ASYLUM

* Progress

So, how's the Contact going, a week after I bought my first practice ball?

I can fairly reliably:

• balance the ball on the backs of my fingers (while standing, moving, jogging down escalators, etc...)

• flip it from the palm to the backs of my fingers and vice-versa, in about three different main ways (plus variations)

• throw the ball with the backs of the fingers, and catch it again the same way, either the on same hand or hopping back and forth from hand to hand

• roll the ball off the back of my hand, down my wrist, and then slip it sideways off onto the back of my other hand (used to get a smooth 'transfer' during more complex tricks)

I can usually:

• do about three 'proper' tricks: 'windscreen wipers', 'butterfly' and a loop-the-loop thing; they're all still kind of sloppy though, but they're getting smoother, and I'm starting to be able to keep them going in continuous cycles. Flailing is still somewhat involved, however.

• roll the ball from the palm of my hand, down my arm, and 'pop' it up into the air off the elbow, catching it in the other hand

I am just starting to learn to:

• do a roll down the back of my arm to the elbow

• do the 'prayer' trick (hands together as though in prayer, flipping the ball from one side to the other)

I am utterly crap at:

• more difficult bodyrolls

• isolations and other tricks that only look good with an acrylic ball. I'm sorta thinking of getting one next weekend.

• fingerstalls (balancing the ball on the tips of your fingers) — obviously, these take forever to learn unless you're some kind of super-ninja...

I did get my first "*gasp* Dad! Didja saw that?!!" from a kid I passed on the street on Saturday. :)

PS: completely unrelated to the rest of the post, but... on a scale of 1 to completely-fucking-stupid, how dumb is this? PPS: Balls.