with rear ankle of front
foot first, and then second bringing ball to rear ankle of front
foot
minutes 12
half-successes: 6
simple successes: 1
starred successes: 3
TOTAL: 7.0 3 stars
Segment 2 had the same emphasis better performance...the Chris method
which I did for segments 3 and 4 is an opposite of the method used in
segments 2 and 5 today.
Jan 22 totals
Total stars: 15
Total nonstarred successes: 13
Total minutes: 60
Total minutes per star: 4; Starred successes at slow pace total: 8
Starred successes at medium pace total:
3
Starred successes at fast pace total:
4
Avg score: 7.50, 3.0 stars Simple successes at slow pace total:
7 Simple successes at medium pace total:
5 Simple successes at fast pace total:
1 Jan 21 totals:
Total stars: 25 Total minutes: 120
Total minutes per star: 6 Starred successes at slow pace total: 9
Starred successes at medium pace total:
9
Starred successes at fast pace total:
7
Avg score: 5.25, 2.5 stars
There was progress today. At the current rate of progress, I would be
at a starred success per minute in 8 days and I would consider myself to
have mastered the skill in 12 days.
Today saw the dominance of slow as opposed to medium or
fast movement forward prior to rainbow kick. This was true for both
the Chris method and also for the segment 2 method.
The on the run rainbow kick stops the ball like the "stop and go"
rainbow kick I was doing earlier, but with the on-the run rainbow
kick, one less step is involved making the process quicker faster
smoother.
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Replique
??psi not inflated since yesterday |
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Thursday Jan 25
744-940 PM
Waltham Y |
On-the-Run Rainbow Kick Experimental Techniques Drills 116 minutes |
Ankle-guard both ankles long orange soccer socks shin
pads worn.
Drill today involved doing a rainbow kick while
dribbling forward at a slow speed without stopping the ball before doing
the rainbow kick.
Today experimented with new approaches with the trailing
foot (front-side/mid-side/front-top/outside in contact with ball). Up till
now basically the only point of contact with ball approaches for the
trailing foot that I have used are mid-side and front-side. Today I
introduced use of outside of foot and front top of foot for point of
contact with ball for trailing foot. The new front-top and outside
methods did well despite my lack of experience with them.
NOTE: When I keep score there is no warmup. Everything
is counted and reported from the first kick of the day onwards.
Definitions re terms used in results: Starred success means after rainbow kick I got
to the ball before it hit ground; success means the
ball was rainbow-kicked over me and out to a point in front of me;
half-success means almost a success.
Results today Jan 25:
All attempts dribbling forward at slow
pace Segment 1 METHOD A
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/stop ball
with front foot slightly before trailing rear foot rolls ball up front
calve Emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with front side area of foot.
Trailer Foot comes up to meet ball after front heel stops
ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 5
starred successes: 4
TOTAL: 10.0, 4 stars
Much better than first segment last time out. The
attempts on this segment were my first touches of the ball. Three young
men who seemed to be speaking Spanish, and a middle aged gray haired man
who all seemed to be speaking Spanish (mayve it was Portuguese), were
playing soccer in the gym simultaneously with me this time. They seemed to
have a talent for noticing when I would execute a rainbow kick
successfully. It was the first segment the Spaniards were there
watching but still alot of success.
Segment 2 METHOD B
Chris Style and method; trailer foot handles ball with
front top area of foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 5
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 0
TOTAL: 2.5 0 stars
The Chris style is that the trailing foot drags the ball to the heel
of the front foot.
Segment 3 (method same as segment 1) METHOD
A
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/stop ball
with front foot slightly before trailing rear foot rolls ball up front
calve Emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with front side area of foot.
Trailer Foot comes up to meet ball after front heel stops ball. Same
as Segment 1 (segments 1 and 2 repeated because 1 and 2 considered
warmups)
minutes 12
half-successes: 6
simple successes: 3
starred successes: 5
TOTAL: 11.0, 5 stars
Segment 4 METHOD C
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/stop ball with
front foot slightly before trailing rear foot rolls ball up front calve
Emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with MID SIDE area of foot.
Trailer Foot comes up to meet ball after front heel stops
ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 3
simple successes: 5
starred successes: 1
TOTAL: 7.5, 1 star Segment 5 METHOD D
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/stop ball with
front foot slightly before trailing rear foot rolls ball up front calve
Emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with OUTSIDE area of foot.
Trailer Foot comes up to meet ball after front heel stops
ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 1
simple successes: 2
starred successes: 1
TOTAL: 3.5, 1 star
Score here not high but new outside of foot trailer foot approach
felt good and natural and balanced. One of the successes was
spectacular, the ball was heeled out 10 yds in front of
me I got to it on one bounce and shot it into the wall.
Segment 6 METHOD E
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/stop ball
with front foot slightly before trailing rear foot rolls ball up front
calve Emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with FRONT TOP area of foot. Trailer Foot comes up to
meet ball after front heel stops ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 4
simple successes: 5
starred successes: 4
TOTAL: 11.0, 4 star
This was the Chris method, using the front top of the
trailing foot, but unlike the Chris method the ball was stopped with the
front foot instead of dragged to the front foot by the rear foot. This was
an excellent segment considering how little I have used the front top of
trailing foot for point of contact with ball method.
Two of the successes were spectacular: one, the ball was heeled
out high to 12 yds straight in front of me I got to it on one bounce
and shot it into the wall hard; two, the ball came out in front of me in
perfect position for me to shoot it, without it having to bounce first. I
fired it hard 15 yds at least into the wall.
The spectacularity of two of the one-bouncer plays generated
today reminds me that it seem wise to score the segments in such a way as
not to discourage rainbow kicks that end with me reaching the ball after
it bounces once.
The four Spaniards left after segment 1 and returned during this
segment 6, which came out well like segment 1. One of them watching me
said to me, "Yea...You've Got it!" as he watched. He figures sooner or
later I will have this skill under control. I was thinking, these
Spaniards seem to have a talent for not being in the gym when I am
screwing up and being in the gym when I am doing well.
Watching the Spaniards I was thinking three of them are young men and
one of them looks like he is in his fifties or sixties, but they all seem
to be enjoying each other not just pretending to enjoy each other.
Segment 7 METHOD F
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/catch ball with
left and right feet SIMULTANEOUSLY Emphasis.
Trailer Foot handling ball with FRONT SIDE area of foot.
Trailer Foot meets ball at same time that front heel stops
ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 4
starred successes: 0
TOTAL: 5.0, 0 star Segment 8 METHOD G
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/catch ball with
left and right feet SIMULTANEOUSLY Emphasis. Trailer
Foot handling ball with MID SIDE area of foot. Trailer Foot
meets ball at same time that front heel stops ball.
half-successes: 3
simple successes: 3
starred successes: 1
TOTAL: 5.5, 1 star Segment 9 METHOD H
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/catch ball
with left and right feet SIMULTANEOUSLY Emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with OUTSIDE area of foot. Trailer Foot meets ball at
same time that front heel stops ball.
half-successes: 1
simple successes: 3
starred successes: 4
TOTAL: 7.5, 4
star All the experimenting with new approaches not used before in today's
practice makes it difficult to compare today's practice with the last time
out. There were several segments today Jan 25 with total scores way above
and stars above yesterday's average.
Did will with new approaches, the outside and the front top of
the foot as the trailer foot area of contact with the ball today. Today
Segment 6, I used the front-top-of-foot contact with ball method for the
trailer foot which is what Chris does, I am not used to using this method
it still worked great, except I was stopping the ball with the front foot
instead of dragging the ball to the front foot with the rear foot like
Chris. Segment 9 was very good considering how little I have been using
the outside of the foot to roll up the ball in practice.
Segments 1 and 3 showed the continued strength of METHOD A, which has
shown itself to be a strong method in the past.
Jan 25 avg: 7.1, 2.2 stars (despite experimentation)
Jan 22 totals yesterday Avg score: 7.50, 3.0 stars
Jan 21 totals: Avg score: 5.25, 2.5 stars |
Replique 7.5 psi |
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|
Friday
Jan 26
510-627
Waltham YMCA |
Rainbow Kick Drills Experiments with methods
69 minutes |
Ankle-guard on both ankles long orange soccer socks shin
pads worn.
Drill today involved doing a rainbow kick while
dribbling forward at a slow speed without stopping the ball before doing
the rainbow kick.
Today continued to experiment with new
approaches with the trailing foot (front-side/mid-side/front-top/outside
in contact with ball); and also experimented re simultaneous pickup and
Chris method of pickup ball dragged to front heel with
trailing foot.
Today Jan 26 the coldest day of the year so far, 10
degrees below zero with the wind chill. Plus I felt half way as if I had
come down with a cold. Today I felt for sure this would be a day in which
there would be a lack of skill featuring me doing the opposite of
improving.
NOTE: When I keep score there is no unrecorded fiddling
with the ball. The warmups are recorded practice segments.
Definitions re terms used in results: Starred success means after rainbow kick I got
to the ball before it hit ground; success means the
ball was rainbow-kicked out to a point I can reach on one bounce or out in
front of me; half-success means almost a success.
Results today Jan 26:
All attempts dribbling forward at slow
pace Segment 1 METHOD A (warmup segment)
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/stop ball with
front foot slightly before trailing rear foot rolls ball up front calf
emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with FRONT SIDE area of
foot. Trailer Foot comes up to meet ball after front heel stops
ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 4
simple successes: 4
starred successes: 3
TOTAL: 9.0, 3 stars
AD 20 yds
This Segment 1 one of the starred successes ended with
me air dribbling 20 yds
Again good considering these attempts were the first
time I had touched the ball in 24 hours.
Segment 2 METHOD B (warmup segment)
Chris method; trailer foot handles ball with front top
area of foot. The Chris style is that the trailing foot drags the ball to
the heel of the front foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 1
simple successes: 2
starred successes: 3
TOTAL: 5.5 3 stars
AD 15 yds
One of the starred successes ended with me air dribbling 15 yds
The new Chris method here works well for the first time despite it
being a warm-up segment. Method B is exactly as Chris does it, the front
top area of the trailing foot contacting the ball as it drags the ball to
the heel of the front foot.
Segment 3 METHOD I
Body-angles (cartwheel)/lean forward/catch ball with
left and right feet SIMULTANEOUSLY Emphasis.
