I have had a few days now to think about what I experienced taking the Video and Advanced class in Vegas. First, a thank you to Daryl and Billy for the intensity level of the class and the all out effort they put into making the class a truly valuable experience. I was exhausted at the end of three days. One thing you have to realize when taking this class is that all of what you have done in practice up to that point will be analyzed and pulled apart piece by piece and then, slowly reassembled. It is, at first, very disconcerting. You do have to view the bigger picture and realize this is not a sprint.
I went thinking that I was finally able to win regularly. What I realized is that my shot was hard to repeat on longer rolls without exhausting myself. There were too many moving parts. In order for me to get to the next level, I have to work on an "effortless" version of the toss. Now the moment you start changing things is not the time to be going back into the casino and putting up any large bets. It is a time to go home and practice incorporating what you have learned and building new muscle memory. Your ego may not want to hear all the things that need correcting but if you can keep it in check and put it aside for a moment you can really reap the rewards of taking the advanced class.
I went home, licked my wounds, and took a couple days off. I had to get my mind right again and set to work on a shot that can be executed successfully during a 40 roll hand or 3 twenty roll hands. When we talk about the mental game for me it is the answer to the question of how do you take losing? We all are good winners. Do you fold your tent or do you get back to work?
I highly recommend the video and advanced class to you when you have worked long and hard at the basics and really want to know how to get to those upper elements of your toss.
I love this game and GTC has helped me to continue growing in the right direction. Hats off to Doc, Janis, Nick, Billy, Daryl and Dom and all the others that contribute. It is a great team effort . I recognize the dedication and effort that can not be faked in the classroom. It was great to put faces to many of the names I see on the site. Gene, Doug, and Mike were a lot of fun to spend time with in class. Good rolling to all of you and hope to see you in the casinos soon.
Replies:
Posted by: Dr Crapology on February 6, 2018, 12:50 pm
Rose and Doc
Posted by: NofieldFive on February 6, 2018, 1:13 pm
NFF
Posted by: HardNine on February 8, 2018, 2:54 pm
Every single point you made is spot on. The basics built in earlier classes give a great foundation, but as DoughBoy noted, doing a combined Video Elite and Advanced gives an exponential benefit with game-changing ability to pick up on the nuances that sneak into our game on a daily basis. I continually learn more about what I learned as I analyze my shots.
Is this fun or what?!
Posted by: Cajunthrower on February 8, 2018, 3:50 pm
Okay so here is my question: I will be doing a tune-up in June, then a refresher in August. At what point does one take the Advanced Course? Is that a decision based on your skill set displayed at class and the instructors feel you are ready for the next level or do you as a journeyman decide you are ready? I know I am nowhere ready for that level, but was wondering. I am hoping to one day of course get there.
I work on my throw everyday, even if I can only get in 20-30 throws for that day. I also practice my grip all day at work. I keep the GTC gripper on my desk and when reading I constantly pickup the dice from the gripper then place them back. I will also remove the dice from the gripper and work on gripping the dice and putting them in the gripper to check my grip. I know this was long winded but I just can’t say enough about how much I enjoy this forum and the GTC family.
Posted by: HardNine on February 8, 2018, 5:51 pm
I’m not speaking with GTC authority, I believe that the guideline is at least 2 refreshers, but plenty have made it through with 1 with Dom’s approval.
For me, taking 2 Refreshers was extremely valuable, the second of which I combined with a Video Elite with NFF and BTK. Although you see real impact after each class, my biggest jumps were made after 2nd Refresher and exponentially after Video with Advanced. As you noted about gaining knowledge by reading older posts, your ability to assess practice and live sessions after each successive class increases exponentially.
Keep at it, and we’re all in this together!
Don
Posted by: Cajunthrower on February 8, 2018, 11:37 pm
Posted by: Dominator on February 10, 2018, 12:40 pm
Remember what my partner Mr Finesse would say – Perfect practice is what it is all about. In other words, it is great to practice, but you want to make sure you are practicing right
Dom
Posted by: Cajunthrower on February 12, 2018, 9:20 pm
I have been working on some of the drills I have read about in the older post. One thing I noticed (that was in an older post) was my dice were splitting very slightly and I was getting lots of double pitches, That issue has since gone away. I really work on keeping the dice together as I lift them from the table. One more thing that helps me is visualizing the bottom of the dice staying parallel to the table I take my back-swing and then move them forward. That has really helped me to get that nice soft release. After reading some of the older post my results seem to be getting much better. I practice keeping the fingers together, dice stay parallel to the table, nice soft release. I have also notice that if I try to practice when I am tired or hungry it bites the big one!!!! So I stop rest, relax and read (RRR).
I can’t wait for the tune up in June and then the refresher in August!!!!
Posted by: Dominator on February 13, 2018, 11:55 am
Dom
Posted by: Dr Crapology on February 13, 2018, 12:14 pm
Rose and Doc
