Re: Powerball
 

Got my order this morning, I'll be trying it out during my lunchbreak.

Chris T, you should get your order tomorrow if it follows suit.

Re: Powerball
 

Yay!

Re: Powerball
 

Take it easy for the first few days! :fit: :D

Re: Powerball
 

/me cracks his neck defiantly ;)

Re: Powerball
 

:sick:
Shouldn't you see a bonecracker for that? ;) I get migraines if I crack my neck - be careful!

Re: Powerball
 

I was only joking, Rammy has made me aware of the dangers of my neck cracking, I was just pulling his leg :)

Ironically, the only time I have ever had a proper migraine was after overdoing it at the gym on arm/shoulder exercise ... :disturbd: *looks at his PowerBall* :erm:

Re: Powerball
 

:mad: I'm sending a union rep round!

:D

Re: Powerball
 

Had a quick blast.
Can still type without pain, so obviously didn't do it hard enough ;)
Mr.Boss gave me some strange looks while I had my hand under the desk, wiggling and thrashing about with an ugly gurning grimace on my face :D

Got just over 8600 before the embarassment threshhold was breached.

I'll have a no holds barred attempt at home later on :D
__________________

9639 :D.. couldn't resist it.. one more go.. brb

Re: Powerball
 

I wouldn't...........you might make something go 'ping' in your forearm. Build the intensity up slowly over about a week or you may do more harm than good and have to lay off using much it for weeks :nono:
If you overstress an area of your body the weakest bit of it is liable to be the first to be further injured.

Re: Powerball
 

Been half an hour now ...... has he hurt himself ??

Re: Powerball
 

I think his arm has fallen off, so he can't type anymore ;)

EDIT: Well, it's either that, or he's just been sacked for Gross Indecency :D

Re: Powerball
 

Hehe, it's ok Rammy I'm not being stupid, I did Sports Studies at A-Level so I know what injuries can be sustained through overworking a muscle or joint.

I haven't picked it up since I posted, I've got a dull ache in my lower arm, but nothing different to playing half an hour of basketball.

Re: Powerball
 

Arrived today, have tried it a few times, but I cant seem to get it going :(

Re: Powerball
 

It takes a bit of practice ..... use the string, then do wide circles, getting smaller as it begins to do it's thing :D

Re: Powerball
 

Yeah.....just keep trying........smoothly does it!

Re: Powerball
 

Starting to think that my technique is wrong.. I get up to about 9/10k and there is no resistance left... no matter what I do with my wrist/arm/hand.. it just stays there ... smaller movements, faster movements.. both together.. nothing :/

Re: Powerball
 

maybe you aren't pulling a funny enough face.. :p:

Re: Powerball
 

I have heard it is all in the wrist action :angel:

Re: Powerball
 

Whats wrong with neck cracking like? Assuming were not talking doing it Arnie style....

Re: Powerball
 

Woooo got it working, I needed to relax my wrist, I can get a faster speed with my left arm even though Im right handed :erm:

Havnt gone too fast yet 5277 :blush:

But it is the one with lights!

Re: Powerball
 

Thats right.......you now need to diligently apply yourself to training.........only then advance your score you will :D

The gains will come more slowly now............
.....hang on, weren't you the one who said you would be up to 13 000 rpm within the week? :p: :D
__________________

You are cracking the 'loose' joints and not cracking the 'tight' joints (that the loose ones are compensating for)
That will eventually lead to osteoarthritis.............

Re: Powerball
 

If you look at my posts, I never made any claim (serious ones anyway), only ridiculed you ;)

Got any other tips?

Re: Powerball
 

Yeah, right ;) :D

Well the guy in that vid switched the ball into his dominant hand after already getting it spinning quite fast in the other one first..........that seems to work.
In order to get a high score you need warmed up forearm muscles that haven't been previously/recently knackered (obviously)
I find that I get my fastest score of the day in the mid morning after I have spun the ball (not too vigorously) about 5 mins previously(for about 10 seconds). Muscle contraction firstly uses locally stored glycogen (already in the muscle) which is depleted in 30 seconds or less.........you have to achieve the high score in as fast a time as possible.....before you burn up the local glycogen and/or produce too much lactic acid in the muscle. The glycogen takes hours to replace so once you have 'gone for it' it is unlikely that you will be able to match that score for several hours.

Re: Powerball
 

Crikey - I didn't realise it was all technical! I was just going to unpack mine (when it arrives) and start chucking it about!
Best I let Paul have a go first (in case it's dangerous!) :)

Re: Powerball
 

Best is 9642 so far, not bad eh?

Not pushing it as I have an exam tomorrow which involves a lot of writing.