Trailer Foot handling ball with TOP FRONT area of foot. Trailer Foot meets ball at same
time that front heel stops ball.
half-successes: 0
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 1
TOTAL: 1.0, 1 star
A disastrous segment witnessed by one of the "impressive" father-son
teams. The dad was teaching the junior high level boy how to play
basketball as is the case with the other father-son team. I say
"impressive" because these days it seems incredibly difficult simply to
financially make it well enough to be even a decent dad. My
attitude is that being seen screwing up is a price I have to pay, a
sacrifice I have to make, in order to experiment to understand the
rainbow kick--I do not allow the presence of onlookers to cause me to
stray from my calendar of experiments-sort of like a general who
sacrifices a division to gain intelligence or some such advantage.
I was surprised this segment did not do well since yesterday the
similar method H did well. Segment 4 METHOD
J Chris method variant. Trailing foot drags ball
to front heel.
Trailer Foot handling ball with FRONT
SIDE area of foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 1
simple successes: 3
starred successes: 7
TOTAL: 10.5, 7 star
The Chris method (Method J is a variant of the Chris
method) was much worse than this yesterday and I think also day
before. This time it was done with the front side contacting the ball on
the trailer foot. I do not like to jump to rash conclusions regarding how
well a given method works--the Chris method which was junk previously is
suddenly effective here. Segment 5 METHOD K
Chris method variant. Trailing foot drags ball
to front heel.
Trailer Foot handling ball with MID
SIDE area of foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 3
simple successes: 1
starred successes: 8
TOTAL: 10.5, 8 star
AD 20 yds
One of the starred successes ended in a 20 yd air dribble
Again a variant of the Chris method, as is method K used this segment
5, came through much better than previous attempts with the Chris method
or its variants. This time the MID SIDE area of the foot contacted the
ball on the trailing ball-dragging foot. Overall looking at all segments today, 3 times a succesful rainbow
kick that was launched on the run, ended in an air-dribble of at least 15
yds. That would be 3 at least almost spectacular cuts on video out of
just 69 minutes of shooting. Previously such air-dribble runs happened
only with the stationary rainbow kicks not the rainbow kicks started on
the run. Again this was an experimental day so it is hard to compare totals to
previous days. There has been a 76% improvement over 3 practice days in
avg stars per 12 minute session. At this rate of improvement I would
consider myself to have mastered the rainbow kick skill in 9 more practice
sessions. I project that after 9 more practice sessions I would be at 24
stars per 12 minute session at the current rate of improvement.
Weird thing was today I felt like a failure because: alot of the
starred successes using the Chris method or its variants featured the
ball being I felt too close to me and too low when I reached the ball
after the rainbow kick; and today the air-dribbles after the rainbow kicks
felt awkward and slow compared to the air-dribbles after the stationary
rainbow kicks in earlier days.
But recovering from the 'heat of battle' and the confusion it causes,
the fact is that starred successes being too close and too low can be
rectified by slight adjustment; relatively slow awkward air dribbles
following on-the-run rainbow kicks are an improvement over zero such
happenings.
Previously for some mysterious reason all the air dribbles have come
after stationary rainbow kicks not on-the-run rainbow kicks. Seems I am
getting accurate to the point where I can get an air-dribble run going
after the on-the-run rainbow kick.
Jan 26 totals
avg score: 7.3 4.4 stars
Jan 25 avg: 7.1, 2.2 stars (despite experimentation)
Jan 22 totals Avg score: 7.50, 3.0 stars
Jan 21 totals: Avg score: 5.25, 2.5 stars |
Replique deflated to 7.5 psi; seems to have risen to 8 psi since
last time. |
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|
Saturday
January 27
610-752 |
Rainbow Kick On-the-Run Drills
Experiments
102 minutes |
Ankle-guard on both ankles long orange soccer socks shin
pads worn.
Drill today involved doing a rainbow kick while
dribbling forward at a slow speed without stopping the ball before doing
the rainbow kick.
Today continued to experiment with various
approaches.
NOTE: When I keep score there is no unrecorded fiddling
with the ball. The warmups are recorded practice segments.
Definitions re terms used in results: Starred success means after rainbow kick I got
to the ball before it hit ground; success means the
ball was rainbow-kicked out to a point I can reach on one bounce or out in
front of me; half-success means almost a success.
A line such as:
"starred successes: 4 2L 1M 1R" means of the 4
successes, 2 were from a forward dribble slanting to the left, 1 was from
a forward dribble straight forward (middle); and 1 was from a forward
dribble slanting to the right. Numbers may not add up exactly because
sometimes I forget what the slant was.
Today before the practice I again felt that the opposite of
improvement would occur; the weather and the way I felt physically were
both similar to yesterday if a little better. Results today Jan 27:
All attempts dribbling forward at slow
pace Segment 1 METHOD A (warmup segment)
Body-angles (cartwheel/lean forward) stop ball with
front foot slightly BEFORE trailing rear foot rolls ball up front
calf emphasis. Trailer Foot handling ball with FRONT SIDE area
of foot. Trailer Foot comes up to meet ball after front heel stops
ball.
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 2
starred successes: 4
TOTAL: 7.0, 4 stars
Segment 2 METHOD B (warmup
segment)
Chris method; trailer foot handles ball with
front top area of foot. The Chris style is that the trailing foot drags
the ball to the heel of the front foot. Exactly as Chris does it ball
rolled up rear of calf with front top of shoe of other foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 5
simple successes: 4
starred successes: 4 2L 1M
1R
TOTAL: 10.5 4
stars
AD 12 yds
One of the starred successes ended with me air dribbling 12 yds
Good considering it was a warmup.
Segment 3 METHOD L
Chris method; trailer foot handles ball
with OUTSIDE of foot. The Chris style is that the trailing foot drags
the ball to the heel of the front foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 3
simple successes: 8 L3 M2
R1
starred successes: 0
TOTAL: 9.5 0
stars
BAD 12 yds, 10 yds
One of the starred successes ended with a one-bounce air
dribble 12 yds
This segment 3 was better than the zero stars
indicates. The simple successes were knocked out high and in
front of me resulting in me getting to the ball on one bounce on the
sprint. Once the ball was heeled out to 12 yds in front of me, another
time out to 10 yds in front. Yesterday the Chris method using the mid side
and front side of the trailing foot to roll the ball up resulted in the
ball being too low and close on the successes.
Segment 4 METHOD B (method B is used
as one of the warmup segments)
Chris method; trailer foot handles
ball FRONT TOP of foot. This is exactly the way Chris does it.
The Chris style is that the trailing foot drags the ball to the heel of
the front foot.
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 4 4L M0
R0
starred successes: 6 L2 M2
R2
TOTAL: 11.0 6
stars
BAD 15 yds,
AD 20 yds, 15 yds
One of the starred successes ended with me air dribbling 12 yds on
one bounce; two ended in me air-dribbling once 15 and once 20 yds on zero
bounces.
This segment 4 was better than the score
indicates. Again the successes were knocked out high and
far in front of me resulting in me approx getting to the ball on one
bounce on the sprint.
There were plenty of boys around during this segment including the
white teenage French-looking guy with the beatnik beard.
Segment 5 METHOD F-B Emphasis on body leaning FORWARD through entire
attempt (NOT cartwheel style in which at first the body is not leaning
forward). Chris method variant ball dragged to front heel by trailer foot
handling ball with FRONT SIDE area of foot. (Front side heretofore is in a
tie for first with other ball-contact-with-trailer-foot methods in
conjunction with the Chris method).
minutes 12
half-successes: 5
simple successes: 0
starred successes: 0
TOTAL: 2.5, 0 star
Needless to say this method did not work well today.
Segment 6 METHOD F-H
Emphasis on body leaning forward through entire
attempt (this is not cartwheel style in which at first the body is
not leaning forward). Front and rear foot grab ball SIMULTANEOUSLY at
beginning of rainbow kick. Trailer foot uses OUTSIDE of foot to contact
ball (OUTSIDE of foot has worked best so far with the simultaneous
approach)
minutes 12
half-successes: 2
simple successes: 5 L3 M2
starred successes: 3
TOTAL: 9.0, 3 star L1 M1
R1
The new outside of foot used to roll ball up approach performed
pretty well here, as it did previously on the method H Jan 25 which
resembles the method L used here.
Front top and outside of foot used to roll ball up feel natural and
produce long high rainbow kicks. Leaning forward throughout the rainbow
kick attempt is simpler than the cartwheel approach featuring forward lean
only in the second half of the rainbow kick attempt. Often in games it is
awkward and time consuming to have to rear the body upwards to start a
cartwheel motion and it would be better to have some method wherein the
body is leaning forward the whole time. So again there is more to the
story than the score itself in this segment.
Overall looking at all segments today, there was for the first time a
special kind of success with balls heeled out high and far and reached on
a sprint on a bounce therefore not counted as starred successes--three of
these "non-starred" successes ended in 1 bounce air dribble runs (BAD) the
ball bouncing once in between the time it is heeled in the on-the-run
rainbow kick, and the end of the air
dribble. In fact today the grand total was BAD 12 10 15; AD 12 20 15. AD
is defined above. That is six of the on-the-run rainbow kicks ending in a
one-bounce or zero-bounce air dribble averaging 14 yds in length. The
first time such ever happened even once was yesterday when it
happened 3 times.
Same old story I do not feel thrilled with these air-dribble runs
tacked on to the on-the-run rainbow kick they seem too awkward and slow
for me. But a couple of days ago they never occurred.
Hard to compare what happened today to previous days because of
experimentation with ineffective method K--and, method J worked well
without producing stars.
The two warmup segments use the same methods every day; today Jan 27
the avg score for the 2 warmup segments was 8.75, 4 stars; yesterday
it was 7.25, 3 stars. Using the rate of improvement in the warmup as an
indicator I would expect myself to have mastered the on the run rainbow
kick skill in 6 days. I do see that though the stars are not up today the
total avg score is way up.
Fact is rainbow kicks reached on a bounce can sometimes not always be
at least as effective and impressive as those reached before they bounce.
I feel wise that I have set up a scoring method that values plays in which
the ball bounces once, as opposed to valuing only plays in which the ball
never bounces on the ground the whole time.
Jan 27 total
avg score: 8.6, 2.8 stars
Jan 26 totals avg score: 7.3 4.4 stars
Jan 25 avg: 7.1, 2.2 stars (despite experimentation)
Jan 22 totals Avg score: 7.50, 3.0 stars
Jan 21 totals: Avg score: 5.25, 2.5 stars |
Replique set to 7.5 psi |
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|
INTERLUDE
Various conditioning exercises |
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|
4/7/7
Saturday
Waltham Y
554-741
PM |
Running rainbow kick drills 107 minutes
|
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads, long green
soccer socks.
