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Post by Jonathan Skinner on Sept 18, 2013 15:08:28 GMT -5
I've heard a few arguments for each but never anything that's sounded convincing or definative. So I'd like to get the opinions of the Armwrestlers out there. What do you think and why? Argue for or against either. I prefer offset myself if only b/c the first table I ever used was offset. I tend to perform better on offset pads also. To me, it's nearly a completely different experience pulling center to pulling offset. when I spend all my table time training on offset pads then pull a tourney on center pads It feels to me like I'm in more battles vs offset. I've got my own thoughts as to why but id like to hear some input on the subject from you guys and gals.
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Post by John Wilson on Sept 18, 2013 15:21:16 GMT -5
To me, it's nearly a completely different experience pulling center to pulling offset. when I spend all my table time training on offset pads then pull a tourney on center pads It feels to me like I'm in more battles vs offset. Yep. It is totally different. Your setup is different and the stresses it puts on your arm are different. I am the opposite. I learned to pull on straight across tables. I made a huge mistake years ago by training on a straight across table and then competing on staggerd ones. Hell, ten years ago you still had events with both, and you didn't know until you got there. Straight across is easier to set up on without being a contortionist. Shoulders square to the table is hard to accomplish when the rest of you is already twisted 45 degrees.
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Post by Ben Edwards on Sept 22, 2013 12:09:06 GMT -5
Do most tourneys feature offset pads? I have a table that my wife bought for me about 10 years ago. I have pulled on it a grand total of somewhere around 6 times. Getting some competent instruction now (as of last week) and I had wondered about the pads being straight across. I won't be able to buy a new one for quite a while (6-month old baby) so do you guys think I should make a new table with offset pads to train with?
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Post by John Wilson on Sept 22, 2013 20:07:12 GMT -5
I can't remember the last event I pulled that used straight across pads. Yes, you need staggered pads. Any event not held in somebody's back yard uses staggered pads. I hate staggered pads, but I'm not the King of Armwrestling so nobody gives a hoot what I like... It just is what it is. If you practive with straight across pads and then compete on a staggered table it is going to throw you. It really will. Your setup will be all wrong and basically you're going to get toprolled by chumps who have no business beating you - because you're going to be all out of position from the go.
Just unbolt the elbow pads and convert the table to a staggered table. It is very easy to do. Frank Hirst came up with the most ingenious way to transition a table. I suggest buying a set of elbow pads from him, unless you want to make them yourself.
If you want to use the pads you have now, all you really have to do is drill some more holes to locate the pads where they need to be. It's not the most elegant solution, but it's free. And it's a practice table, so ugly holes showing makes zero difference to anybody.
For a practice table, don't sweat shifting the pin pads. Leaving them straight across is fine. Better yet, take them off your practice table. But staggered elbow pads are absolutely a requirement for training nowadays.
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Post by Ben Edwards on Sept 23, 2013 14:39:09 GMT -5
Thanks a lot John! The detailed response is exactly what I need. I'll switch mine over to offset as soon as my baby stops demanding all my attention like a selfish monster, lol.
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Post by John Wilson on Sept 23, 2013 14:59:40 GMT -5
yeah, they do that!
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Post by Rick Laton on Sept 23, 2013 21:14:53 GMT -5
Do most tourneys feature offset pads? I have a table that my wife bought for me about 10 years ago. I have pulled on it a grand total of somewhere around 6 times. Getting some competent instruction now (as of last week) and I had wondered about the pads being straight across. I won't be able to buy a new one for quite a while (6-month old baby) so do you guys think I should make a new table with offset pads to train with? You can make a straight across table an offset table in one night. PM me for how it's done. You should also make it where you can switch from right to left in about 5 seconds. We just made ours where they switched about 6 months ago after 25 years of one right hand and one left hand table. Best thing we have done in years. You definitely don't need a new table. I have for sure seen a DRAMATIC decrease in broken arms since they went to offset pads. Still see them get broken but at no where near the same rate.
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Post by Eric Roussin on Sept 23, 2013 22:14:39 GMT -5
Fewer broken arms --> This was one of the reasons given for why tables should be offset. But have statistics ever been collected on this topic? In my experience, I haven't seen much of a difference between both types of tables.
Ben -- as John has already mentioned, you hardly ever see straight across elbow pads in tournaments nowadays.
The current WAF standard table uses half-offset elbow pads -- this was a compromise between the straight across and fully-offset pads that were used by the AAA years ago. Has anyone that's been around a while noticed any difference between the fully-offset pads and the half-offset pads?
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Post by John Wilson on Sept 23, 2013 22:48:19 GMT -5
Eric, I'm not sure I ever saw fully offset pads. When was that?
Up until the late '90s you never knew what kind of table you were going to pull on at tournaments. Heck, people were still holding tournaments with all sorts of crazy home-made crap tables. That's one thing that has certainly improved- the average table you pull on these days is at least pretty standard, even if the standard isn't perfect.
As to Ricky's experience with seeing less broken arms- I'm happy to hear it. That hasn't been my experience but then again it's not like I ever counted the broken arms in a year, either. But I swear I see or hear about the same amount as I ever did. That's totally unscientific and Ricky could very well be right.
I still hate offset pads.
I also hate that the elbow pads got one inch taller and the table top didn't get one inch shorter.
Now I feel old. and short.
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Post by Eric Roussin on Sept 23, 2013 23:08:01 GMT -5
John, now that you mention it, I may be recalling the offset thing incorrectly. I thought I remembered hearing a story about the compromise between offset and straight across, but I'll need to explore this further.
I haven't seen a difference in the number of broken arms. If anything, I've seen more over the past couple of years. Heavily-muscled newbies are still the most at risk.
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Post by Rick Laton on Sept 24, 2013 19:56:03 GMT -5
I agree that there are still a lot of broken arms. I do think that their are reasons for that though. I think that you are more "Outside" your hand with straight across pads before you even say go. I think that steroids are more rampant than every before (In armwrestling at least). 25 years ago your new pullers were plumbers, mechanics, carpenters and guys that were strong in the hands and wrist. Now it seems like so many of the new guys walk in the door strong in the chest, shoulders and tricep and they are trying to push so hard with their shoulder that their bones can't take it. I'm not saying there are more people pulling now than then but I think we definitely have more NOVICE guys trying it out for the first time and the majority of the broken arms are novice or at least fairly new guys. In our tournament "Get A Grip" we had 3 broken arms in the first 2 years (1999 & 2000), all novice and all on straight across pads. We changed the following year (2001) and have been fortunate since then. I don't like straight across pads as a puller but I do think they HELP eliminate some of the problem. Just my 2 cents.
PS - John, check you pm's!
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