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Walking Baseball Poll

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How sure are you that you really understand Walking Baseball, and to what extent?

  • I don't know how to run the drill

    Votes: 40 31%

  • I know how to run it, but only at a Basic level

    Votes: 42 32%

  • I know how to run it at a Basic level, and how to advance it, except not to an Advanced level

    Votes: 25 19%

  • I know it all!

    Votes: 24 18%
  • Total voters
    131
  • Poll closed .
1 - 20 of 143 Posts

Evan

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
How sure are you that you really understand Walking Baseball, and to what extent is your knowledge of it?

  1. I don't know how to run the drill
  2. I know how to run it, but only at a Basic level
  3. I know how to run it, at a Basic level, and how to advance it, except not to an Advanced level
  4. I know it all!
Evan
 
#2 ·
I admitted to only knowing it at a basic level. I learned it from D L's book, and if anyone had seen me trying to figure it out, they would have gotten a good laugh. I actually took the book with me and my dog onto a soccer field complex. I spent a lot of time looking at the diagrams, and decided that I just had to go try and do it before I had it figured out on paper. That was a good decision...
 
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#3 ·
for the life of me I could not figure out how to do this drill on my own with what I had read. It took a phone call to Chris Atkinson, a pencil and blank piece of paper. Chris had me start at the corner of the paper with a mark/dot and talked me through it. After drawing the third toss, having now sent the imaginary dog the first time for the first toss a light switch went on and I "Got It!" After that it became my dogs favorite drill. Great for 10:00pm after work in a parking lot in February. I think it is great for keeping my dogs having fun while working with me. I know it at the most rudimentary level and would love to go advanced. In my own feeble attempts with my most advanced dog I keep a third bumper in a pocket and lay down three before sending on occasion/randomly.
 
#4 ·
Buzz said:
I admitted to only knowing it at a basic level. I learned it from D L's book, and if anyone had seen me trying to figure it out, they would have gotten a good laugh. I actually took the book with me and my dog onto a soccer field complex. I spent a lot of time looking at the diagrams, and decided that I just had to go try and do it before I had it figured out on paper. That was a good decision...
Click to expand...
Ditto. I'm glad Flash wasn't there to watch me he would of died laughing at me. But once I figured out the basics for it I was able to extend it and manipulate it to what worked for me. Like any drill I've learned, get the basics down and then don't be afraid to tweak it.

FOM
 
#5 ·
I too learned the drill from reading DL's book and have been using the drill for the last five years or so. I use it with my four dogs at least once a week and think I am in category 3. Having voted that way, I am now wondering if I may be giving myself too much credit. BTW, I also use most of the drills in your Smartwork series.
 
#6 ·
PS- Also, maybe because I was taught this by Chris when he was still Amish. This is for me, a TT 500 user a no-Ecollar drill. Not even on the dog. If dog takes a cast wrong it is a "Toot, no" Then a "Toot, Sit,.... Over" or "Back" depending on the one I wanted. Evan, am I correct on this being a no-juice drill? My dogs love this game.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Other than refusals for "Go, Stop, or Come" commands, "Yes", this is a no juice drill for sure! :)

Evan
 
#8 · (Edited)
I did walking BB with my first few dogs. I don't do it now. I think it takes to much time for the gains you make.

I do do a 5 legged lining and casting drill in many locations for the life of the dog. This keeps the casting sharp, well sharper than not doing it. :p

If I had a dog that absolutely hated drill work, who couldn't do my 5 legged drill, I'd go to walking BB, the dogs I've done it with liked it.
 
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#10 ·
Steve Hester said:
Evan,
Could you give us your version of how to do this drill?
Thanks,
Steve Hester
Click to expand...
There was an article on it that Evan had published in "Retriever Journal." It was clearer than what DL had in his book. Unfortunately, he published the article after I'd already figured it out for myself. Sorry, can't recall the issue, but it was around 2 or more years ago. Maybe Evan can help us recall?

Anymore I only use it when I have little time and want to get the dog out for exercise. You can put a lot of milage on a dog in a hurry. My hunting dog especially isn't happy unless he's well exercised...
 
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Discussion starter · #11 ·
It's on page 46 of the April/May 2005 issue of the Retriever Journal. I liked when I wrote it, and thought it was a step up in clarity over the diagram in D.L.'s book. Then I re-read it and lost some of my sureness about its clarity. I do think it's better, but not as good as I had hoped.

Evan
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
2-Dogs said:
I'll run this drill with some (remote sit) walking singles thrown in. This lets me run this drill around water with more variety and more opportunities to work on control, angle entries, etc.

ml
Click to expand...
I wanted to just ask "Why?", but I'm really curious - what are your goals in running Walking Baseball?

Evan
 
#14 ·
I like to run this drill from time to time, especially to tune-up a dog for tests where blinds may be run with lots of suction. I run it with 3 bumpers, casting past another visible bumper to make it challenging. I would not run it as much on an advanced dog as I do if I had a gunner who would throw diversion marks as in a 4 Phase drill. You're getting close to finishing your DVD on Walking baseball then, eh Evan?
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
blind ambition said:
You're getting close to finishing your DVD on Walking baseball then, eh Evan?
Click to expand...
Haven't even started, yet! I'm really interested in how people view this drill, and to find out how many really understand it. If there is still a need, beyond D.L.'s book, and the article and video instruction I've done, I may venture to produce one.

Evan
 
#16 ·
Produce one!!! :D

FOM
 
#18 ·
I use it at least once a week, sometimes more often if I cannot get out and train on good set-ups. I was doing it in a very basic way till Evan's RJ article. Then it became very clear and I was able to build on the basics.
I will say it is the best tool I have used for sharpening our casts and the older dog loves it. The little dog has a strange habit of barking as he is cast for the bumper but he looks forward to it also.
It will be a bit harder to do now that they have fenced in the soccer fields.
 
#20 ·
Evan said:
How sure are you that you really understand Walking Baseball, and to what extent is your knowledge of it?
  1. I don't know how to run the drill
  2. I know how to run it, but only at a Basic level
  3. I know how to run it, at a Basic level, and how to advance it, except not to an Advanced level
  4. I know it all!
Evan
Click to expand...
IS THIS A TRICK QUESTION?? ;-)

Who's gonna pick "I know it all", now really? :lol:

That said, I think I understand how to get all I can out of it. If there is more, I'm all ears!

I do walking baseball a lot. For the younger dogs just learning to handle, it helps them get the idea of going in a "direction" rather than going to a "destination". It's a way of practicing in a light, no-pressure environment and thus can be a great picker-upper for attitude funks.

For the older dogs, the teaching value diminishes but it is a great way to emphasize teamwork and exercise control over the dog in a game-like, (again) no-pressure way. It is my favorite way to loosen up a dog the morning before a test/trial. I almost always try to find a schoolyard or park on the way from the motel to the grounds and play a little walking BB. Burns pent-up energy and leaves them in a good frame of mind.

I sometimes incorporate several enhancements; I'll often plant some extra bumpers around the perimeter of the field and work myself into a position where I can get a 60 or 80 yard "over" or "angle-back" to one of those "foreign" bumpers. After a while, they learn what you're up to and get excited over those.

I think it also helps introduce the concept of selection and poison birds.

JS
 
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