Posted on by Arthur

2008: The Year Of Consecutivity

I’m laying down the challenge: make 2008 the year of consecutivity.

What’s consecutivity, you ask? It’s a theory of freestyle that improves flow and radically increases difficulty by linking moves together rather than breaking up combinations with basic moves like a simple “THE” nail delay. You set under your leg, and instead of going to a delay, you go right into a restricted pull. Some of have described it as the difference between one person giving an elequent speech and another interrupting every other word with “um,” “uh,” and “you know.”

Why is consecutivity important? It’s one of the only ways to reach your freestyle potential. You can have a lifetime of fun without ever learning consecutivity, but to learn what you can really do, you need to play consecutive. It’s a risk because when you try consecutivity, you might feel like you’re learning freestyle all over again. You won’t be doing long combos anymore. You’ll be out of your comfort zone because the two-move combos you’re trying are much harder.

You might feel like a beginner, but once you figure out how to make the transition from move to move without interruption, your game will transform. To begin with, your difficulty level will go up dramatically. The difference between a double spin to a THE delay and a double spin to an under the leg pull is huge. It’s massive. You’ll see new possibilities to link moves together as only you can do. The flow of your game will improve. Flowing from a pass directly into a pull, brush or roll is a universe of difference from pausing to get control of the disc, and then doing your move.

The biggest plus of consecutivity is the upside. With consecutivity, you can push your game every day, every month, every year as far as your body and mind can take it.

So the challenge begins today. Next time you do a move, take the risk. Go directly into your next move without a THE delay, without a THE tip. Imagine the biggest move you can do and go for it. So what if you miss? No problem. You’ll hit it eventually or think of a better idea.

When you watch freestyle, notice consecutivity. Which players are linking moves? Which players are pausing with setups and gaining control before moving on? Realize that in 99% of the cases, there is a huge difference in difficulty between the two.

Think about your own moves. Which two can you link together? Which three? Maybe even four. Then try it. Make 2008 the year of consecutivity.

11 Replies to “2008: The Year Of Consecutivity”

  2. Very very very hard, but very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very worth it. 😉
    That’s why consecutive combos have so much difficulty – consecutivity is very^1,000,000 hard to master.

  3. Ok Arthur
    I’ll try to follow your advice to improve my consecutive game….
    It’s hard, but it makes the difference 😉
    ciao

  4. I have a better challenge: how about let’s see if the number of new freestylers next year increases to at least 1% of Ultimate Players or let’s see if the average age of the typical freestyler is less than 40. That would be a nice challenge to beat!

  5. Or, we can stop obsessing about the age of players – which by the way is way less than 40 in Europe – and be grateful that freestyle is a lifetime sport.
    I don’t care how big freestyle is compared to ultimate. From my perspective, it’s already bigger than ultimate in that anyone who plays catch and imagines making a cool catch IS a freestyler. Improving depth of participation, awareness, acceptance, and level of enjoyment are goals that do much more for freestyle than miring ourselves in how small or old the sport is.
    I want to set the stage for freestyle to have healthy, sustainable growth and for motivated players to have a pathway to improvement. A consecutivity challenge is one small contribution to that effort.

  6. Arthur, with all due respect, you are missing the finer point here. Back in the days of the Rose Bowl (late 70’s and even early 80’s), tournaments used to attract hundreds of competitors and thousands of spectators. There is no question that Ultimate is easier to play and therefore more accessible to the average athlete. However, if we are brutally honest with ourselves here, Freestyle as a sport has been a complete failure and has been on a downward spiral ever since the mid to late 80’s. Again, someone creative needs to figure out a way to get more media exposure and sponsorship so that freestyle is recognized as a legitimate sport. The numbers speak for themselves. Collectively we have been a failure in promoting this sport and something drastic needs to be done if this sport is to have a future. Juggling, for example, is more popular and has a bigger turnout in competition. What does that tell you???? Pretty embarrassing. Where the heck is Brad Keller when you need him?

