Better basing

From a flyers perspective!

The last post focussed on flyers, and I want to continue by sharing some tips for bases, from a flyer perspective. As I primarily fly, I don’t feel that I am in a position to give detailed explanations on how to base, however, I will share a few things that will make my job as a flyer significantly easier. The intention is to provide areas of focus that will improve the flyer's experience, and maximise the base's achievements, while working at their current state. In other words, little things to implement regardless of skill level. 

Be intentional - know what you are aiming for

Lead the skill, know where you are going, and commit to the movement. If you are giving your flyer a tempo, make sure it’s not being drowned out by “noise” (other, unwanted or unnecessary small movements and corrections). It's clear and intentional. Know where you want your body and place it there. Decide that you will be standing still, use your legs, and push straight up. Whatever the move is, visualise it and decide what you will be doing. This is a mental commitment, but as a flyer, I can feel it! If, as a base, you are unsure of what you are doing, communicate with your flyer, get a spotter, or regress the skill. Discuss scope and what to focus on, and commit. 

Slow down! - speed is not your friend

By speeding up we trade control for power. But acro is not about power, it’s about control. Slowing down gives you control. When we get excited about a skill or need to produce power, it’s common to move quicker. But this rarely produces the outcome we are looking for. Unfortunately, speed often adds timing issues, inconsistency and hides our mistakes. Slow down, take time to understand what you are aiming for, break down the movement, and communicate. In most skills, we are looking for more time - time to catch, time to float, time to turn…. Moving faster give less time and less precision. In partnered activities, big, predictable movements are easy to follow, especially if you want to produce power. Smaller, fast movements are unpredictable, making skills inconsistent, hard to follow, hard to time, and results in energy wasted and inconsistent, frustrating skills. 

Be a rock - steady and still

Resisting and bracing the flyer's movement is crucial. Imagine moving on the floor vs on a crash mat. On the floor, you can produce power, balance and be precise with movement. On a crashmat, it’s heavy to move and it is clumsy. The base can be the floor or a crash mat. If the surface (base) is firm like a floor, the flyer can produce all the force they need by pushing into the base. If the surface is not firm, moves or drops it’s like moving on the crash mat. This results in control being lost, and more power being added. The flyer is likely to jerk the base around, and movements become less refined, just like when moving on the crash mat. It also removed the flyer’s ability to correct any movements, meaning that as a base, you need to do two people’s jobs. That's heavy, hard and less fun! This includes entries, correcting a hand-to-hand or transitions, you name it! Bases, try to avoid moving with your flyer or absorbing the pressure they give you. Connect the legs, core, and upper body! Block any unwanted movements. 

(I am trying to practice what I preach while basing Nandalie)

Communicate - let your flyer know what you need

As a base, you are getting different information than your flyer. You feel where the weight is going, and when it gets heavy, unsteady or difficult. Provide your flyer with this information, so that, together, you can problem solve. Let your flyer know how they can best help you. If you are unsure what tools a flyer has available, look at my tips for flyers and see if that can provide insights!

Protect your flyer 

There are many ways you can help protect your flyer, some more obvious than others. Catch your flyer when a skill fails and ask for spotters if you need them. Have an exit strategy. Discuss how the skill can fail, and what to do in these events. It will provide ease and calm for both parties, giving you more time to correct. Provide a soft landing when coming out of a skill. Most jams are outdoors, and the ground is hard; by keeping tension in your arms you can assist the flyer to land softly.  As a base you will often be a lot stronger than your flyer, be a little gentle, you can easily overpower your flyer and it hurts. This includes squeezing too hard or locking in a grip causing wrist or shoulders to rotate.

Conclusion

These are simple (not to be confused with easy) principles that will make a big difference for flyers, and allow bases to progress, making more skills accessible. This can help flyers feel safe and trust their bases. It makes acro collaborative and allows for troubleshooting, by reducing “noise”.  Find what you struggle with, and don’t shy away from practising that specific area. Focus on it in every skill, until it becomes an automatic response. This will give you the mental and physical capacity to pay attention to other details moving forward!

Bases, I would love to hear from you. Do you agree? What is your experience?