Went 70 days without practicing the rainbow kick for
some reason I guess the stress was getting to me, I had made some clerical
recording errors, everything was getting overwhelmingly complex. I have to
remind myself that continuing to practice the rainbow kick daily is not
anything that is over my head. I got my printer working, printed out and
then xeroxed a form for keeping score and comments on these segments,
printed out a list of how the various methods are done, put some time
energy and money into cooking up and eating some good stuff. Did aerobic
endurance work that makes the stress easier to take. Seems the aerobic
jogging swimming work has had a positive effect on rainbow kick drill
performance through the strengthening of the body and the decreasing of
fatigue.
There were plenty of grade school age boys around to
watch me screw up at the beginning. I felt like the method A skill was
permanently gone. I decided to experiment with various ways of doing a
given method. Info derived from such will help with any method utilized.
By the time the method B became OK there were a few boys
watching, they had the look on their face that seemed to say, Oh yea now
he's finally performing like we expected.
Practiced the A and B methods used for the first warmup
segments. B was OK after 8 minutes, good after 60 minutes; A was not OK
until after 72 minutes practice.
Looks like the long layoff of 70 days did not result in
a loss of skill that is in effect for more than a couple of hours. Such is
encouraging.
Results are as follows: 12 minute segments
half-success equals ball gotten up but not in front;
success ball up and in front; starred success ball gotten up and in front
and gotten to before it hits ground.
Segment 1 Method A
Body movement as seems natural
half success: 1
success: 1
starred success: 0
total score: 1.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B
Body movement as seems
natural
half success: 8
success: 1
starred success: 3
total score: 8.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 3 Method A variant
Emphasis on cartwheel movement, lower leg slanting
backwards at beginning of rainbow kick then forwards at end of rainbow
kick
half success: 3
success: 1
starred success: 0
total score: 2.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Appears the cartwheel movement I traditionally do with
method A is a slight cartwheel not a dramatic one
Segment 4 Method B variant
Emphasis on cartwheel movement, lower leg slanting
backwards at beginning of rainbow kick then forwards at end of rainbow
kick half success: 2
success: 2
starred success: 0
total score: 3.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method A variant
Emphasis on straight to forward movement,
lower leg slanting approx straight up at beginning
of rainbow kick then forwards at end of rainbow kick half success: 2
success: 2
starred success: 0
total score: 2.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 6 Method B
variant
Emphasis on straight to
forward movement, lower leg slanting approx straight
up at beginning of rainbow kick then forwards at end of rainbow
kick half success: 3
success: 3
starred success: 5
total score: 9.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method A
variant
Emphasis on lower leg pointing straight up
at beginning and end of rainbow kick, forward slant at end of rainbow kick
minimized. This variant involves miminal forward slant at end of rainbow
kick zero forward slant at end of rainbow kick it seems would impair
performance too much.
half success: 6 success: 1
starred success: 4
total score: 8.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Again this is evidence the cartwheel motion involved in doing
this kick is slight not extreme.
Segment 8 Method
B
variant Emphasis on lower leg pointing straight up
at beginning and end of rainbow kick, forward slant at end of rainbow kick
minimized. This variant involves miminal forward slant at end of rainbow
kick zero forward slant at end of rainbow kick it seems would impair
performance too much.
half success: 1
success: 4
starred success: 6
total score: 10.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Next up: variants involving forward lean.
I like to experiment with variants because I like to be
confident that the method I use is the best possible method such
confidence in and of itself I believe, improves performance.
|
7.5 psi |
|
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|
4/9/07
Waltham Y
424-630 PM |
Rainbow Kick Drills
126 minutes
|
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads, long green
soccer socks.
Plenty of people saw me screwing up on the methods that
did not work, but when I was doing good all they saw was the booming shots
I finished up the starred successes with, because of the blue curtain
dividing the gym in half.
But at this rate of improvement I'll be a superstar in a
week, and I can expect the rate of improvement to accelerate as I practice
with fewer and fewer methods/variants as I weed out the inferior
methods/variants.
Just think at this rate I'll be a superstar in a
couple of weeks but all I feel is a kind of depressed disgust with how I
screwed up. I should be able to logically realize that the screwups were
due to experimentation with inferior methods, but yet such screwups make
me feel like a failure although logically they should not make me feel
like a failure.
Making progress towards understanding exactly what works
the best, eliminating various variants of methods such as all those that
start with the lower leg leaning in my direction (backwards) at the
beginning of the rainbow kick.
Results were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball gotten up but not in front;
success ball up and in front; starred success ball gotten up and in front
and gotten to before it hits ground.
Segment 1 Method A-variant
lower leg straight beginning rainbow kick, to
minimal forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 7
success: 1
starred success: 1
total score: 5.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B
variant
lower leg straight beginning rainbow kick, to
minimal forward slant end rainbow kick half success: 2
success: 5
starred success: 4
total score: 10.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 3 Method A variant
Emphasis on lower leg forward slant beginning of rainbow
kick, lower leg forward slant end of rainbow kick also
half success: 5
success: 0
starred success: 3
total score: 5.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method B
variant
Emphasis on lower leg forward
slant beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg forward slant end of rainbow
kick also half success:
5success: 1
starred success:
8
total score:
11.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record total score; equal to personal
record for starred successes
Segment 5 Method A variant
Emphasis on lower leg backward slant beginning of
rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 2 success: 0
starred success: 1
total score: 2.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 6 Method B variant
Emphasis on lower leg backward slant beginning of
rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow kick half
success: 0success: 0
starred success: 0
total score: 0.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
The alternatives involving a lower leg backward lean beginning of
rainbow kick combined with forward lean end of rainbow kick are now
omitted. There is enough evidence showing that starting with a backward
lean does not actually work. Segment 7 Method E variant S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight at beginning rainbow
kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 4 success: 1
starred success: 0
total score: 3.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Method A involving rolling the ball up the calf with the front inside
of the foot; method E involves doing this with the front top of the foot,
both involve the front foot stopping the ball as opposed to the rear foot
dragging the ball to the front foot. Method E worked well previously, but
it is not a warmup method has not been practiced much idea is to be
patient with it let it replace A for a while. Looks like both A and E do
not bounce back from a long time without practice as well as B does.
Segment 8 Method B
variant Emphasis on lower leg straight at beginning rainbow
kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick half success: 1
success: 2
starred success: 5
total score: 7.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 9 Method E variant
S/min-F
Emphasis on lower leg straight at beginning rainbow
kick, slanted MINIMALLY forward end of rainbow
kick half success: 2
success: 3
starred success: 1
total score: 5.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0 Next up:
warmup E variant (straight to
minimal forward)
warmup B variant (forward to forward)
B variant (straight to minimally forward)
E variant ( straight to forward)
B variant (straight to forward)
E variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to forward)
new complete cycle
E variant (straight to minimally forward)
B variant (straight to minimally forward)
E variant ( straight to forward)
B variant (straight to forward)
E variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to
forward) |
Adidas Replique 7.5 psi |
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|
4/10/07
Tuesday
Waltham Y
158-500 PM |
Running rainbow kick drills 180 minutes |
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads, long green
soccer socks.
At this rate of improvement I'll be a superstar
in one to two weeks. A few more days and I will know for sure which
methods work the best. I do not want to judge such things prematurely
however because with the passage of time things can change and because
even a good method is capable of producing a bad segment, even a bad
method can sometimes produce good results for a segment.
You might say why I keep sticking with method E when
method B is working so well. Answer: method E is improving fast. With
method E I seem to do better dribbling forward at approx 4 mph when I do
the rainbow kick. With method B I seem to do better dribbling forward at
approx 2 mph when I do the rainbow kick. Thus E offers the advantage of
speed.
During segment 9 this white guy who talked loudly
with a foreign accent that sounded like a French accent, loudly
badgered me to stop my drill and kick the ball around with him. He
had a five oclock shadow type of beard, wore his straight black hair in a
pony tail, he was about six feet tall, sort of stocky, seemed to be
somewhat drunk. I kicked the ball around with him for a couple
of minutes, but I told him I had to get back to my drills and the
score I was keeping. This he did not seem to understand or want to accept.
During segment 10 he badgered me again, what was I doing, kick the ball
around with me, blah blah blah. During segment 10 while he was staring
right at me I dribbled the ball forward at about 4 mph, a medium
pace, and did a perfect rainbow kick that went up to in front of me and
landed on my thigh before the ball hit the ground. After seeing this
he proclaimed that he was better than me. As proof he stood over the
stationary ball, grabbed it with both feet, jumped up in the air with it,
and then hit it with his foot a couple of times before it hit the
ground.
Results were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball gotten up but not in front or
ball too low; success equals ball gotten up and in frontbut not reached
before it hits ground; starred success equals ball gotten up and in front
and gotten to before it hits ground.
Segment 1 Method E-variant S/min forward
lower leg straight beginning rainbow kick, to
minimal forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 4
success: 2
starred success: 3
total score: 7.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B variant
F/F
lower leaning forward beginning
rainbow kick, to leaning forward slant end rainbow
kick half success:
4
success: 5
starred success:
5
total score:
12.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for Total
Score at 12.0. And this was just segment 2 considered a warmup
segment
Segment 3 Method B variant
S/min F
Emphasis on lower leg straight
perpendicular to ground beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg minimal
forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success:
6
success: 5
starred success:
4
total score:
12.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Ties personal record for total
score at 12.0
Segment 4 Method E variant
S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg forward slant end of
rainbow kick half success:
3success: 6
starred success: 5
total score: 11.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
The Method E here shows that it has recovered
from the 70 day layoff, shows itself superior to method
A
Segment 5 Method B
variant S/F
Emphasis on lower leg
straight perp to ground beginning of rainbow kick, minimal forward slant
end of rainbow kick
half success:
2 success: 3
starred success:
8
total score:
12.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
This again equals my personal
record for total score at 12.0
Segment 6 Method E variant F/F
Emphasis on lower leg forward slant beginning of
rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick also half
success: 1success: 1
starred success: 5
total score: 6.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method B
variant F/F
Emphasis on lower
leg slanting forward at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward
end of rainbow kick also
half success:
7 success: 1
starred success:
9
total score:
13.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for stars
(9) and for total score (13.5)
Segment 8 Method E variant
S/min-F Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted minimally forward end of
rainbow kick half success: 4
success: 5
starred success: 2
total score: 9.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 9 Method B
variant S/min-F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted MINIMALLY forward end
of rainbow kick half success: 6
success: 3
starred success: 7
total score: 13.0
AD: 12 yds;
BAD: 0
Excels any segment prior to today in terms of total
score This segment interrupted by jolly guy.
