Need Quick Confirmation On Tweeking Tips

[HOOP]

I Am About To Send This Note Along With Some Bases I Tweaked In This Exact Manner. Just Need You Guys To Check For Me Real Quick And Chime In With Any Simple Details. The Keyword Is Simple, As These Are Tips For Teenagers And I Kept It Extremely Basic, Leaving Out Flashing And Other Things.

Base Tweeking-

Step 1 With Flat Head/smooth Head Pliers
Gently, Yet Firmly Squeeze The Prongs

2 In This Easy 2 Step Process:
a. Using Pliers, Grab The Prongs Half Way Down

b. Push Forward Hard On The Prongs To Create
A Crease At The Midpoint

3 Gently But Firmly, Grab The Entire Prong And
With Some Resistence, Pull The Pliers Off In An
Upward And Backward Motion Until The Pliers
Slip Off


The Bases I Did This Way All Run Pretty Good. Some With Speed, Didnt Test Strength. The Head Of The Ef Club (charlie Chin) Just Wanted Bases That Ran Straight. I Think I Accomplished This.
Anything You Would Simply Add????
Thanks Alot

Scott

[Ray F]

Here are the original base tweaking tips from Wally Jabs. At the bottom I included some TTC base tweaking tips from Norbert and Mike Pratt.
Ray F. (Manhattan Ray)

Base Manipulation 101

Coaches,
I put this post together to help anyone who is having problems with the "new" bases. This is focused primarily on the Miggle product. Both the TTC and Rookie bases. But for the most part it will work on any base. This post is also directed at non-boiled bases, again some of these tips will work there as well.

Tools:
1 Hobby sized pair of needle nose pliers
1 Lighter
1 Nail clipper (straight/ blunt edged not curved)
1 Fine pair of tweezers

Fact Number One:
The reason that the Miggle bases do not perform up to par is simple. In the manufacturing process flash is left on the prong. This flash inhibits the bases ability to perform. If you look at any of the older Tudor bases you'll notice for the most part how well the prongs are formed. Take a magnifying glass and examine a Miggle rookie or ttc base. You will see the flash that I'm talking about. The question here now is how do you remove it?

Flash Removal:
The easiest why to accomplish this is boil the base. Boiling will help to dissolve this flash. But remember here we looking at methods other than boiling. So what do we do?

Method 1:
1) One way of removing flash is to use a lighter.
2) What you do here is take a base and hold the lighter under it about one inch (experiment hear to see what works for you) away.
3) Position the lighter under one set of prongs (rookie base) or one prong (ttc base).
4) "Flick" the lighter on and off.
5) Let the prong(s) cool and inspect it.
6) See if the flash is removed. If not go to step 4 and repeat the process.
7) After you finish with the first set of prongs proceed on to the next grouping.
8) Repeat this process on the remaining sets of prongs.
9) Test the base

Method 2:
1) Get your straight/ blunt nose clippers
2) Take a base and clip off the very end the prong.
3) For rookie bases clip the two prongs at a time in each corner of the base.
4) Try to remove only a 1/32nd or less on each prong end. Just enough to remove the flash.
5) Cut all prongs straight!
6) Repeat this process on all remaining sets of prongs.
7) Test the base

Well if you followed the instructions above there is a good chance that your bases will be going anywhere but straight. But at least they will be moving. So let's tune them up!

1) Take the needle nose pliers and a base.
2) Examine the base and "eyeball' the prongs. Some will be shorter or longer than others.
3) Start on the back prongs.
4) Take the pliers and gently pull the prong from top to bottom.
5) The idea here is to stretch the prong out evenly. If you don't the base is junk.
6) Slowly with very little pressure pull the prong from top to bottom allowing the pliers to slip down slowly as you pull.
7) This step will be repeated many times on each prong!
8) The goal again here is to stretch the prong evenly.
9) Another goal here is to try to even out all the prongs.
10) Work slowly and take your time.
11) Test the base until you get the desired result, a well moving base!

OK, I can hear you now. The base goes, but it doesn't go straight! This is the next step in tuning.

1) All you have to do is remember, if a base is turning to the left the prongs on that side of the base are shorter.
2) Likewise if the base is turning to the right the prongs are shorter on the right side.
3) To fix this problem, just lengthen the prongs on the side to which the base is turning.
4) Always work on the one set of prongs at a time.
5) Always work first on the prong(s) that appear to be shorter.
6) Test the base after each pull until you get the desired results.
7) Be patient!

If you followed all the steps listed above you should have a fairly good running base. The trick now is to give it some strength or speed!