Re: Powerball
 

Well that'll be broke then ;)

Re: Powerball
 

Well after Kliro's comment I was going to ask, modded but then I remembered it was a family forum :) :angel: exactly. Glad you remembered that. - Chris T ;)

Re: Powerball
 

Now remember--it's all in the wrist action :D

Re: Powerball
 

hmm - if by a miracle, mine arrives tomorrow - otherwise it will not be until next Tuesday :cry:

I've been watching the video clips in the meantime & been practicing the movement ;)

Re: Powerball
 

Exhausted yet? :D

Re: Powerball
 

Getting better :D

Re: Powerball
 

Take a look at the highscore thread :PP: :D

Re: Powerball
 

Yeah, but I'm catching you up ... :D

Re: Powerball
 

All this talk of practising the movement and wrist action - I think I could be at a distinct disadvantage here! ;)
I've had the email confirming dispatch - so I'll be on the case next week! :D

Re: Powerball
 

Do we *really* need two threads for this??

Re: Powerball
 

yes

Re: Powerball
 

true, brings up the point about consistency being applied to threads again.

should have been merged ages ago

Re: Powerball
 

Not really - s1lv3r did specifically say that the other thread is for highscores, whereas this one is for discussion of the powerball itself.

Re: Powerball
 

Looks like neither you, or Graham bothered to read the highscore thread, where I specifically wanted the highscores to remain uncluttered by random posts.
Secondly, it has already had the watchful eye of Chris T over it, surely any issue with merging would have been highlighted by him when he looked at it. I take his in-action in that sense as a sign of approval to be honest.

In general, I think this thread is an exception to the rule, as personally I'm very much in favour of keeping thread numbers to a minimum.

However, I have seen many instances on other forums where an information thread and a discussion thread are kept seperate, which can work very effectively.
I don't think we need to address policy, and as normal members, it's not our job to do so, unless mods specifically ask for our input.

It's been done to death elsewhere, why waste time and effort stirring it up again when it's not going to change anything.

Re: Powerball
 

I can't help thinking this discussion wouldn't be happening if we had not decided to publish our 'gentle reminder' thread this week. :dozey:

The Powerball Highscores thread will remain, for exactly the same reason we don't insist on using the same thread every time someone feels like running a quiz: posts would get lost or confused otherwise. The highscores thread contains absolutely nothing but the current best score by a CF member, where it can easily be referred to and where a new highscore can easily be seen.

Now, given that we are on an on-topic drive this week, can we please stop grumbling about this. If anyone has a serious gripe they can PM any of the team. I will be deleting any further off-topic posts from this thread. :)

Re: Powerball
 

woo, havnt got past 10,000 yet, building up stregth right now, doing 1000 reps.

Re: Powerball
 

11,341 ... I'll post an image when I can :D

Re: Powerball
 

It's been a while since I played with this but a quick 11090 with photo!

Re: Powerball
 

All you have to do now is get a thousand more! :D

Re: Powerball
 

I got 10,449 on my third go after getting my powerball this morning - not going to play with it again for a while though...

(Waits for a tell off from Ramrod :D)

Re: Powerball
 

Is it hurting anyone elses 3rd and 4th fingers??

Re: Powerball
 

It hurts the inside of my little finger if I use it too much.........the skin will thicken over time and it won't be a problem...........
__________________

Graham's our punishment expert......I'll hand you over to him :D

Re: Powerball
 

Sorry, TBR isn't my type :D

Re: Powerball
 

AND WHY NOT!!!!!

(Storm's off in a huff) :D

Re: Powerball
 

I'm sorry Graham but there are certain contractual obligations that you entered into when you signed up here on CF, it's in the S/Mall print but your professional services are sometimes required :D ROTFLMAO :rofl: :D

Re: Powerball
 

Over 11k now... more technique and grip than pure strength I've decided

Hopefully the highscore thread will have some entries by the time you get back Rammy :)

Re: Powerball
 

I'm not a 51st Century type of guy :shrug:

Anyway, what's the rush? Why not leave in a minute and a huff?

(With apologies to Groucho Marx :) )

Re: Powerball
 

Just ordered one from Play.com for £14.99, none o' them flashy neon lights for me thank you!!


BW1967

Re: Powerball
 

I got mine from play after i saw you guys talking about this :) It arrived in 3 days, so you wont have long to wait bhoywonder1967! :) I've had my wrist brace on for a while because of my poor wrist, i blame World of Warcraft personally ;)
Its actually looserned up my wrist quite a bit already, but i dont think im going to get any high scores like you guys, due to my girly wrists, only 7264 :(
But its definately a great thing, really helps, plus its a great new toy ;) Thanks for you guys for talking about it, or i would still be wearing my sweaty wrist brace, yuck!

Re: Powerball
 

It's pretty darn good. I used it for around 20 minutes in each hand yesterday, at about 4000-5000rpm and it sorted them out a bit (I have a little RSI). The random shooting pains went away quite a bit, my wrists have hardly clicked, and the only pain I felt the next morning was muscle ache! I'm really impressed, who would've thought that infomercial website was telling the truth.