  7. I got the point. You want freestyle to be higher profile with lots of competitors.
    The Rose Bowl was a success because you basically can’t miss when a company buys out the Rose Bowl, gives away tens of thousands of discs for a buck, and flies the best competitors to the event. Even better when your invited competitors mostly play all the events. Even better when your budget allows you to publish a magazine a few times a year. Add to that a cultural connection that amplified that promotional force that you have a singular moment in disc sports.
    Follow that up by the maturation of each disc sport into a standalone specialty, each competing for attention, and the removal of that promotional support, and you have a different challenge.
    We’ve had plenty of media attention in recent years, and the resurgence in freestyle in Europe can be pinned on the big one: the Nike ad. But the sustainability of that resurgence has been the people, the grassroots, guerilla efforts of the players to befriend one another and keep it going.
    Juggling is not a valid comparison. That pursuit has a 500+ year head start on freestyle and has resigned itself to being considered a circus show. Most freestylers I know cringe at the circus comparison.
    I’m sorry you feel freestyle is a failure. I don’t measure the success of my sport by its arbitron ratings. I care more about the bonds among its participants and the will within the sport to persevere. There were almost 15 years where hardly any new players entered the competitive landscape, and it was only the perseverence of the aging players to keep going that gave us the chance we have now. Over those 15 years, top players who would have preferred to retire kept competing. The FPA Board cleaned house and got more organized, looking ahead to what a thriving sport would need and laying the groundwork for a closer connection to the public. That’s a success. That’s recognizing that the big picture might involve sacrifice and moments where we’re just not sure whether the sport’s going to last.
    For my part, when I re-entered the sport in 1992 I vowed to make a contribution and not just be a participant. I’ve served on the FPA Board, organized events, pitched in at competitions I’ve entered (and many I didn’t), taught players, and formed this website. I say all this not to boost my substantial ego but to point out that your critique of the consecutivity challenge is completely out of context.
    Outside of my efforts, WFDF for example is trying to get disc sports into the Olympics. Good for them. I personally believe it’s time not well spent, but their goals differ from mine and they’re doing something to make their goals a reality.
    Almost every comment I read from you is an ego booster or an an indictment of something others say. If you really believe that something drastic needs to be done, it’s time for YOU to make it happen.

  8. ciao to all!
    well,
    about the freestyle-situation, and old players, ecc. I can tell you about Europe.
    Here the ‘old players’ are only 3, maybe 4.
    All the others are young: from 14 to maximum 30 years old.
    The number of players are big: more of 300 probably and more of 70 play at competitions like FPAW.
    It’s a big number because freestyle is a sport difficult and individual.
    like gymnastic and soccer i’ts stupid to think to have the same number of players: are 2 different sport-style.
    Here in Europe freestylers are 100% sport-oriented.
    But, this sport has a lot of ‘lovers’ in sponsor and/or tourism-events, so some freestylers make show too.
    2 differents style, 2 different school, but they are the same persons.
    it’s important because, with show, ‘after’ we’ve other people intrested to freestyle and they start to play.
    But is not only show that help our sport.
    the old players work a lot to teach, example, at new players and in the schools too.
    the old players, like me, help to organize events and competitions.
    in Italy, example, we’ve more of 10 tournement every year and with more of 30 players.
    in Germany too, in East Europe start a big groupe of players and they’ll organize European tournement this year…
    to work is the 1

  9. I agree on what Arthur and Lui are saying.
    But I would like to add to the attention the Italian situation:
    2002: 10 or max 20 freestylers
    2008: 100 and more freestylers

    —
    GadDozZ

  10. I totally agree with Arthur too, with obviously a few exceptions, but I don’t need to bore you by pontificating. Bottom line is that we ALL (including me) love this sport and want what’s best. Sometimes we have to be honest and assess where this sport is going and figure out ways to improve it. That was my only intention. Not to bash one of the greatest sports around — that would be insane since I love this sport — it’s more to wake people up to figure out creative ways to turn people on so that the next time I go to a tournament the winner is some 14 year old kid instead of a grey-haired, 40+ year old guy with a beer belly.

  11. well,
    my dear,
    so if you will come in Europe, the next time, your problem will be another:
    because I’m 46 year old, and my problem, now, it’s I’m like a big mom…
    😉
    and:
    please, you can to do something for our Sport.
    like to teach it to young people, or organize something at schools of your city, or a camp like Los Angeles camp, or similar.
    and in few years my problem in Europe will be your problem in USA:
    you’ll be a old old man in a young young frisbee world.
    have a nice day, Heinfactor!
    Lui

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