For Strength - Rookie Base

1) Pull both rear sets of prongs out a little more.
2) The base, when put down on a game board should be "jacked up" in the rear.
3) This will give the base more strength.
4) If you want more strength gently curl the front prongs on the very end of the prong. Use the fine set of tweezers to do this.
5) Also set the back prongs so that they look like this " \ " straight but angled. Again use the fine set of tweezers to do this.
6) The final step to get more strength is to flatten the rear prongs.
7) Take the pliers and squeeze the rear prongs until they're flat.
8) On step 7 there are two schools of thought.
a) Flatten the entire prong or
b) Flatten just the last ¼"
9) Both will work and this is something you can experiment with.

For Strength - TTC Base (just a slight difference)

1) Pull both rear sets of prongs out a little more.
2) The base, when put down on a game board should be "jacked up" in the rear.
3) This will give the base more strength.
4) If you want more strength gently curl the rear prongs on the very end of the prong. Use the fine set of tweezers to do this.
5) Also set the front prongs so that they look like this " \ " straight but angled. Again use the fine set of tweezers to do this.
6) The final step to get more strength is to flatten the rear prongs.
7) Take the pliers and squeeze the rear prongs until they're flat.
8) Remember to re curl the rear prongs after step 7 is complete.
9) On step 7 there are two schools of thought.
c) Flatten the entire prong or
d) Flatten just the last ¼"
10) Both will work and this is something you can experiment with.

For Speed - Rookie/ TTC Base

1) Pull both front and rear sets of prongs out a little more.
2) The base, when put down on a game board should be "jacked up" evenly.
3) This process will give the base more speed.
4) If you still want more speed in a rookie base cut out the inside prongs.
5) Also position the rear prongs in a more upright manor.
6) Final step here is to hit the base again with the lighter for a little more speed.

The Keys to Success!

1) Take your time.
2) Be prepared to ruin some bases.
3) Be patient.
4) Test after each step.
5) Be as exacting as you can be.
6) Experiment.
7) Don't get frustrated and have some fun!

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and I'll gladly help you out the best that I can!
Wally Jabs

Base Manipulation 102

The best way to understand how prongs work is to think of them as shock absorbers on a car. The prong is there to absorb the vibration from the game board. By stretching the prong it makes the plastic more supple. Therefore it enables the base to maintain contact with the board and produce forward movement. This fact alone is why many coaches boil their bases as it produces almost the same result. It makes the prong soft and supple, a very good combination!

This leads us to how do you make a base stronger or faster. Start off by using either the pulling or boiling techniques on a base. If you are looking for strength you want to increase the friction between the game board and the prong. The simplest and most legal way is to increase the contact area of the prong. Take a set of needle nose pliers and flatten the bottom half of the prong by squeezing it. Work the back prongs first whether you are using rookie or ttc style bases. Make sure that the bottom edge of the prong is flat, as we want to have maximum drag. To do assure this you might have to trim the bottom edge of the prong(s) flat with a straight edge clipper. You can gain some additional strength by using this same technique on the front prongs but in many cases you will loose the bases mobility (it will be slowww).

To manipulate a base to gain more speed we need to decrease the contact area. Which again is between the playing surface and the prong. There are a couple of methods that can achieve the desired results.

1- Trim the lower edge of the prong with a clipper. That is to say cut the prong vertically so the prong contact area is reduced
2- Remove the inside prongs (rookie base). (This step can work with both items 1 and 3)
3- Shape the prong in the "pulling" stage. This is done by not only pulling the prong on the wide flat side but by the narrow side as well. This will allow you to shape the prong to have a very small contact patch.

Base Manipulation 102

The best way to understand how prongs work is to think of them as shock absorbers on a car. The prong is there to absorb the vibration from the game board. By stretching the prong it makes the plastic more supple. Therefore it enables the base to maintain contact with the board and produce forward movement. This fact alone is why many coaches boil their bases as it produces almost the same result. It makes the prong soft and supple, a very good combination!

This leads us to how do you make a base stronger or faster. Start off by using either the pulling or boiling techniques on a base. If you are looking for strength you want to increase the friction between the game board and the prong. The simplest and most legal way is to increase the contact area of the prong. Take a set of needle nose pliers and flatten the bottom half of the prong by squeezing it. Work the back prongs first whether you are using rookie or ttc style bases. Make sure that the bottom edge of the prong is flat, as we want to have maximum drag. To do assure this you might have to trim the bottom edge of the prong(s) flat with a straight edge clipper. You can gain some additional strength by using this same technique on the front prongs but in many cases you will loose the bases mobility (it will be slowww).

To manipulate a base to gain more speed we need to decrease the contact area. Which again is between the playing surface and the prong. There are a couple of methods that can achieve the desired results.

1- Trim the lower edge of the prong with a clipper. That is to say cut the prong vertically so the prong contact area is reduced
2- Remove the inside prongs (rookie base). (This step can work with both items 1 and 3)
3- Shape the prong in the "pulling" stage. This is done by not only pulling the prong on the wide flat side but by the narrow side as well. This will allow you to shape the prong to have a very small contact patch.