My top RPM was a bit over 9000. At that point I find it hard to keep up with the momentum, and it feels like it's gonna slip out of your hands.

Top stuff.

Re: Powerball
 

Well mine arrived this morning - I'll let you know how I get on if I can prise it out of Paul's hands! :grind: :D

Re: Powerball
 

Yay, mine arrived today - delivered to work, so I havn't had much chance to play with it yet - 9783 on pretty much the first attempt, though - I had to stop when everyone kept laughing at the intense look of concentration on my face :cool:

Re: Powerball
 

Mine arrived yesterday. After some practice I managed 9,200. At first I couldn't see how it was going to exercise my entire arm, but as it gets faster you really can feel the muscle working right up to your shoulder!

Going to have another good go at it this evening. Mrs T keeps rolling her eyes and tutting. :D

Re: Powerball
 

lol, ive taken to using it when no one is around incase someone laughs at me trying not to lose it out of my hand :p: Ive got real trouble holding it with my little hands :disturbd: If i try to go any faster i have a fear of letting go and breaking a window ;)

Re: Powerball
 

Well I'm seriously rubbish at it - I nearly lost a fingernail trying to start the wretched thing! And no, I won't be posting on the hight score thread........ever! :cry:

Re: Powerball
 

yes, I don't have the big hands, either - I think I will send off for the wrist strap.

I'm quite amazed how much my forearms feel like they have had a good workout, even though I have only had a couple of goes :)

Re: Powerball
 

I've only tried with my right hand so far - I'm too scared to try my poor little weak left hand! :mis:

Re: Powerball
 

aww bless - don't give up, get Paul to get it spinning, then you take over, maybe????

Re: Powerball
 

ha ha ha ha always the same excuse :p:

Re: Powerball
 

I do 15 minutes in each hand every day. My mate tried to do it and was hopeless, he even managed to cut his hand by whipping himself when pulling the coil out.

For the musicians amongst you (or those with good ears), if you find it a little boring doing the exercise everyday, trying doing it to music. Since the pitch of the sound the Powerball makes changes, you can try to keep it at a certain key. For example, the song 'Drop The Pressure' by Mylo requires that you keep the Powerball at around 5000rpm to match the key.

A little sad, I know, but it helps. :P

Re: Powerball
 

I thought I read somewhere that you are more likely to drop the thing if it's moving - so I haven't tried that one yet!
__________________

You wait - YOU JUST WAIT GARY.........One day I'll be able to post in the high scores thread - then you will laugh!!!! Mwahahahahaaaaa!! :batty:

Re: Powerball
 

mine rattles now, i let a friend have a go and she dropped it :bigcry:

still goes just as fast though, i think...

not quite got to 11k yet :(

Re: Powerball
 

Mine rattles too :(

Havnt got past 11,900 yet :(

Was really hoping to wipe the smile off Ramrod's face!

Re: Powerball
 

Mine rattles at a certain speed but it's not a problem (and I've not dropped it!) Can't wait to have another go at it tonight. It's addictive!

Re: Powerball
 

I canny get anywhere near my previous high score of 10,699 anymore (sitting around 9,500) still good fun though.

How many bits of string did you get with yours though - i only got one and one of the wee plastic bits has come off one end already - which dosent bode well really.

Re: Powerball
 

Awww! Poor you! :hugs: Ive broken a few of my nails already, lol, i have a nail file always ready next to it. :) You just ahve to mess around with it till you got the hang of it, i sat in bed for about an hour after in arribed trying to figure it out, but now

Plonking cant do it either, I've tried starting it up for him and passing it over, but no joy, he spins it but it gets slower and slower until it stops, lol. He's left handed though maybe i spin it opposite way to which a lefty would like because im right handed?

I'm up to 8264 high score now :) i get a bit more everyday, its really looserned up my wrists, but it took me awhile to get the hang of it in my left hand though.

Re: Powerball
 

I got two cords, and nearly lost one within minutes when I twanged it right across the lounge. Found it, but an hour later it lost one of its plastic ends. :erm: I'm wondering whether pulling the string at 90° to the ball rather than across the face of it would be less likely to cause damage.
__________________

Oddly, I set my personal best with my left hand!

Re: Powerball
 

HA!!!! Paul went out so I thought I'd have a go (well he can't laugh or take the p if he's not here) and I managed to do it!! Only got it up to 6270 (pathetic!) but it's a start. Now he's back and all he's doing is shouting out all his macho high scores (11573!!) so I'll have another sneaky go when he's otherwise occupied (there's half a shed built in the garden so perhaps he'll go and do that!)

