Viewing all threads tagged #form.
How much are you aware of the mental factor and actively work against it?
When ..
* your mood or mental state is generally dull from hot muggy weather or 'unwarm' form from chilly weather , or
* your mind is generally busy with other non-juggling stuff,
* or the conditions or some ache are generally unnerving,
it will no doubt affect your movements getting slower, less vivid, unfresh. And it might affect concentration,
awareness and alertness.
How do you cope with specific mental barriers when ..
* a certain number of catches is reached like near PR, or
* a certain number of catches is reached like near where you regularly get a critical phase and rather
early fails before the pattern snaps in for enduring really long (I call that 'strange attractors',
do you have such?), or
* when time factor (like only this and that much time left for a stint) is an issue?
Do you then even notice it and actively e.g. recall your vision or goal or try to find into crispy juggling
again, e.g. recollect, settle, decentralize in a short break, e.g. go one step back or restart from slow basics?
Do you know other examples? Do you have any remedy against it, mental tricks to overcome these?
Or do you take it as given, as low-flame karma, or blame it on bad form, it simply happening `on you´ ?
[ #mental #form #conditions ]
I definitely never 'just accept' a bad day. If I keep failing or get angry I generally stop, collect myself and have another couple of calmer goes at the trick while deliberately monitoring the pattern and identifying my errors; then, I (try to) correct them and make the pattern smoother. If everything fails I will simply work on some completely different trick(s), for example if I was working on 5c and it just wouldn't work (e.g. a slightly dodgy pattern that I just couldn't sort out) I would maybe just work on pirouhettes with three clubs or backcrosses.
About mental barriers; I always count catches, which is good because it is (almost) completely subconscious and automatic, however it means I get REALLY bad mental barriers, especially with numbers (where I can have a PERFECT pattern but simply fumble a perfect throw one or two catches before my record because I'm nervous). And no, I (sadly) know no remedies against it.
A good example is yesterday, when my 5 club pattern was perfect, I got two runs where I got past 20 catches with no deteriation in pattern but simply fumbled an easy catch because I panicked.
Brook Roberts - - Parent #
I've found counting catches good for motivation initially. However, it's not clear to me if it's currently helpful or a hindrance, both because of causing mental barriers, being still slightly distracting (it's crazy automatic, but I imagine it's still eating some brain cycles) and because it can lead to frustration - since rather than just going, oh, that run felt nice and controlled, part of me always thinks "that run was 15 less than your best and you did better yesterday, not very good".
It's ingrained enough that I have to concentrate on not counting to avoid it, which is annoying.
A way to get over the barrier is to try and not count! Time records, someone else counting, videoing, or not obsessing over how much your record actually is are all substitutes. I mean, I can't actually get any of these to work, but they sound good in theory :P
Your second point is the one that kills me; I juggle really badly if I don't count because I'm so addicted it's really hard not to. Also, I usually perform badly when I'm videoing. And no-one is avalible to time me for two hours a day. So yeah.
Not obsessing over my records? I'm so obsessed by juggling that it's most of what I think about all day and night ;)
when I reach a counting barrier e.g. near PR and get that thought-flash of "right-now-only-such-many-left-to-reach-it", I switch to thinking of the many many catches, rounds, sets of throws still ahead to what I actually want it to run much longer.
Also, I have such barriers also for minimum i want per day (like >320 for 5b enduring), then also for reaching round numbers of throws or sets counted (400 throws = 50 sets of 8 throws; then 500 throws; then four / five 'blocks' of twenty sets of eight throws = 640 th / 800 th). So I break a lot such barriers when getting longer and very long runs. It's then not so 'special, extraordinary, adrenaline-whatever', just sth to be left behind even when i'm about to get the few throws left to a barrier. (doesn't always work, i admit, but considerably reduces that barrier-panic to a slight rise of alertness)
So, basically, thinking of a whole lot of catches still ahead on such (whichever) barriers will downright force you to stay focussed on stable andor relaxed pattern in the first place (you can't go on and on fighting for every single throw in many sets of throws yet to come). It's only a colorfully marked 'step' (the "barrier"), not the whole 'stairs' (the whole long "run" of a mastered pattern that could go on forever) so to say. And - it's been said a lot before - counted catches aren't the main thing rather than average and consistency (so, really no need to freak out on few catches in one single peak run).
[ #counting ]
[ You can use "Parent" to find the relating relevant posts to a standalone hashtag added later ]
One more brief word on "obsession": one might want to reflect and distinguish "obsession (tends to 'bad'), zeal, ardour, fervor, recordhunt (if it's well controlled, structured), addiction (definitely: bad), enthusiasm, passion" and find a well-tuned (positive, fruitful!) mindset \ attitude, and not have one's bright shiny passion and sunlit fun drift into or contain negative shadowy doomy morbid zombie-y moribund aspects in the last place.
True! Yes I meant it in a positive way, passionate is probably more accurately how I feel about juggling but oh well :P
When drilling I mostly set myself a target of 20 left hand catches, or 20 repetitions depending on the trick. I practice until I hit the target then I move on to the next trick.
When I'm learning something new, I often have to give up & move on early otherwise I'd never get to practice anything else. But after I've hit that target once, I find that reaching that target again is magically considerably easier in subsequent sessions.
If I hit a target but with poor form I will often keep running the pattern for longer just to see if I can get it smoother & pretty much every time it settles into something more manageable within a few throws.
If nothing is going my way I will stop drilling & just play. Any chance I had at being a great juggler has long since passed so I have no need to take it seriously. It's much more important for me to enjoy practice rather than achieve anything.
Stephen Meschke - - Parent #
Proper nutrition helps concentration. I eat complex carbs a >90 minutes before juggling, and some fruit right before. Poor nutrition destroys my mental state.
A jumprope warmup helps me focus. While warming up, I listen to my body. If I am hungry or hurt I don't juggle. I am always changing my warmup to keep it fresh.
If you have mental barriers, try not counting. Take a video and count catches later. Does not apply to numbers.
In cascade patterns, I like to use one different colored prop to count catches.
Find a space to juggle that has the right sensory conditions. Juggling is a lot more fun in a warm, well lit space with some nice music.
Ah I've never really thought about what I eat before juggling, so in future I'll make sure I'm not hungry.
In terms of mental barriers, I only really get them on 6-7b, 5c and if my hands aren't shredded, 6r; therefore the runs are quite short, timing is impossible and I have to try really hard to not count.
Generally I actually prefer juggling in the cold as it means I don't get horribly sweaty palms, and I don't really have anywhere but outside to juggle (exept on sunday nights). Therefore if it's raining/ really windy I'm probably in a bit of a bad mood that day :P
Oh and I haven't quite given up hope of being decent someday, so I am only satisfied if I make good progress each day.
You shouldn't even be thinking about giving up hope in your case! You are certainly young enough & are already well on your way. In just the 15 posts that you have made here I can tell that you are thinking about your juggling a great deal in a way that is mature beyond your years. I think you'll do well.
Thanks! Most of the time I am quite good at using good methods in my practices but I still am not immune to 'Just one more try syndrome'.
I do have one weak point in that I am awful at keeping a bad pattern together- thus my patterns have to be pretty well perfect before I get any long runs. An example of the opposite is Alex Barron (Has he quit?) Because in his first and second videos, his patterns are very messy but somehow he holds them together; he's a little bit better now though ;)
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