Segment 10 Method E variant
S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of
rainbow kick half success: 2
success: 4
starred success: 5
total score: 10.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Jolly guy announces his superiority
Segment 11 Method B
variant S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow
kick half success: 5
success: 3
starred success: 6
total score: 11.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Excels any segment prior to today in terms of total
score
Segment 12 Method E variant
F/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted MINIMALLY forward end
of rainbow kick half success: 6
success: 4
starred success: 0
total score: 7.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Next up:
warmup E variant (straight to
forward)
warmup B variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to forward)
new complete cycle
E variant (straight to minimally forward)
B variant (straight to minimally forward)
E variant ( straight to forward)
B variant (straight to forward)
E variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to forward)
new complete cycle
E variant (straight to minimally forward)
B variant (straight to minimally forward)
E variant ( straight to forward)
B variant (straight to forward)
E variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to
forward) |
Replique 7.5 psi |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/11/07
Waltham YMCA
Wednesday
300-600 PM |
Rainbow kick drills
180 minutes |
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long orange soccer socks.
Overall performance similar to yesterday in terms of starred
successes ( upper fifties) but I felt worse today. Has to do with
ever-increasing expectations for myself.
Also today before practice Ihad just one cup green tea with one
teabag, not two cups green tea with two teabags in each cup; and today
I just had juice, and wheat-germ, fish, & cod-liver oils,
vit E pill, mineral pill, and no food at all before practice.
On the bright side was segment 2 utilizing method B-FF; for
long stretches during this segment everything was either a success or a
starred success, and I felt as if the rainbow-kick skill had been mastered
to the point of not ever messing up or messing up with the result of
something unexpected happening with the ball no more than five percent of
the time.
In several of the segments today I would be streaky, a few
failures in a row, a few successes in a row, with me not knowing what I
was doing wrong when things went wrong, or what I was doing right when
things went right.
I Have the feeling that certain technical aspects which are the same
whatever the method, are being overlooked by me as I jump from method to
method.
I suppose if I had videotapes of myself I would be able to figure out
what I am doing wrong when things go wrong.
This was the second day in a row of three hours practicing
rainbow kicks. Seems today I felt fatigued physically and mentally more
than yesterday. Seems today it just got to the point of being difficult to
not be apathetic, to not lack concentration on an attempt.
Today things seemed to get worse when I forgot about maintaining in
myself the having-fun attitude when I had a poor quality segment segment
4.
Today during segment 12, despite using the currently lame E
method variant S/F I was clicking (succeeding), perfect
starred rainbow kicks off of some fast approx 5
mph runs. This tall heavy crew cut
clean-shaven white blond
nicelooking roundish-faced bespectacled dad playing basketball
with his kindergarten-age kids saw a few of these
stellar successes. My eyes met his and he smiled at me. Something
about him--he reminded me of a regular church-goer
matron embarrassed--due to her wealth--by meeting with some
impressive but poor visitor at the church.
As of now when I execute a succesful rainbow kick, the first thing I
do is cap off the rainbow kick with a hard shot. Only occasionally do I
attempt to turn the rainbow kick into a long air-dribble these days.
(AD means an air dribble capping off the rainbow kick, the number of
yards it lasted is recorded. BAD means an air dribble with the ball
bouncing once.)
Results are better than they might seem because I am not getting off
that many attempts per 12 minute segment. I work with one ball. Nobody
retrieves the ball for me. At the end of the attempt I walk back to the
starting point. Whenever I am not making an attempt, when I am retrieving
the ball, I walk, never run. I fire off hard shots off of the
rainbow kicks these can take a long time to retrieve. My guess is
that there are 18-24 attempts per segment but I do not keep track of
attempts because I want to encourage lots of attempts.
Results were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method E-variant S/forward
lower leg straight beginning rainbow kick, to
forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 1
success: 2
starred success: 5
total score: 7.5
AD: 12 yds,
BAD: 0
I improved this segment by slowing myself down, telling myself not to
go too fast on the dribble at the beginning.
Segment 2 Method B variant
F/F
lower leaning forward beginning
rainbow kick, to leaning forward slant end rainbow
kick half success:
2
success: 7
starred success:
7
total score:
15.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for Total
Score at 15.0. And this was just segment 2 considered a warmup
segment
Segment 3 Method B variant
F/F
Emphasis on lower leg forward
beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg forward slant end of rainbow
kick also
half success:
0
success: 2
starred success:
9
total score:
11.0
AD: 15, 10
BAD: 0
Ties personal record for stars at
9
Segment 4 Method E variant S/min
F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg minimial forward slant
end of rainbow kick half success: 2success: 2
starred success: 4
total score: 7.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
The young Philippino looking guy who works at the YMCA drew the blue
curtain that divides the gym in half back, and ran around doing
calisthenics etc with this other guy. For the first time that I can
remember the being watched seemed to result in a loss of cool on my part.
Segment 5 Method B variant S/min
F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow
kick
half success: 6 success: 1
starred success: 7
total score: 11.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 6 Method E variant S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 6success: 4
starred success: 1
total score: 8.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method B variant S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 9 success: 2
starred success: 4
total score: 10.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 8 Method E variant
F/F Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward at beginning
rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
also half success: 4
success: 4
starred success: 3
total score: 9.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
This segment 8 the high speed ground dribble prior to the rainbow
kick worked.
Segment 9 Method B variant
F/F
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward at
beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
also half success: 5
success: 3
starred success: 6
total score: 11.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 10 Method E variant
S/min-F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted MINIMALLY forward end
of rainbow kick half success: 1
success: 7
starred success: 4
total score: 11.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 11 Method B variant
S/min-F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted MINIMALLY forward end of
rainbow kick half success: 7
success: 2
starred success: 4
total score: 9.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 12 Method E variant
S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow
kick half success: 3
success: 4
starred success: 3
total score: 9.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Next up:
warmup E variant (straight to min
forward)
warmup B variant (forward to forward)
B variant (straight to
forward) new complete cycle
E variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to forward)
E variant (straight to minimally forward)
B variant (straight to minimally forward)
E variant ( straight to forward)
B variant (straight to forward) new complete cycle
E variant (forward to forward)
B variant (forward to forward)
E variant (straight to minimally forward)
B variant (straight to minimally forward)
E variant ( straight to forward)
B variant (straight to forward)
|
Replique 7.5 psi |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/12/07
Thursday
Waltham Y
523-758 PM
|
Rainbow kick drills
155 minutes
|
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long orange soccer socks.
Had only two strong cups green tea, a little "Baja
Fiesta" trail mix from Hannaford, and a little tangerine juice before
practice. Skipped the brewers yeast, wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils,
carrot/passion/apple fruit juice, mineral pill, vit E pill.
The way the practice went before the last three
segments, I felt that it was proof that skipping all the healthy stuff
before practice results in an impaired performance--either that or
starting practice at 520 is not as good as starting practice at 3
PM. The practice in general was not so hot, but segment 9 and the
last segment segment 11 came out very well, new personal records. Jidging
from improvement in personal records, looks like I am improving a little
faster than I had predicted I would a few days ago, when I said in a week
or two I would be a superstar given the rate of improvement I predicted.
The E style segments are showing very inconsistent
performance. I have been proving to myself that using the E style
variants, I am able to produce about 3 impressive starred successes off of
a relatively high speed 5 mph approx forward dribble--but there is still
much inconsistency. I stick with it because it seems the E style works
better off of relatively high speed dribbles, and I hope that one day,
more of my attempts doing the E-style will result in the spectacular
results the E-style has shown itself capable of producing. But I am
growing impatient, thinking of switching back to A style instead of E.
Seems unluckily there were generally lots of boys around
to see me screw up during the low-performance segments.
But at the end during segment 11 when I did so well,
this teen-age girls basketball team, white and East Asian teenage females,
with their big handsome black coach ( who looks sort of as you might
imagine the Buddha looked) were in the gym watching. I scored perfect
starred success after perfect starred success, the rainbow kicks would
result in the ball popping up above and in front of me, me leading myself
perfectly, so as I accelerated I would chase the ball down kick it before
it hit the ground, and fire off very hard shots. But all I got when I
looked at this teenage basketball team was blank looks and silence. I
think (I wear ear plugs) when I went to retrieve my water bottle from
the gym after I showered, I heard the coach say re me, "Yea...he's
scary". I remember how a few months ago when I was practicing long fast
air-dribble runs the teenage girls would scream in terror
(half-seriously).
I may look like a million bucks when I practice soccer,
but still I have a heart for the average man and woman around here, I
worry about them and their future financial state.
I was thinking to myself, seems like white Americans
look upon American blacks as icons of Americanism, because the American
black type unlike hispanics and whites, is found nowhere else in the
world, only in the USA. I was thinking to myself, yea, but seems I have a
trace of American Indian ancestry, apparently I am related by blood
to James Bowie's hispanic wife--so how could I not be Americana? Plus, I
thought to myself, a high percentage of blacks do not even vote. You see
the kind of I suppose immature thoughts I am capable of.
As for the half-successes today I was glad that attempts
ended in half-successes instead of total failure more often than it seemed
such had happened in the past. Alot of these half successes feature the
ball being rainbow kicked out in front of me so I reach it on a bounce,
and slam a hard shot, but since the ball does not go higher than waist
high I call such results "half-successes". A "half-success" during a game
is much less embarrassing than a total failure. The half success features
me succeeding in heeling the ball with my left heel after my other foot
rolls the ball up the back of the calf of my left foot, but with where the
ball goes being off. As such a half success is the foundation for future
full-successes.
Reaching new heights in terms of performance on certain
segments today, produces in me stress--the stress of knowing you are close
to stardom (becoming a star involves lots of work and self-discipline);
and the stress of feeling the injustice of being a star who is not
recognized as a star or treated like a star.
