So, for the next part in the series I figured I should write a few useful pointers for learning the various types of finger stall. For the most part these tricks just require practice, there are no real secrets behind learning any of this. But at least these may help the process speed along a bit!
Firstly, nails! I get asked a lot whether I have grown my nails in order to do this trick, and the answer is no! While having a little bit of nail can help you get into a stable position, if you rely on this too much rather than actual balance it can mess you up quite badly when it comes to switching from other stall positions/learning hops. After you learn the trick via balance and only using your fingertips it is OK to use them a little, however at first I recommend toughing it out and trying without! In fact, for the most part I find the opposite side of the finger tip to be the easiest to balance (especially in the case of stalls done on both hands at the same time). The best thing is to try out different parts of the finger to see which feels most stable for you, as it will most likely depend on the person.
Another thing to mention is that I use 125mm balls, as these are the most stable for this type of trick, and also have more room to switch fingers around and do little combinations. Everything I write below can be done on a 100mm ball or less too, however I should point out that if the ball is too small for your hands it will end up just being lodged in between your fingers instead of actually being balanced!
I will use the notation I talked about in the part 1 to name each of the tricks.
1-2 2-3 3-4
The 3 most obvious stalls to learn. Most people do this anyway but just in case, 1-2 should be the stall you start out with (along with possibly 1-4). 2-3 is actually pretty similar to 1-2, so this can be learned pretty quickly after 1-2 without much hassle. 3-4 is very hard, and is still something I can't do comfortably for a long time yet.
Starting with 1-2, it is best to learn this with your fingers spread wide as it creates a more stable base for the trick. Don't spread them too far, as then the ball will just be jammed in between your fingers instead of being balanced, which is a big no-no. Other than that, experiment with different parts of your finger tip, trying close to the nail etc. to see what is comfortable for you. As you get better you will find you can bring your fingers closer and closer together until they are actually touching while still maintaining the stall. In fact, if you are bored with the regular 1-2 why not try scissor motions repeatedly? The above applies to 2-3 also.
3-4 is a big step up in difficulty, mainly because most people's pinky fingers are weak and not used to having weight put on them. Less strength also means less ability to make tiny adjustments to maintain balance. The only real solution to this one is to practice it a lot! you will find that gradually your ability to control the balance using your pinky finger increases, although it's very slight and nothing like what you can do with your other fingers. It is also worth noting that you want your finger tips pointing more towards your face (as opposed to straight up) in order to balance the weight on each finger equally and stop the ball from falling away from you.
1-3 1-4
As I mentioned before, the wider your fingers are, the more stable the balance is. In the case of these two stalls the gap is naturally wider, making them nice and stable. It may depend on the person, but for me 1-3 is a little bit uncomfortable (my middle finger wants to pop up), so I would recommend 1-4 to start with. In fact, 1-4 may be an easier trick than 1-2 to learn...
H (Horizontal finger)
This trick doesn't really need much explanation, the only thing I can recommend is to try to balance the ball on the joint closest to your nail (J1) as that seems to be the most stable point. Double jointed people have an advantage with this trick, as they can bend just the tip of their finger in order to create a more stable base!
T (Thumb tip)
This trick looks like it should be very hard, as balance is being done by the tip of the thumb alone, however after a little bit of practice you should be able to get a bit of a stall going. I'll confess now, for this stall a tiny bit of nail is very helpful (the same applies to all single finger stalls), although it should not be to the degree that you can just rest the ball on it, as I consider that cheating :) You'll want to hold out your arm a bit in front of you, as otherwise you will most likely be looking down on the ball and you won't be able to see where your thumb is in relation to the ball's center point. Other than that, it is just practice!
HTU (Horizontal Thumb Up) HTD (Horizontal Thumb Down)
Of all the single finger/thumb type stalls, HTU is probabily easiest. That is because you are able to move your thumb slightly at the joint in order to maintain balance. There isn't much else to say about this one other than keep the ball in the center of the thumb, and as you get better you will find you can move your whole hand around to balance while also making tiny adjustments using the muscles in your thumb. That sounds hard, but it just happens naturally in the end!
As for HTD, this is a relatively stable stall as you place the ball in the little hollow between your nail and the first joint. Thus, the main balance is only side-to-side. It still takes a little while, but when you have it down it can be a convenient stopping point in a conbination (after a butterfly from HTU for example).
X
This is really like doing a 1-2 with a very narrow gap between your fingers. Depending on the way you twist, you will either have your hand very vertical (the middle finger should be on the "inside" of the twist), or have your hand pointing towards your face (the middle finger on the "outside" of the twist) in order to offset the height difference. The first is obviously the easier option to start with, although I only noticed it after learning the hard way first...
Dual stalls
This is one I have only started having progress with recently. All I can really say for this is to learn the 1-2 stall without needing to look at your finger. If you have the 1-2 down well this shouldn't take that long. When you can do this with both hands, give it a go! I wouldn't recommend looking at either hand when doing this as it can mess up the other side, plus it looks a bit odd when you stare really intensely at one ball only...This can be done with any combination of any finger stalls on either side, but it is really really really high level (far beyond me so far!).
Single fingers
Lastly, one that is still a work in progress for me. I don't really have much advice for these other than work on them for a long time, and maybe use a tiny bit of nail to help! In the case of 1, it may be helpful to angle your hand at a 10-20 degree angle as it seems to be a little bit more stable there rather than directly on top.
One last thing, a slight warning. If you feel your fingers or wrist starting to ache, STOP IMMEDIATELY! This especially applies to people using Jea9s and other heavier balls. When you try the weirder stalls or start working on combinations, it will tire your fingers/wrists out fast so try not to overdo it too much, otherwise you can develop some nasty problems which might prevent you from doing these tricks at all. Safety first!
OK, this post was meant to be a short one yet turned out massive, so I'm going to run away now before all this notation and finger talk drives me mental. In other news, combinations are next!
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