Re: Powerball
 

well done :tu: - I think after my brief experience, that getting the technique sorted is the main thing. Now I have got used to keeping it going, it should just be a case of gradually building up on the speed ;)

Re: Powerball
 

makes no difference, you can spin it either way. it 'flips' really quickly, no noticable loss of speed...

Re: Powerball
 

It's a good thing we know what you are talking about ;) Once I regain all the skin on my fingers again (sometime after the shed gets completed) I'll have another go but at the moment I've got lumps of skin missing from several fingers thanks to extremely sharp metal panels :cry: 11000 isn't bad for a couple of goes though :D

Re: Powerball
 

ouch, sounds painful - I havn't cracked 10K, yet, but I think I have peaked for today & am wary of overdoing it (it's me age, don't you know ;) ) - I am totally amazed how much I can feel the effect in my wrists & forearms, the wrists feeling 'loose' & the forearms like I've been squeezing a squash ball all afternoon.

- we are all going to end up looking like Popeye :D

Re: Powerball
 

Popeye? Not all of us smoke strange looking pipes Homer ;)







She made me type that

Re: Powerball
 

you know the point when kids are poorly, that they start feeling better & start getting uppity - I think 'she' may be approaching that point :p: :D


I might have one last go when it gets dark & get the neons really flashing, man :dmonk:


I hope she really is feeling better

Re: Powerball
 

Ooooooooh it's all your fault, she's got it out again and is putting string around it :erm: There could be tears before bedtime lol

Re: Powerball
 

only if she beats you :D

Re: Powerball
 

Nope - I got up to 8002 that time! :D Not too bad for a bird. All I need to do now is work out how to use it in my left hand - I can't get it started no matter what I do!!
(Fat chance of any more practice tonight as HE has nicked it!)

Re: Powerball
 

Haven't read the full thread, but I managed around 11960 at one point. And kept beating it bit by bit. My final score was around 12500. Slow progress was being made, until my mate at work sprayed WD40 into it because he couldn't get the rhythm. =[ Gutted. Top speed went to about 2500.

Re: Powerball
 

I'm so glad I know what this thread is about (although an "S" on the end of the title would have made the casual observer worry).

If I didn't I would be recommending marriage guidance.....putting string round it, whoever heard of such a thing :erm:

Re: Powerball
 

I trust your 'mate' bought you a new one! :erm:

My top speed is now 10,700.

Re: Powerball
 

:cry:

Re: Powerball
 

I got mine last night. Only had a quick go, highest score was around 7400

Re: Powerball
 

Weeee 11,744 (Lord knows how though) :D

Re: Powerball
 

nice one :tu:

I managed 10822 tonight & was quite chuffed with that - I'm finding the limiting factor, at the moment, is my hands need to be stronger to hang on to it when it starts really winding up ;)

Re: Powerball
 

Thing is - i dont get it - because yesterday i was struggling to hit 10,000 today i romped 11,000 but im doing nothing different really.

I *think* the secret is in building up the spin but then waiting until its caught up with the rotation of your hand then upping a gear and waiting again.

But to be honest - i probably just fluked it :p:

Re: Powerball
 

a result is a result :cool:

I overdid it when i got it Wednesday, I showed it to people at work & had a few more goes when I got home - and then a few more later on ... never got more than 9800..

Yesterday my hands were pretty sore, no blisters, just a couple of bruises ;), but I managed to get just over 10K, then left it alone :)

Today I've just had one go on each hand - but managed nearly 11K - I think you are right that technique is as important as strength.

I wonder whether Ramrod took his one on holiday :D

Re: Powerball
 

No Ramrod didn't take one on holiday! :p:
......................and I notice no-one has beaten my score yet! Wimps! :D
__________________

It does say on the powerball site not to lubricate it :D

Re: Powerball
 

oddly enough, i can get over 12k on my housemates old one (no led's), but not even to 11k on mine (neon blue) :shrug:
__________________

thats gonna be a big cleaning job if you want it to work well again!

although it might get a tad better if you leave it in an airing cupboard for a few days, or somewhere else warm enough to dry out the lubricant...

Re: Powerball
 

Its hard - but not impossible - I've got upto 12,170 on my neon green.

If this is true, I'd love to see what I could get on one of those regular ones!

My arms are like popeyes already lol

Re: Powerball
 

I have a neon one and a 'regular one'.............highest scores on the regular........I think they fecked up when they designed the neon ones.

Re: Powerball
 

I just scored 12405 and then wiped the score :cry:

Re: Powerball
 

you need to watch you do not get that special kind of cramp rammy :LOL:

Re: Powerball
 

Pah! I beat that score easily.....go look at the highscore thread :devsmoke: :D

Re: Powerball
 

Look everyone, we have a show off ;)

Re: Powerball
 

They don't count anyway, hes not using a neon!!!

Whats your highest score with a neon Ramrod?