Results were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method E-variant
S/minimum-forward
lower leg straight beginning rainbow kick, to
minimal forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 8
success: 3
starred success: 2
total score: 9.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B variant F/F
lower leaning forward beginning rainbow
kick, to leaning forward slant end rainbow
kick half success: 5
success: 3
starred success: 7
total score: 12.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 3 Method B variant S/F
Emphasis on lower leg straight beginning of rainbow
kick, lower leg forward slant end of rainbow kick also
half success: 7
success: 2
starred success: 5
total score: 10.5
AD: 12
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method E variant F/
F
Emphasis on lower leg slanted
forward beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg
slanted forward slant end of rainbow kick half success:
8success: 0
starred success: 3
total score: 7.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method B variant F/
F
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward beginning of
rainbow kick, slanted forward slant end of rainbow kick
also
half success: 7 success: 4
starred success: 7
total score: 14.5
AD: 12
BAD: 0
Segment 6 Method E variant
S/min-F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 7success: 4
starred success: 2
total score: 9.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method B variant
S/min-F
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted minimally forward end of
rainbow kick
half success: 7 success: 1
starred success: 7
total score: 11.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 8 Method E variant
S/F Emphasis on lower leg straightish at beginning
rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 4
success: 1
starred success: 3
total score: 6.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 9
Method B variant S/F
Emphasis on lower
leg straightish at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end
of rainbow kick also half success:
7
success: 1
starred success:
12
total score:
16.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for total score and
for starred successes also
Segment 10 Method E variant
F/F
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward at
beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
also half success: 5
success: 0
starred success: 3
total score: 5.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 11
Method B variant F/F
Emphasis on lower leg slanted
forward at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow
kick also half success:
4
success: 7
starred success:
10
total score:
19.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for total score;
starred successes exceeds any segment prior to today
Next up:
switch a to e's??
1 warmup E variant (straight to min
forward)
2 warmup B variant (forward to forward)
3 B variant (straight to
forward) new complete cycle
4 E variant (straight to minimally forward)
5 B variant (straight to minimally forward)
6 E variant ( straight to forward)
7 B variant (straight to forward)
8 E variant (forward to forward)
9 B variant (forward to
forward) new complete cycle
10 A variant (straight to minimally
forward)
11 B variant (straight to minimally
forward)
12 A variant ( straight to forward)
13 B variant (straight to forward)
14 A variant (forward to forward)
15 B variant (forward to
forward) I get the feeling folks dont realize how good a starred success can
be...on alot of them, I am dribbling forward ata jog, and rainbow kick the
ball up above and in front of me so I never have to slow the forward jog
at all, or can speed up to kick a very hard shot off the rainbow kick
either after the ball bounces once or without it bouncing at all.
Clarification: in a given segment, a report such as
starred success 5 and sucess 4 means in total there were 9 successes, 5
starred successes PLUS 4 non-starred successes.
|
Replique 7.5 psi
|
||||||||||||||||
|
4/13/07 Friday
Waltham Y
340-600 PM |
Running rainbow kick drills 140 minutes |
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long orange soccer socks.
Before practice, had two cups green tea, a little "Baja
Fiesta" trail mix from Hannaford, PLUS the brewers yeast,
wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils, carrot/passion/apple fruit juice,
tangerine juice, mineral pill, vit E pill.
Today off of an approx 6 mph
dribble during which the rainbow kick was executed, faster than
previously, there were when using B-variants, 19 successes plus 17
starred-successes. This is proof that I can potentially consistently
produce quality rainbow kicks off of brisk forward dribbles at approx 6
mph.
Today the B variants were done at a brisk pace approx 6
miles per hour on the dribble during which the rainbow kick is executed.
The A series attempts were done at a medium pace approx 4 miles per hour.
Yesterday the B series were done at a slow pace approx 2 miles per hour,
and the E series were done at a medium pace on the dribble during which
the rainbow kick is executed--approx 4 mph.
The point today was to judge if the B method works well
at brisk dribbling speeds during which the rainbow kick is executed.
Answer: the B method shows definite potential at high speeds; it works
better than method A does at medium speed; and it works better than method
E at medium speeds also.
Yesterday the E variants at medium speed averaged 4.2
successes+starred-successes per 12 minute segment over five segments;
today the B variants at brisk speed averaged 7.2
successes+starred-successes per 12 minute segment over five segments.
Such combined with the high competence achieved
yesterday with B-variants doing the rainbow kicks off of a slow
dribble at approx 2 mph, has convinced me that the future lies with
B-variants and methods similar to the B such as J, K and L.
Methods B, J, K and L all involve dragging the
ball to the front heel with the right foot. Methods A, E, C and D involve
stopping the ball with the front foot and then trying to roll the ball up
the rear calf of the front foot with the rear foot.
Chris taught me the drag-theball-up B J K L type
methods; but on my own I started out, before I learned from Chris, with
the A E C and D type methods.
The A and E methods never recovered from the
seventy day break I took from rainbow kicks. Day after day I get an A or E
type segment that returns a high score, combined with lots of low quality
A or E segments--the inconsistency seems insurmountable.
It is hard for me to admit that the method Chris taught
me is better than the one I was using when he taught it to me but there
you go.
Sort of makes me feel Japanese to use the method Chris
taught, I guess because I think of white American men like
Chris as being sort of culturally Japanese--but such weird inner
'prejudices' cannot be allowed to interfere with rational strategy.
Results today were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method A-variant S/minimum-forward medium
pace
lower leg straight beginning rainbow kick, to
minimal forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 4
success: 1
starred success: 5
total score: 8.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B variant
F/F brisk pace
lower leaning
forward beginning rainbow kick, to leaning forward slant
end rainbow kick half success:
6
success: 6
starred success:
4
total score:
13.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 3 Method B variant S/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straight beginning of rainbow
kick, lower leg forward slant end of rainbow kick also
half success: 7
success: 1
starred success: 0
total score: 4.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method A variant S/ min-F
medium pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg slanted minimally forward end of rainbow
kick half success: 9success: 0
starred success: 0
total score: 4.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method B variant F/
F
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward beginning of
rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick also
half success: 3 success: 2
starred success: 6
total score: 9.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
LEAPING into placing the left foot in front of the ball
while getting the leg and the body not slanting backwards seemed to
improve this segment segment 5.
Segment 6 Method A variant S/F medium
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 5success: 2
starred success: 1
total score: 5.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Leaping into placing the left foot in front of the ball
while getting the leg and the body not slanting
backwards did NOT seem to improve this segment segment
6.
Segment 7 Method B variant S/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straight perp to
ground at beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 1 success: 4
starred success: 3
total score: 7.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Leaping into placing the left foot in front of the ball while
getting the leg and the body not slanting backwards seemed to improve this
segment when concentrating on such a leap was COMBINED with a general
concern for simply succeeding in executing a proper rainbow kick. Seemed
that when I concentrated on the leap and forgot about the generally trying
to simply succeed, things got worse instead of better. Seems these little
technical innovations that are useful, can be over-concentrated on,
exaggerated, with the result that they do no good or even harm. Seems that
when a technical innovation is introduced, it is important also to not
forget about simply generally succeeding when doing the trick.
Segment 8 Method A variant
F/F medium pace Emphasis on lower leg straightish at beginning
rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 6
success: 0
starred success: 1
total score: 4.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 9 Method B variant F/F
brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward at
beginning rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
also half success: 4
success: 6
starred success: 4
total score: 12.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Next
up: 1 warmup B variant (forward to forward)
front top drag
2 warmup J variant (forward to
forward)
front side drag
new cycle
3 B variant (straight to min forward)
brisk 4 B variant (straight to forward)
5 B variant (forward to forward)
6 J variant (straight to min forward)
slow
right front drag 7 J variant (straight to forward)
8 J variant (forward to forward)
9 K variant (straight to min forward)
slow
right mid side drag 10 K variant (straight to forward)
11 K variant (forward to forward)
12 L variant (straight to min forward)
slow
right outside drag 13 L variant (straight to forward)
14 L variant (forward to
forward) |
Replique 7.5 psi |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/14/;07 Saturday
Waltham Y
540-800 PM |
Running rainbow kick drills 140 minutes |
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long orange soccer socks.
Before practice, had two cups green tea double strength,
a little "Baja Fiesta" trail mix from Hannaford, a couple pieces
sweet/sour chicken from Hannaford, PLUS the brewers yeast,
wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils, carrot/passion/apple fruit juice,
tangerine juice, mineral pill, vit E pill. The works.
Too much food too close to practice time produces a
sleepy, lazy, depressed, pessimistic feeling. Seems lots of nutrients
before practice produce good performances late in the practice, low level
of nutrients before practice produces good performance early in
practice.
The J method showed that I have to continue testing it
because it did well, could give B a run for the money.
Today I began to unravel the mysteries of why
some attempts with a given method/variant succeed and some fail--such is
key to attaining competence. Seems it is important to keep the
heel of the front foot on the ground so as to facilitate the ball being
rolled up the back of the calf of the front foot. Seems again that
I err in terms of taking my traditions too literally, too
seriously. For example when my tradition is that the front foot
is "straight", perpendicular to the ground at the beginning of the rb
kick, it is a mistake to take the "straight" idea too literally. What I
really mean is the minimization of the forward lean not the absence of the
forward lean.
It would seem that the simplicity of F/F would excel the
complexity of S/min-F or S/F; but the reality of it is that F/F has not
shown itself to be superior, it appears to send the ball out too low and
far.
Today the average per segment on the brisk B segments
for stars plus successes was 8.0. Yesterday it was 7.2. A 0.8 per day rise
in this would make me competent at brisk paces in about twelve days. But
the stars per segment rate on the brisk B segments was not up today,
maybe it has to do with the later start time today compared to
yesterday, or the chicken I ate right before practicing (too much food in
stomach, blood draining from brain to stomach to digest food).
But I see how yesterday, the E method segments were medium speed, today
the J method segments were slow speed, medium speed segments are better
prep for brisk segments than slow segments are. And the rear foot is
used the same way in E as compared to B, but it is used differently with J
compared to B.
Results today were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method B-variant F/F brisk pace
lower leg forward slant beginning rainbow
kick, to forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 6
success: 5
starred success: 2
total score: 10.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method J variant
F/F slow pace
lower leaning forward beginning rainbow
kick, to leaning forward slant end rainbow
kick half success: 9
success: 4
starred success: 6
total score: 14.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Good for method not done in long time done on
second segment
Segment 3 Method B variant S/min-F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg minimal forward slant end of rainbow kick
also
half success: 6
success: 4
starred success: 3
total score: 10.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Did NOT jump into placing left foot in front of ball.
