How to do a Toe Stall

by Crazy Ivan

The first move most hackey-sackers do when they get their hands on a Myachi is a Toe Stall.  It's pretty instinctive if you're familiar with footbag and the flat shape of the Myachi just begs to be stalled.  It was the first move I did when Myachi Man introduced me to the game back in 04 and it serves as the basis for my signature trick.

That being said, for those who come to the game without foot skills at the ready, the Toe Stall can be a source of frustration for quite some time.  It seems simple, but if you don't know a few basic pointers going in, it will take a lot of effort to learn.

Luckily for you, there's the Myachi blog.

So before we even get started, let's take a look at the basic equipment.

1. Shoes - The type of shoes you're wearing will make a big difference on this trick.  A shoe with a rounded toe will make it harder than a shoe with a flat toe.  A shoe made from a slippery material will make it harder than a show made from something grippy like suede.  A shoe with a lot of padding on the toe like a skate shoe will make it harder than a shoe with really thin material across the toe.
2. Myachi - The Myachi you're using will also make a difference.  I guess it goes without saying that it is easier to do any move with a broken in Myachi than it is to do it with a new one.  For foot work, though, you'll want something with a fabric that doesn't slide at all and something with a lot of give and yumminess.
3. Feet - You'll need two of them to make this trick work.

So now that you've got all the stuff rounded up, let's take a look at the motions.

You'll want to start with your foot off the ground and your knee bent.  The bend in the knee is crucial.


See... now you're seeing where that second foot comes in handy.

 Soccer players who do this move often try to do it without bending the knee and it's possible, but it's much harder.  Keep in mind that with a soccer ball you can pinch the ball between your toe and shin.  With a Myachi it's all about giving with it.

By starting with your foot well off the ground you give yourself plenty of room to follow that Myachi down.  When it hits your toe, physics demands that it will want to bounce back.  The only way to keep that from happening is to absorb the impact of the Myachi.

Notice the bend of the foot here.  The toe is up and the heel is down.  This way, if the Myachi rolls a little bit it will roll back toward your leg instead of off the end of your toe.  This will maximize your chances of nailing the trick.

Oh, and since we're looking at my scuffed up hiking boots at the moment, I think it's time to point out that you shouldn't wear hiking boots when you're learning this trick.  You'll be spending a lot of time balancing on one foot for this one, so it's best to wear shoes that are really light when you practice.

Now for the most important part, the timing.

Timing is crucial in this move.  There are two very distinct motions that happen and they can't happen together:

1. Drop The Myachi
2. Lower the Foot

There should be about one second between these two motions.  You go from here:

To here:

Your foot doesn't have to move until the Myachi gets there.  Sometimes it help to actually count out the motions.  "One..." when you drop the Myachi and "...two" when you drop your foot.

Keep in mind that when you're learning it's okay to be really cheap about it.  If the Toe Stall is giving you a lot of trouble, try bringing your hand really close you your foot.  Sure, it doesn't look very impressive when you do a Toe Stall from three inches off the foot, but it's not about looking impressive yet, it's about learning the trick.  Once you've got this mastered, learn it from six inches away, then from nine, then from twelve.  Before long you'll be getting over the head tosses into a perfect Toe Stall.

Alright, so there's one more problem that you might end up having.  You're doing all the things we talked about above and you're cradling the Myachi in nice and slowly.  It's stalling on your foot and you think you've got it and then all of a sudden, BAM, the Myachi bounces off or rolls away at the very end.

Pretty common problem and pretty easy solution.  See, you have to stop your foot before it gets all the way to the ground.  You can get the foot stall perfectly, but when your foot slaps the ground, the impact is often plenty to jar the Myachi and send it bouncing away.

Be sure to stop your foot before it gets all the way to the ground.  In case you haven't noticed, this move is all about balance.

Notice the "not on the ground-ness" of the foot here.

Like any other move, this will be pretty easy for some people and really difficult for others.  If you have trouble with it, don't sweat it.  Some of the best players in the world really struggled with basic foot stuff early in their Myachi career.  There's no move that you can't master with a bit of practice (and some good advice!).