my first attempt

[spencer 0]

I had my first go at some head down yesterday, and I think I had it for about three seconds, it felt really strange but in a nice kind of way .
I've have had No coaching, but speaking to someone today about what I tried to do with my legs, he used the word daffy, I feel I want to put one leg in front of the other and feet pointing the same way, just because it seemed the easyiest, he
said some people do it that way and others point feet in opposite direction.
Any thoughts , and yes I will soon be getting 1on1 coaching.
Thanks eddie

[jsyslo 0]

Nice job! Just keep trying! Search this forum for tips and such, everything than can be discused has been, and there is some great advise to be had.

Blue Skies!

[Katieatasc 0]

That's wonderful. Head-down is a whole other world. Now that you know what if sort of feels like. All of a sudden one day who'll hold it and it all starts there!! 20% of my jumps are coached though. Congrats really and hope all is well!

[Vertifly 0]

Great Job Eddy! If it is working for you now (during the first attempts), then by all means do it. However, later on, the daffy position will not allow you to move around the sky in any direction.

Daffy is good. You can definitely fly that way if you can stick it. A lot of people use that position to fly slowly. Freeflyers tend to agree that this isn't the most dynamic way to fly head down.

Quoting Mike Ortiz here, "You should eventually be able to fly your legs in any position, wide (straddle), daffy (one leg in front and one behind), or everywhere in between. This is why it is FreeFlying."

At first, if you aren't keeping head down for a long period of time, chances are that your legs don't have much to do with it. (they may, but I would have to see a vid to know for sure).

Usually when students aren't keeping the position for an entire jump, the culprit is their back and/or head positioning. Your steering and stability is controlled by your spine and your head will help you keep your back in line.

Ultimately, you will be able to fly on your head, intensionally moving in any direction, by using just your spine. Legs are breaks. Arms are fine tuning and docking mechanisms.

Once more, legs are generally used for speed control. Give it a few more jumps to get the position consistently then start concentrating on slowing down by getting your legs WIDE. And feel free to email me with any questions you may have.

Good luck dude!!

[freeflyanvil 0]

>>the daffy position will not allow you to move around the sky in any direction. <<

I disagree. I fly daffy and have no trouble moving around in any direction - infact, when doing fine movements and flying slower -horizontally - say for example taking docks on formations, I prefer daffy over straddle. ofcourse faster horizontal movement usually works much better with straddle.

I strongly believe in what Mike says in your quote, you should be able to fly all leg positions.

Vid
"stons fal, evrysing fals, but doesnt on purpos change its flite pas an positioning..."

[Vertifly 0]

Quote

..of course, faster horizontal movement usually works much better with straddle

Quote

I disagree. I fly daffy and have no trouble moving around in any direction

.

Not to be picky, but can you clarify. I think what you are saying is that straddle is faster for you, but daffy works just as well or just works.

"Horizontal movement" is what I am referring to. But you should eventually be equally efficient both ways. When you get into the Big Ways later on, a lot of movement is discouraged. On Big Ways with sequential points, ...when you are in your slot...and you are required to change slots...and if your legs are in a daffy, you will probably have to change leg position for horizontal movement to the left or right.

On bigger formations, a lot of movement is bad (up, down, left, right, etc.). If you are straddled already, minimal effort is required to keep it safe.

It is possible to pull it off, it would just be difficult to carve and fly around. Have you ever tried to carve (quickly and efficiently) in a daffy?

Like I said, I could be in the middle of a large formation, back out of it, carve around and change slots very quickly by shifting my weight and leg placemnet in a straddle. It is difficult for me to see how, aerodynamically, a person would be able to do that efficiently in a head down.

Anyway, we are kind of getting far from the subject. This gentlemen is just learning, and I am simply trying to dissuade him from picking up bad habits early.

[fedykin 0]

this is just my really limited understanding of the whole head down thing

i though the spine/ torso should remain straight the anchor the body(like a string pupet)
the feet/legs create the drag to keep ya head down
arms are for fine tunning / compensating when docking(turning the whole body when gripping) and a little bit to do with speed
i was told by a wise man - fly with your feet - but alot of us don't, and use alot of other stuff.

i think for the best guys, they can establish simple concepts based upon thousands of years of experience that break it down

im still trying to let my feet do the work and keep my arms free to dock and give the finger to my mates... seems sensible to me

bollocks to this
p

[Vertifly 0]

I honestly think that this is getting on the mechanical side. And I do not like to explain head-down (or freeflying) for that matter as a mechanical thing to start out.

There really is no right or wrong way to do something in freeflying... Just safe or unsafe, stable or unstable, etc.

If you are just starting out in head down, the best thing to do is be in the correct state of mind for the jump. Understand basic aerodynamics and know that anything is possible up there with enough practice.

Next thing to do, it sounds, is to go find a good coach to help you understand "flying" your particular body.