Seemed certain level of forward lean required when leg "straight" at
beginning of rb kick.
Segment 4 Method B variant S/
F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 5success: 6
starred success: 2
total score: 10.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Did NOT leap into placing left foot in front of
ball.
Segment 5 Method B variant F/ F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward beginning of
rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick also
half success: 2 success: 7
starred success: 3
total score: 11.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Seems keeping the front heel down on the ground is
important.
Segment 6 Method J variant S/min-F slow
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 7success: 6
starred success: 4
total score: 13.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method J
variant S/F slow pace
Emphasis on lower
leg straightish perp to ground at beginning rainbow kick,
slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success:
4 success: 3
starred success:
10
total score:
15.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Personal record for non-B method, at slow
pace. Did not feel so great has to do with ever-rising expectations.
Segment 8 Method J variant
F/F slow pace Emphasis on lower leg straightish at beginning
rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 5
success: 8
starred success: 3
total score: 13.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Surprising how (method J slow pace) the simple approach of leaning
forward at the beginning and also the end of the rb kick, does not work
better than the complexity of minimal forward lean at beginning of rainbow
kick and then more forward lean at end of rainbow kick. With this variant
F/F method, the ball on the rb kick gets sent out too low and far like a
line drive so it is often not reached before it hits the
ground.
Next
up: 1 warmup J variant (straightish to forward)
slow pace
front side drag 2 warmup B variant (forward to forward) medium pace
front top drag no jump in
new cycle
3 B variant (straight to min forward)
brisk 4 B variant (straight to forward) brisk jump
in
5 B variant (forward to forward) brisk jump
in
6 K variant (straight to
min forward) slow right mid side drag
7 K variant (straight to forward)
slow 8 K variant (forward to forward) slow
9 B variant (straight to min forward) brisk no
jump in 10 B variant (straight to forward) brisk no
jump in
11 B variant (forward to forward) brisk no jump
in 12 L variant (straight to min forward) slow
outside foot drag
13 L variant (straight to forward) slow outside
foot drag
14 L variant (forward to forward) slow outside foot
drag |
Replique
7.5 psi |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/15/07
Sunday
Waltham Y
555-745 PM
|
Running rb kick drills 110 minutes |
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long orange soccer socks.
Before practice, had approx two cups green tea double
strength, a little "Baja Fiesta" trail mix from Hannaford, PLUS the
brewers yeast, wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils, carrot/passion/apple fruit
juice, tangerine juice, mineral pill, vit E pill. The works except for
solid food.
Big problem before start of soccer practice, my ball disappeared, I checked my locker, went out into parking lot to check in the car, then discovered a Y worker had put the ball into the Y closet she thought it was a Y ball. Big story was today there was the first definitive proof (segments 2
and 5) of improvement at doing the rainbow kick off of a brisk approx 6
mph forward dribble. The best performance at brisk pace prior to today was
method B, FF variant, on April 13, at 6 half successes 6 successes and 4
starred successes. Today April 15 segment 5 method B, variant FF again,
there were 4 half successes, 7 successes, and 6 starred successes--that is
an improvement of 3 in terms of successes plus starred successes and of 2
in starred success. Projecting a per day improvement of 1.5 in total
successes and 1 in starred successes, this skill of doing the rb
kick off of a brisk forward dribble will be mastered in a rough way in 4
days and in a refined way in 12 days. Just a short while ago my
only ambition was to be consistent off of a slow dribble, doing the rb
kick off of a fast dribble was not even on my mind.
Looks like the FF variant of the B method off the brisk forward
dribble is improving in terms of production of starred successes. I had
earlier suggested it seemed the FF version is not as good for producing
starred successes.
On the record setting segment 5 I made a point of keeping the front
heel down, keeping the head down, and having a forward lean in the front
lower leg. On segment 2 there was concern for the forward slant of the
lower leg and keeping the heel down but not much concern for keeping the
head down.
Segments 3 and 4 today were disastrous. Seems the jumping into placing the front foot in front of the ball prior to a rainbow kick is a difficult innovation to add to a trick, the straight to forward type of rb kick, that is already complex and difficult for me at this point in time without the added innovation. The latter part of segment 4 I began to pull out of the low performance rut by concentrating on keeping the heel down, leaning forward with the front lower leg, and keeping the head down, as if looking at my feet and the ball when doing the rb kick. My plan is to test the jumpin innnovation immediately after doing the same method B variant without the jumpin innovation. It does not seem to matter whether I actually look at the ball and my
feet while doing the rb kick, but it does seem to matter that my head
should be in the position it would be if I were to be looking at my feet
and the ball when doing the rb kick. The fact that it does not matter
whether I look at my feet and the ball does not mean that the head
position should not be in the position it would be if looking at my feet
and the ball.
There was a young reddish haired tallish slimmish athletic looking
white guy with a minimalish beard, who looked like the little-
brother-of-the-beegees-or-the-beachboys type of guy in the gym during some
of the segments. He had an approx ten year old white kid with him, his son
or kid brother. They both wore orange shirts. They were there while I fell
apart in segment 3 and the first part of segment 4; they left as I began
to recover in the latter part of segment 4. I just got into a bad rut
while they were in the gym with me for some reason. I sort of stopped
functioning mentally, at the shock of going into a rut, a losing streak,
while they were in the gym with me.
The fact that I recovered suddenly in segment 5 from the segment 3
and 4 fiascos is noteworthy.
Several of the starred rainbow kick successes in segments 2 and 5 off of the brisk forward dribble were spectacular today. The ball would be knocked up high, at least 12 feet high, and far forward, about 8 yds forward, so that accelerating I would reach the ball before it hit the ground and fire a shot at a sprint. The balls were being knocked higher and farther today than previously. Results today were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method J-variant S/F slow
pace
lower leg straightish beginning rainbow
kick, to forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 11
success: 3
starred success: 3
total score: 11.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B
variant F/F medium to brisk pace
lower leg leaning
forward beginning rainbow kick, to leaning forward slant
end rainbow kick half success:
7
success: 8
starred success:
3
total score:
14.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Personal record for total score
off brisk speed dribble, (it was medium-brisk speed in intent, supposed to
be a little slower than brisk on avg since it was a warmup segment, but
overall it was probably not slower than past brisk segments as I seem to
be constantly speeding up a little)
Segment 3 Method B variant S/min-F brisk
pace
Emphasis on jumping into placing front foot in front of
ball prior to rb kick. Emphasis on lower leg
straightish beginning of rainbow kick, lower leg minimal forward
slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 4
success: 1
starred success: 0
total score: 3.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method B variant S/
F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg slanted forward end of rainbow kick;
emphasis on jumping into placing front foot in front of ball prior to rb
kick. half success: 4success: 4
starred success: 1
total score: 7.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method B
variant F/ F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg slanted
forward beginning of rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow
kick also
half success:
4 success: 7
starred success:
6
total score:
15.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for total
score and for starred successes at brisk pace
Segment 6 Method K variant S/min-F slow
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow kick
half success: 9success: 2
starred success: 1
total score: 7.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Surprising how (method J slow pace) the simple approach of leaning
forward at the beginning and also the end of the rb kick, does not work
better than the complexity of minimal forward lean at beginning of rainbow
kick and then more forward lean at end of rainbow kick. With this variant
F/F method, the ball on the rb kick gets sent out too low and far like a
line drive so it is often not reached before it hits the
ground.
Next
up: 1 warmup J variant (straightish to forward)
slow pace
front side drag 2 warmup B variant (forward to forward) medium-brisk pace
front top drag no jump in
3 K variant (forward to forward)
slow
4 B variant (straight to min forward) brisk no
jump in
5 B variant (straight to min forward) jump
in 6 B variant (straight to forward) brisk no
jump in
7 B variant (straight to forward) jump
in 8 L variant (straight to min forward) slow
outside foot drag
9 L variant (straight to forward) slow outside foot
drag
10 L variant (forward to forward) slow outside foot drag
11 B variant FF
12 B variant
FF |
Replique 7.5 psi |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/16/07
Monday
Waltham Y
530-835 PM
|
Running rainbow kick drills 185 minutes |
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long orange soccer socks.
Before practice, had a little "Baja Fiesta" trail mix
from Hannaford, PLUS the wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils,
carrot/passion/apple fruit juice, tangerine juice, mineral pill, vit E
pill. No brewers yeast. Collard greens, beans and rice, and brisket
sandwich from Blue Ribbon Barbecue, eaten about 330 PM.
Felt tired due to standing while watching the Marathon
for approx 2.5 hours. It was too chilly to sit down.
The big story today is the competition amongst methods
J, K and L to see who will play second fiddle to method B. It
seemed to me today working with method L, that I felt more comfortable
with method L than with method J. Method L seemed clearly
superior to method J, even though later when I checked the scores, method
J it turned out to my surprise has not done that badly except for in the
first segment today. But method J has been getting worse not improving.
