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String Length

Started by Greg the Strangler, 12 July, 2011, 23:58:10

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Greg the Strangler

How do people play their strings? The "2-finger" rule acts as a standard, bit I've chatted with many good players and some say they play it as long as it will go, and others who stay to the strict 2 fingers.

short string pros:
lest distance to waiver when pulling up lunars and stilts.
easier to keep tension during throw tricks.

long string pros:
more slack for double and triple rotation Jumping Sticks and UFO's.
more flexibility with Yo-yo-esqué tricks.
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The Void

I try not to be too strict about it, but if it's too short, it feels wrong. I generally stick to the two-finger rule, at least roughly. The string on my current click, my fluro Sunrise, is about 2.5 fingers. It feels slightly "different" at times, but not "wrong", so I haven't bothered changing it[nb]...yet?[/nb].
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Harrydh3

As long as it can be.
if its too short it just makes it unplayable in my oppinion.

The Void

Quote from: Greg the Strangler on 12 July, 2011, 23:58:10...some say they play it as long as it will go...
Quote from: Harrydh3 on 13 July, 2011, 13:13:20
As long as it can be.

Now, I assume you both mean "the maximum length possible using the string that came with it".

'cos I've attached a diabolo string to one of my Star Catches, and use it instead of diabolo handsticks! :)

I've seen Yusuke Ito do a Tomeken from 2 stories up, with the ball just above ground floor level!
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

AlexSmith

Mine usually sit between two and three fingers in length, the difference is noticeable when pulling up lunars and stilts but you just need to get used to each different ken...
The only I really notice odd string lenghts, to the point where it affects play is when doing spacewalk handrolls. If the string is a weird length the ken wont end up on the back of my hand when rolling from ball -> ken.

Harrydh3

its about 5 fingers on my Shinyu16 (shin fuji ball, yumu cups and tk16 spike)
its a little too short.

Looby

I go with floor to neck height as you can see in this vid from a few years ago :) Skip to 5:08



But normally I go with the two finger method.

Cand1ez

What IS the fingers method?

And im not looking for birds and the bees advice.

AlexSmith

Put the tama on the spike and then pull the string down towards bottom cup. The string should extend past base cup, & since your fingers are the most readily available measuring tool, see how many you can fit between the end of the string loop and bottom cup.

(hope that made sense)

Cand1ez

Cheers.

in that case i use a 3 finger length on my only ken (ooz) and ive never changed the string.  so that must be factory length.

LarsVegas

Quote from: Cand1ez on 28 September, 2011, 12:33:17
in that case i use a 3 finger length on my only ken (ooz) and ive never changed the string.  so that must be factory length.

Maybe I've got fat fingers ... nah ... but I only get two fingers inbetween. I think I remember having seen an image somewhere that two fingers are recommended.

Re-reading Cand1ez posting: really three finger lengths? I'm talking about width ...

lars
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The Void

Quote from: LarsVegas on 29 September, 2011, 19:36:44Re-reading Cand1ez posting: really three finger lengths? I'm talking about width ...

I'd love to see someone trying a Faster Than Gravity with a 3-finger length loop.  :)
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

Buddhaprice

#12
I am rather tall.... or so I assume cuz i usally have to look down to make eye contact with like 95 percent of the population.So I have experimented and took this reallly long string that came with my enjoi kendama and put it on my gold sunrise. I find possibly due to the length of my arms that it makes me alot more consistent even for tricks like lunars and stilts. I have even moved the string to one of my new tributes and still it feels way more comfortable than the typical two fingers rule i have on my oozoras. 

The Void

The JKA state "minimum 38cm", which I suppose is a tacit recognition that some people will prefer to play it longer.
Different strokes....
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

Winter Solstice Kendama

Quote from: Buddhaprice on 04 January, 2012, 16:01:56
I am rather tall.... or so I assume cuz i usally have to look down to make eye contact with like 95 percent of the population.So I have experimented and took this reallly long string that came with my enjoi kendama and put it on my gold sunrise. I find possibly due to the length of my arms that it makes me alot more consistent even for tricks like lunars and stilts. I have even moved the string to one of my new tributes and still it feels way more comfortable than the typical two fingers rule i have on my oozoras.

This. So very much so this.

If 38cm is the standard, does that mean length is subjectove beyond that?

-Curtis