Powerball Gyroscope

[SkaBob]

man I got one of these for christmas...holy cow what a workout! I can really see how they'll help out with grip...the damn thing tries to throw itself out of your hand!

Wierd motion to get used to...sometimes it takes me a few tries to get it right, still...but really neat!

 

[jeremy2]

Got mine 2 weeks ago, and addicted. I will do it for about 5 min in each hand and the phone will ring at work then you oughtta see me try to type. I need a counter for mine though. Still can't get it started without the string. My wife tried it yesterday and it scared her, she said it made her forearm hurt and I said then it's working.

 

[JHern]

Looks cool. I'm going to get one, just dropped a hint to my wife for my upcoming birthday.

 

[Aaron_D]

Still love mine after over a year. If you are looking to increase grip strength, this is a spectacular way to do it. Get a counter...it is very motivating.

 

[Marmoset]

Which color (weight) do you guys have? And to those of you who have counters- how different is your left hand from your right? My left is atrocious.

Speaking of the counters, there are a couple of disc golfers on their top 100 scorelist.

 

[cojsmith08]

Where's the cheapest place you can get one with/without a counter?

 

[Aaron_D]

i bought one from roadkill from these boards...another from ebay.

 

[jeremy2]

Mine is an Orange Dyna-Flex Power Ball. I beleive it is a 250Hz, I want a heavier one. I found one online that is made out of some kind of metal, but it is over $100. I got mine started last night without the string for the 1st time. I don't have a counter, but the way the thing sounds I don't think there is much of a difference between my right and left hand. I used to do some amateur arm wrestling before I broke my right elbow so my grip, and forearm strength have always been pretty good.

 

[SkaBob]

www.powerballs.com

is the site that sells a ton of models. the base one is $25.

One thing I dont' like about the counter, that'd almost convince me to spend $47on the "techno" model, is that it sticks so far out from the thing it prevents me from getting as good a grip on it as I'd like...

Hey Aaron_D, what's your rpm record on yours?

 

[Puddleduck]

Do your Gyros make a clicking sound?

I bought one at REI's returned goods sale this weekend and couldn't get the hang of it. It keeps running out of steam.

It was making a clicking noise as I moved it, like the gyroscope was loose. Is that normal? I'm guessing not and that is why it was returned in the first place. Oh well ... it only cost $3.

 

[Hoey1]

Do your Gyros make a clicking sound?

I bought one at REI's returned goods sale this weekend and couldn't get the hang of it. It keeps running out of steam.

It was making a clicking noise as I moved it, like the gyroscope was loose. Is that normal? I'm guessing not and that is why it was returned in the first place. Oh well ... it only cost $3.

there's no clicking in mine... at least it was a cheap dud... but hey REI, test your sh*t out before you sell it.. even if it is in the marked down/no backsies bin.

What a workout. I've been slacking on mine... gonna hit it tonight out of guilt.

What a motivator...


guilt.

 

[Autiger1291]

It clicks when you don't have the movement down right. Also it's up to you to keep it going. Some people can go right out of the box. Others will spend days trying to get it down. It's not too difficult once you got it, but it's a great workout. Try to see how many RPMs you can get. You'll think it's going to fly right out of your hand

 

[Odaon]

I have a blue one that I use. It's good for the arm str. I do reps. of speeding it up and slowing it down in my hand with different grips.

 

[Puddleduck]

I try mine some more. I can eliminate the clicking with the right smooth motion ... but was having trouble getting it to accelerate. I think I may have been holding it upside down. Is the exposed part of the ball supposed to be facing up or down?

And it isn't REI's fault. That's basically the deal with their returns sale ... everything's dirt cheap but you know ahead of time that someone decided they didn't want want it ... and all sales are "as is". I also got a flawless pair of $180 Asolo hiking boots for $21 and a $170 bag for $40 so I'm not complaining!

 

[jeremy2]

Are you starting the Power Ball with a string. I think the best way to get them started is with the string. About 2 revolutions wrapped around the ball, with the ball facing up in the palm of your hand in a firm pull on the rope away from you the ball shoud spin rapidly. Now here is where the timing comes in. With the opening of the gyroscope at the top and your elblow and quadracep resting at you ribs move the palm of your hand in a gentle rotation where your thrub points from the 3'oclock position to the 1 o'clock position. Keep the rotation going playing with the speed until you can feel a little resistance. The resistance is what you want to feel, and after you start feeling it you can experiment with different angles and speeds. I like to work out with medium speed with the palm down and rotating my hand in a circular motion. I feel that it works extensor muscles in the forearm very well. 5 minutes each arm, 5 to 8 times a day.

 

[black udder]

There's an old powerball thread where everybody was giving up their RPM #'s. I think 13,000 was the top end goal around here, with some folks getting a little above and some hovering close.

It takes a little practice to get the ball started without the string, but if you lose the string, it doesn't take long to learn. It's really all about getting the feel for the rotations.

As for grip with a counter, I'll grip it on the side sometimes, so the counter sticks out between my thumb and index finger. The best way to crank the RPMs is when you have it going, just twist your wrist in an ever increasing motion. If you try and move your whole hand, it's super hard to get going fast.

 

[ner021]

I bought one online back in the day, then convinced a bunch of people in my office to order them 4 or 5 years ago. We placed a bulk order and I ended up with 2 or 3 of them. What we found, was that if the Powerball was ever dropped, or if it was ever spinning while not being gripped tightly (when you can hear it clicking), it slowly wears down the bearing/spacers and the ball deteriorates. So if you want to keep it in excellent shape, don't ever set it down on a table while its spinning, and try to make it click as little as possible.