Results with J, K and L methods thus far have
been:
seg #/total
score/successes/starred-successes
april 14
2 J 14.5 4/6 6 J 13.5 6/4 7 J 15.0 3/10 8 J 13.5 8/3 april 15
1 J 11.0 3/3 6 K 7.5 2/1 april 16
1 J 6.0 0/1 3 K 6.0 2/1 8 L 11.0 3/4 9 L 16.0 8/4 10 L 15.0 7/6 Results today were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method J-variant S/F slow
pace
lower leg straightish beginning rainbow
kick, to forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 10
success: 0
starred success: 1
total score: 6.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B variant F/F medium to
brisk pace
lower leg leaning forward beginning rainbow
kick, to leaning forward slant end rainbow
kick half success: 4
success: 9
starred success: 2
total score: 13.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 3 Method K variant FF slow
pace
middle inside of rear foot used to roll up
ball
Emphasis on forward lean beginning and end of rb
kick
half success: 6
success: 2
starred success: 1
total score: 6.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method B variant S/min-
F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg slanted minimally forward end of rainbow
kick; NO emphasis on jumping into placing front foot in front of ball
prior to rb kick. half success: 4success: 8
starred success: 2
total score: 12.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method B variant S/min-F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of rainbow kick, slanted minimally forward end of rainbow kick. Emphasis on jumping when putting front foot into place prior to rb kick half success: 2 success: 2 starred success: 2 total score: 5.0 AD: 0 BAD: 0 Segment 6 Method B variant S/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick. NO
jumping into place when putting lead foot in front of
ball. half success: 11success: 4
starred success: 3
total score: 12.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method B variant S/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick. PLUS
jumping into place when putting lead foot in front of
ball. half success: 4success: 2
starred success: 0
total score: 4.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
The jumping into place when putting the lead
foot in front of the ball prior to the rainbow kick works at medium speed
approx 4 mph, but not at brisk speed approx 6 mph. I intend to discontinue
it. It works when you put some verticality into the jump into
place. Segment 8 Method L variant S/min-F slow
pace
Ball rolled up calf of front foot with outside of rear
foot
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to ground
beginning of rainbow kick, minimal forward slant end of rainbow
kick.
half success: 8 success: 3
starred success: 4
total score: 11.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 9 Method L
variant S/F slow pace
Ball rolled up calf of front foot
with outside of rear foot
Emphasis on lower leg
straightish perp to ground beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant
end of rainbow kick.
half success:
8 success: 8
starred success:
4
total score:
16.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Personal record for total score at slow
pace with method other than B
Segment 10 Method L variant F/F slow
pace
Ball rolled up calf of front foot with outside of rear
foot
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward beginning of
rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick.
half success: 4 success: 7
starred success: 6
total score: 15.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
.
Next
up: 1 warmup L variant (straightish to forward)
slow pace
outside of foot drags ball to rear of front
calf 2 warmup B variant (forward to forward) medium-brisk pace
front top drag
3 B variant (forward to minimally
forward) brisk
4 B variant (straight to forward) brisk
5 L variant (straight to min forward)
slow
6 B variant (forward to forward) brisk
7 B variant (straight to min forward)
brisk
8 L variant (straight to forward) slow outside foot
drag 9 B variant (straight to forward)
brisk
10 B variant (forward to forward) brisk
11 L variant (forward to forward) slow
12 B variant (straight to min forward)
brisk *** |
Replique 7.5 psi |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/17/07
Oak Sq YMCA
Brighton
730-1015 PM |
Oak Square
165 minutes minus times resting
Futsal (soft size 3 ball) games indoors on basketball
court
|
Waltham Y gym unavailable; saw indoor soccer on schedule for Oak Sq Y; showed up and started ground dribbling drills; was informed it was a league and I would have to pay $50 to play; paid the $50 (good for about six more games in total); played in an official league game, 40 minute, two 20 minute halves game 4 players vs 4 players on court approx 34 yds long, 20 yds wide, with goals 4 feet high and 5 feet wide; after this played some informal games on same size "field"; then played for a while on half court size field, approx 18 yds wide 20 yds long same size goals, 3 on 3. I started out warming up with my size 5 replique, doing
simple ground dribbling drills, figured such would be needed in the game.
Then I found out we would be playing with the size 3 Futsal balls. Only
had about ten minutes to warm up with the size 3 Futsal ball. This was the
first time I had ever played with such a ball, reminded me of a sixteen
inch softball. Did some dribbling drills with the size 3; spent about five
minutes shooting the size 3 from ten yds at a ridge in the wall about six
inches wide. Finally hit the ridge about three times though I was way off
at first. Figured in those brief five minutes, that with the Futsal size 3
you have to sort of stretch out your toe more when you kick the ball.
During warmup a tall strong looking white guy kept
playing this game of trying to steal the ball from me. I was surprised at
how well I did keeping the strange size 3 ball away from him and dribbled
by him putting the ball through his legs. Then I told him I had to get on
with my solitary drill.
While I was in the official game the score was 6-4 our
favor, while I was out sitting on the bench it was 2-2; we won 8-6.
The players seemed like college level players--some of
them had college level skills but did not look like they had the speed or
endurance to play college level ball. They were mostly white males in
their twenties I guess.
In the official game: I stole the ball plenty of times;
dribbled by defenders a couple of times. Once I got by this tall athletic
looking brown haired pink-cheeked young white male in about his early
twenties, by banging the ball off the side wall and then meeting up with
the ball beyond him. Pretty good for someone who has never played with a
size 3 and has only played in indoor basketball court games four or five
times in his life. Another time I stole the ball while facing towards my
goal, changed direction while avoiding the theft victim and his nearby
team-mate, froze the defender by dribbling at the defender, then cut to my
left past the defender, raced towards the enemy goal which was weakly
defended but shot wide.
Twice during the official game I fired off these
long high 30 yd chip passes that were designed to sort of hang in the air
so as to give my team-mate the time to reach the pass in front of the
enemy goal. Both times the ball was just about one yard too far in front
of the pass recipient, both times goals were almost scored. Could have
been the pass recipient's fault that they did not get to the pass. These
were great passes seeing my inexperience with the size 3, seeing that the
gym ceiling was approx 30 feet high and the ball had to be kept from
hitting the ceiling.
My idea is that when you put a player into some
variation of the game that he has little experience with, you discover
what he has a natural talent for. I guess (see previous soccer log
entries) that I have a natural talent for long high chip passes.
Such were my bread and butter in soccer since freshman year on the
high school team.
I handled the situations well when I had the ball while
would be trapped in a corner; I calmly faced the defender and got off the
smartest pass possible. I stole the ball and sent a 20 yd pass to a
team-mate who scored. I headed a ball accurately to a team-mate 8 yds
away, a fairly difficult header, the ball had bounced straight up before I
headed it so I could not use its momentum tou bounce it as a bat
bounces a baseball (this might have to do with heading practice
while doing air-dribbling drills). Almost every time there was a
scramble for the ball, an opposing player contesting for the ball with me,
I got the ball. These players were like the Latin Ams in that though they
were not smaller than me they seemed easy to sort of physically
bodily displace in contest s for the ball. My guess is this has to
do with all the swimming I do.
The guys I had been playing with had been playing this
size 3 indoors Futsal game for 3 months approx once a week at least; who
knows how often they had played this game more than 3 months ago. They had
alot more experience at the game than me; they were also in somewhat
better shape than me. But my fitness level was better than when playing
with the Latin Ams, and my feet and calves did not start hurting like they
would start to hurt when playing with the Latin Ams. My guess is the
treadmill work I've been doing is a reason my feet and calves did not
start hurting.
The star forward on my team told me he had been running
3 miles on the treadmill, 3 times a week, at 8-9 mph. That is
significantly better fitness than yours truly. Last month best I did was
4 correction 5 mph mile jogged, 3 mph mile walked, 4
mph mile jogged, 3 mph mile walked, 4 mph mile jogged, 3 mph mile walked,
total six miles non-stop. But I was trying not to push myself too
hard.
Towards the end they gave half the gym to some
basketball playing kids, and the Futsal game was half court, 18 yds wide
20 yds long "field". In this phase I blocked innumerable numbers of shots.
I scored two goals. Once I dribbled by a competent
(Joe-college-varsity-team-starter) type defender and scored; another time
I stole the ball from a competent defender and scored. Twice I chipped the
ball approx 20 yds towards the other team's four foot high goal, trying to
get the ball over a defender a few yds in front of the goal and into the
goal. Both times I missed scoring by only a foot. That is
hard, from 20 yds chipping the ball over a six foot tall defender into a
four foot high goal, but I almost did it twice despite my total lack of
experience with a size 3 ball. I think
as an outgrowth of my rainbow kick work, for the first time that I can
remember I passed sideways and backwards with my left heel, a smart
accurate pass.
Afterwards what I felt I needed to do was: pay more
attention to my diet in terms of quantity and what I consume; do more
conditioning work; even do weightlifting work. I can do rainbow kick
drills on an almost empty stomach but this kind of 4 on 4 or 3 on 3 games,
I would say I require more food/juices consumed prior to such
Futsal games.
I was not a perfect superman today, there were at least
a couple of goals scored when I was playing goalie (no use of hands),
I lost the ball once on an attempted dribble; but whatever errors I was
guilty of the other players committed even more often and
more-often-per-minute-played to be fair about it.
Whenever I got the ball I stayed cool and calm, no
panicking and quickly getting rid of the ball as in my youth. I
dribbled by the defenders by going straight at them and then
cutting. I did not use the stepovers, hitting
the ball with the trailing rear foot that does not stepover, that
kind of thing, tricks the other players used. I suppose after you play
indoors Futsal alot you get a feel for certain moves that work in indoors
Futsal. With such a small ball it is easier to make a convincing fake
sweeping the foot over the ball. The star forward on my team, I noticed,
once did this "Brazilian" move succesfully, rolling the ball inwards then
outwards and forwards all the while keeping his foot in touch with the
ball--seems certain moves work especially well with a small
ball.
Futsal with a size 3 certainly is different than normal
soccer. The ball is small and the goal is only approx 4 feet high 5 feet
wide as compared to (best I can recall) 8 feet high and 24 feet wide as in
regular soccer. The long hard booming shots that I have gotten good at off
the air-dribble, are not something very applicable to this kind of
"Futsal" type soccer game. The opposing team's no-hands-allowed "goalie"
covers almost the entire goal just by standing there. In Futsal you need
to penetrate close to the goal and then very accurately place the ball to
score.
In Futsal you get alot of practice at having to quickly
move a foot to block a hard shot. I was good at this today. The law of
relativity. The other players got burned more times per-attempted-block
than I did.
I noticed that these Joe-college type white guys in
their twenties resembled the Latin Ams, in that after they had been
exposed to facing me as a defender for a while they began to avoid
attempting to take me on the dribble, with the result that my number of
steals decreased.
As with the Latin Ams I played mostly goalie and
defense, passed the ball alot. This has to do with a desire to be accepted
by the other players, and also has to do with the fact that I still am not
in very good shape and tire relatively easily.
|
Brine Lobo Futsal size 3 ball, softish |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/18/07
Waltham Y
630-935 PM |
Running rainbow kick drills
185 minutes |
What I forgot to say yesterday: It was obvious to me how I have
become a better player over the past year or so by from the aerial
drills becoming ambidextrous, developing a right foot that is almost as
good as my left.
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long thicker, black, Adidas soccer socks.
Before practice, had a little "Baja Fiesta" trail mix
from Hannaford, PLUS the wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils, tangerine
juice, mineral pill, vit E pill. No brewers yeast. Ate half pound
Hannaford brand bourbon barbecue chicken (delicious, good deal) right
before leaving for practice. Can only get it 4-7 PM so tempted to stuff
myself right before practice.