Tweaking TTC's for speed like rookie bases
I have heard this can be done but how do you do it? Do you use the same tweaking method you would on a rookie base? I have found that pulling the front prongs on a TTC doesn't work as well as on a rookie base. They don't stretch as well, especially the white TTC wheels. Any tips?
First, tweak the prongs, **Don't clip prongs front or back**, front prongs minor squeeze then brush forward *or* as your tweaking angle forward, back prongs have them going straight down, not angled to the back, \ < that look is a no no, now, if your base is not running as smooth as you want, then you may have to angle back prongs just a bit and clip even. Norbert Revels

Norbert covered most of the basics and beyond for squeezing some wheels out of a TTC. For almost all of his input I will simply concur with Kudos.

You can attempt to milk more speed out of a TTC by "over tweaking" the front and/or rear prongs. Keep in mind while doing this the things Norbert mentioned. If the prong is too floppy or sloppy (bends or twists too easily) then it will scrub speed. The overall prong needs to be towards the not so firm but stable side of the tweak zone. You can accomplish this by using a TAD more pressure on the front prongs. Do so ONLY on the upper most 10-20% of the front prongs (where they meet the dial). By thinning them ever so slightly more than before you can gain quicker energy release while maintaining overall prong stability. If you begin having some frequent success you may want to try the same on the rear prongs. This method also works well on all Rookie bases.

Try this on some of your slower, next to good for nothing bases first as crash test dummies. It takes some experimentation, the correct amount of pressure, and a steady hand. Once you get the right squeeze down pat you should see more speed out of a few of your TTC bases. At the very least you should see a base that is quite a bit quicker off the switch. Even if it doesn't gain a lot of overall speed in the 100 yd dash you should cover the 40 a bit quicker. And let's face it, there are many times when we JUST MISSED a tackle or breaking a tackle that cost us during competitions. That little tiny (or substantial) extra speed boost can be the difference between a tackle for loss or breaking off a huge gain. Hope This Helps Some, P.S. Norbert, Great job on the foundation. Very Solid Info.-Mike Pratt

I will just add a couple other items I found.

BEFORE you begin tweaking a TTC base, run some flames over the prongs (just enough to say it was touched).

Next, with your fingers, brush the front prongs towards the front of the base. Then slightly pull the back prongs straight down. If the curl towards the back just take your fingers and push towards the front.

Run the board .... see where he is at this point of the process.....

Now, the fine tuning begins.... make it straight, verify that all prongs are touching the field, etc
Tweaking white TTC dials for speed:

Starting where base meets prong and with pliers perpendicular (at a right angle) to the prong I GENTLY squeeze prongs in small increments down to but not including the tip of the prong where it meets the board. I leave a space of unsqueezed prong between each successive "crimp".

This has the effect of lengthening and softening the dial prongs without risk of snapping off the dial. Straighten prongs. If a "crimp" results in a crooked prong, just do the next crimp from the other side of the prong to straighten.

Next I follow Norbert's same directions on angle of front and rear TTC prongs, more or less vertical rather than angled backward so much. If needed flash the end of the prongs -- but you'll lose some strength w/flashing.

[Coach K-LO]

Thanks Ray for the old history that still works today.

I will only add this to the speed tweak of TTC

1 - clip the knub at the back of the dial
2 - slightly pull the back prongs and gently squeeze them
3 - slightly pull the front prongs (green dials but not wide tops)
4 - slightly squeeze front prongs (if white dial)
5 - run the flame past both the front and the back prongs (just enough to say it was hit)
6 - push, with your fingers, both the front and back prongs towards the front og the base until they are "l" and then test it. Should move very quickly.
7 - place the desired player on the base and fine-tune it from there.

Guys,

This is all good! One thing I want to mention is much sure that you have the right tools. Don't cheap off!

Wally

[HOOP]

tHANKS FOR THE REPLIES. IT WILL HELP ME OUT ALOT AND MANY OTHERS WHO STILL TRYING TO GET UP ON THIS.

AND THE BEST PART IS, KELVIN CAN SHOW ME THE SKILLS IN PERSON?

WELL, NOT ON THE FIELD OFCOURSE DURING THE TOURNEY, YA KNOW, TAKE IT EASY ON A BROTHER NOW.

SEE YOU GUYS SOON.

RAY, I AM VERY DISSAPPOINTED YOU CANT MAKE IT. WAS LOOKING FORWARD THE SOME "NAME" BEVERAGES AND TALKS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF EF/MF. NEXT TIME, PLEASE.

SCOTT

[mozeek]

Most Likely Ray Will Be At The Beltsville Bash In May So If You Wanna Make That Trip Holla At Me ...because I Will Be Going Down There . Hopefully Other Coaches In Our League Will Head Down......

[HOOP]

I Was Working On That Weekend Til My Wife Said She Has To Have Minor Surgery During That Week, So, Wont Be Able To Make That One.
Thanks For The Invite Though,
See Ya In A Few Days.