Slightly impaired today due to strained left knee,
strained right ankle, and bruised right hip all suffered in game
yesterday. Felt stiff sore and injured before and after practice but
strangely during practice, after stretching, felt almost normal. Felt
tired due to game yesterday. Not sure what effect thicker socks and
unusually low approx 7.2 psi of ball had.
Seems judging from today, the Gatorade brand Propel
Fitness water is good for practice, better than mere spring water. Usually
I sip spring water during practice. Gatorade itself (the traditional
gatorade not the Propel Fitness Water by the Gatorade company) on one day
seemed to be worse than spring water. Do not know what effect not drinking
anything during practice would be.
Today there was in most segments it seemed, a scarcity
of stars. But as I predicted recently, the total scores, the simple
successes are improving, and at approx the rate I predicted--while
the starred successes records improve at a slower rate.
The non-starred successes tended to be correctly placed
in terms of not being off to the left or the right and not being too low,
but they were knocked out too far ahead of me for me to get to the ball
before it hit the ground. About a third of the non-starred successes were
pretty close to being gotten to before they hit the ground.
Results today were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method L-variant S/F slow
pace
lower leg straightish beginning rainbow
kick, to forward slant end rainbow kick
half success: 3
success: 8
starred success: 4
total score: 13.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B variant F/F medium to
brisk pace
lower leg leaning forward beginning rainbow
kick, to leaning forward slant end rainbow
kick half success: 9
success: 8
starred success: 2
total score: 14.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 3 Method B variant S/min-F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning
of rb kick, slanted forward end of rb kick
half success: 4
success: 9
starred success: 3
total score: 14.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method B variant S/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg slanted forward end of rainbow kick
half success: 6success: 5
starred success: 4
total score: 12.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method L variant S/min-F slow
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of rainbow kick, slanted minimally forward end of rainbow kick. half success: 2
success: 11 starred success: 4 total score: 16.0 AD: 0 BAD: 0 Segment 6 Method B variant F/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg slanted beginning of rainbow
kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick.
half success: 2 success: 10
starred success: 4
total score: 15.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 7 Method B
variant S/min-F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg
straightish perp to ground beginning of rainbow kick, minimal
forward slant end of rainbow kick.
half success:
4 success: 10
starred success:
7
total score:
19.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record brisk pace for
total score and stars. Equals personal record for total score at slow
speed. Rested a few minutes before this segment. Drank some "Propel
Fitness Water" prior to this segment. No special technical tricks
involved. Segment 8 Method L
variant S/F slow pace
Ball rolled up calf of front foot
with outside of rear foot
Emphasis on lower leg
straightish perp to ground beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant
end of rainbow kick.
half success:
2 success: 9
starred success:
8
total score:
18.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
New personal record for total
score at slow pace with method other than B. Sipping of the Propel Fitness
Water continued.
Segment 9 Method B variant
S/F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish perp to
ground beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick.
half success: 5 success: 12
starred success: 2
total score: 16.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Excels total score at brisk speed for any segment other prior
to today.
Segment 10 Method B variant
F/F brisk pace
Ball rolled up calf of front foot with outside
of rear foot
Emphasis on lower leg slanted forward
beginning of rainbow kick, forward slant end of rainbow kick.
half success: 7 success: 12
starred success: 2
total score: 17.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Excels total score at brisk speed for any segment prior to
today. I seem to get more stars with B FF when I speed up the ground
dribble during which the rb kick is executed.
Next
up: 1 warmup L variant (as natural) slow
pace
outside of foot drags ball to rear of front
calf 2 warmup B variant (as natural) medium-brisk pace
front top drag
3 L variant FF slow
4 B S/min-F brisk
5 B S/F brisk
6 L as-natural slow
7 B FF brisk
8 B as-natural brisk
9 L S/min-F slow
10 B S/min-F brisk
11 B FF brisk
12 L S/F slow
|
Replique PSI ???
(forgot to check ball and inflate before practice after practice was
at 7.1 psi) |
||||||||||||||||
|
4/19/07
630-800 PM
Waltham Y |
Running rainbow kick drills 90 minutes
|
Wore ankle guards both ankles, shin pads,
long thicker, black, Adidas soccer socks.
Before practice, had one cup green tea double
strength two teabags, wheat-germ/cod-liver/fish oils, tangerine
juice, carrot/apple/passion juice, mineral pill, vit E pill. No brewers
yeast. Ate half pound Hannaford brand bourbon barbecue chicken right
before leaving for practice.
Yesterday nothing important happened until segment 7.
The first 5 segments today were better than the first 5 yesterday. I felt
kind of sluggish and sleepy the first few segments. I still felt tired due
to the game I played on Tuesday.
Today I decided that next practice I will introduce a
new variant for L and B, the F/S variant. With the FS variant, the lower
leg is slanted maximally forward at the beginning of the rainbow kick, and
then at the end of the rainbow kick there is minimal further slant forward
movement. Seems to me that the difference between the minimal forward
slant at the beginning of the rainbow kick and the maximal forward slant
at the beginning of the rainbow kick might be academic. The problem is
that attempting to minimize the forward slant at the beginning of the
rainbow kick causes failure due to insufficient forward lean at the
beginning of the rainbow kick. But minimal forward lean at the end of the
rainbow kick seems to create stars.
Up till now I have not been consciously attempting to
score stars. I have just, out of habit generated from being a beginner at
this, been attempting to simply succeed. Seems to me, that it might be
good to consciously deliberately attempt to score stars, experiment with
such a mentally star centered approach now that I am mastering simple
non-starred successes.
There were 26 stars in five segments today,
yesterday, first five segments produced only 17 stars. That is a
52% improvement. The big challenge is producing starred
successes, wherein I get to the ball before it hits the ground after the
rainbow kick. I have the feeling I am going to have to seriously mobilize
my mind in order to be able to deal with this challenge. Seems a foregone
conclusion to me, that I will quickly get to the point where I can 95% of
the time produce simple successes on the brisk speed running rainbow kick.
The challenge is achieving "stars".
Yesterday the total score for the first 5 segments (two
L slow, three B brisk), was 70. Today for the first five segments, again
two L slow three brisk, was 78, 11 percent improvement.
Significant improvement. But I could put nothing in boldface or red today
there were no new records.
Today I decided to go swimming. I havent done any
aerobic work since March 24 having gotten involved in skill development
work. But the game on Tuesday April 17 tired me to the point I still feel
tired from it. I have the feeling that maybe long distance swimming and
running aerobic work will relax me to the point where my rainbow kick
performance improves. Then you have problems such as, today I ran into
Darren at the Y. Darren knows this beautiful woman at this bar he and I
used to go to, named "H______". I found out H______ wanted to marry
me--she shocked me when, standing with Darren, she came on to me in a
pornographic kind of way. I remember watching her sing during
"Karaoke", she was young, beautiful, and her face literally glowed,
and I was thinking to myself, that lady is over my head. All I
know is her first name. The bar we used to go to closed and reopened under
new management. The people who used to go to the bar, (it used to be
called Frosty's now it is called the Lincoln) do not go there anymore. I
am in the uncomfortable position of depending on Darren re what is this
woman's last name etc. Plus there was another beauty at the bar whose name
I didnt get who wanted to marry me. I figure if I find one then I can find
the other. Today Darren, who last weekend was exuberantly friendly with
me at Franco's bar, was back to being morose and uncommunicative as
he has tended to be with me.
(When I first wrote up the above paragraph I spelled out
the woman's first name. I was thinking, hey, I complimented her, her last
name is not given, so writing out the first name is not a problem. Then I
got to thinking, even though I complimented her, maybe writing out her
first name is some kind of slight invasion of privacy that could embarrass
her, or discourage other women from expressing interest in
me)
I got to thinking, this high stress skill development
work, not accompanied by relaxing aerobic stuff, might be making me too
tense. I just could not bring myself to grilling Darren re what is this
lady's last name etc etc; I did not want to screw up his visit to the Y
(one day pass he got); nor did I want to screw up my workout by the stress
of grilling Darren re the lady. I got to thinking, maybe the lack of
aerobic exercise is stressing me out too much. Results today were as follows:
12 minute segments
half-success equals ball via rainbow kick gotten up
but not in front or ball gotten in front but too low; success
equals ball gotten up and in front but not reached before it hits ground;
starred success equals ball gotten up and in front and gotten to before it
hits ground.
Segment 1 Method L-variant natural slow
pace
whatever movements of the leg come
naturally
half success: 2
success: 7
starred success: 8
total score: 16.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 2 Method B
variant natural medium to brisk pace
whatever movements of the leg come
naturally
half success: 6
success: 9
starred success: 4
total score: 16.0
AD: 0
BAD: 0
These au naturel warmups an improvement over yesterday's
warmups
Segment 3 Method L variant FF slow
pace
Emphasis on lower leg slanted
forward beginning of rb kick, slanted forward end of rb
kick
half success: 3
success: 7
starred success: 8
total score: 16.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 4 Method B
variant S/min-F brisk pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of
rainbow kick, lower leg slanted minimally forward end of rainbow
kick half success: 5success: 8
starred success: 5
total score: 15.5
AD: 0
BAD: 0
Segment 5 Method B variant S/F brisk
pace
Emphasis on lower leg straightish beginning of rainbow kick, slanted forward end of rainbow kick. half success: 4
success: 11 starred success: 1 total score: 14.0 AD: 0 BAD: 0 Buddha and the chicks took over the gym for their basketball, so I
went swimming. Swam 1400 yds alternating 50 breast and 50 crawl in 40:20.
Extrapolates to 43:13 for 1500 yds swum in such alternating fashion. By
way of contrast, March 12 I swam 1500 yds alternating 50 crawl 50 breast
in 34:05. But I have not gone swimming since March 24.
Next
up: 1 warmup L variant (as natural) slow
pace
outside of foot drags ball to rear of front
calf 2 warmup B variant (as natural) medium-brisk pace
front top drag
3 L as-natural slow
4 B FF brisk
5 B as-natural brisk
6 L F/S slow
7 B F/S brisk
8 B S/min-F brisk
9 L S/min-F slow
10 B S/F brisk
11 B FF brisk
12 L SF slow
13 B natural brisk
14 B FS brisk
order sminf, sf, ff, nat, F/S
*** |
Replique 7.5 psi |