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Thread: Hip Hip Hooray

  1. #1
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
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    Default Hip Hip Hooray

    My right hip was getting sore and I didn't know why so I focused on when it was hurting the most and realized it was from doing vertical edges walking backwards.. I have worked out that the human body is not meant to walk backwards every day
    35 years of bricklaying taught me that doing the same movements over and over again every day will eventually take its toll on the body.
    I decided about 3 months ago to re train myself in the art of edging, I started holding the shaft of the whippy in my right hand and walking forwards instead of backwards when doing vertical edges. At first I felt like a newbie, it felt really weird, so I only did it for about 1/3 of every lawn I did because I was so slow at it.

    3 months later and I can honestly say I am just as fast at edging (doing a good job) walking forward as I was walking backward and the real benefit is I no longer have pain in my hip
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

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  2. #2
    Member brettly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    AJ. Ive been laying em for almost 28 yrs and yea the back has its days, but if I couldnt walk backwards doing this stuff w/out pain id be getting out

    Ive tried forward and back doing verticals.. backwards seems to give more precision.. for me at least.
    Cheers.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member BSD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Yep, not a real busy lawnie, but def's a backward bloke.

  4. #4
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Are you blokes lefties?

  5. #5
    Senior Member BSD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Yes, I think, left hand on the trigger, right hand on the handle, I use a strap on the shoulder and a Trimmer Assist elastic thing to take the weight, the cutting head spins anti clockwise and walking backwards it throws the sh1t up into my face (safety glasses on ), cuts like an edger and leaves a good finish.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    Are you blokes lefties?

  6. #6
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    so thats what the twinge in my right hip is.....How hard its going to be to train myself as a lefty
    Quote Originally Posted by AJD Mowing View Post
    My right hip was getting sore and I didn't know why so I focused on when it was hurting the most and realized it was from doing vertical edges walking backwards.. I have worked out that the human body is not meant to walk backwards every day
    35 years of bricklaying taught me that doing the same movements over and over again every day will eventually take its toll on the body.
    I decided about 3 months ago to re train myself in the art of edging, I started holding the shaft of the whippy in my right hand and walking forwards instead of backwards when doing vertical edges. At first I felt like a newbie, it felt really weird, so I only did it for about 1/3 of every lawn I did because I was so slow at it.

    3 months later and I can honestly say I am just as fast at edging (doing a good job) walking forward as I was walking backward and the real benefit is I no longer have pain in my hip
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  7. #7
    Member Greenie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    dont worry matt just use it till your limbs fall off

  8. #8
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Quote Originally Posted by brettly View Post
    AJ. Ive been laying em for almost 28 yrs and yea the back has its days, but if I couldnt walk backwards doing this stuff w/out pain id be getting out

    Ive tried forward and back doing verticals.. backwards seems to give more precision.. for me at least.
    I knew a German guy who could lay bricks with the trowel in either hand, didn't matter.. As you know working with a lefty is gold (No bum in face for last brick lol) I asked him how he did it and he said his boss made him do it when he was an apprentice, one day the trowel was in the left hand next day the right hand.. Think how handy that would be being able to do that in those tight spots? especially laying blocks? Its just a matter of practice. I can edge both ways now and its so handy and quick with no difference in quality. The human body can walk faster going forward than backwards. I don't have any hip pain now.

    Do you still lay bricks Brettly or are you full time lawnie?
    Cheers
    Dean
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

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  9. #9
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Quote Originally Posted by imoww View Post
    so thats what the twinge in my right hip is.....How hard its going to be to train myself as a lefty
    Nah I got a Voodoo Doll named Mat. I just noticed he has a pin stuck in his right hip, I just removed it so you should be fine now
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

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  10. #10
    Senior Member troppo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    My old man was right handed, but lost the tip of his bird finger in at accident at work. Was in the middle of Lawn Bowls Comp, so while on compo, spent a lot of time at the bowls club learning to play left handed. Went on to win the mens club championship that year and used both hands for the rest of his life - a big advantage. Was in his late forties at the time, so you can teach an old dog new tricks. On a personal note I have had a lower back ache whenever I do a lot of weeding (crouching/squatting position) type work, but since going to a new oesteopath type dude, that has all disappeared now. Twinges and pins and needles usually means that something is out of whack, so it's just a matter of getting things back in alignment. What AJD has done makes sense - counteracted whatever muscles were working unevenly by the sounds of it.

  11. #11
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Stuff learning how to vertical edge as a lefty Dean... I tried all day yesterday on my lawn... Damn looks like a mad womans breakfast....
    But i have been training myself to edge forward without changing hands bacwards.jpgforward.jpg
    First pic is walking backwards. 2nd pic walking forwards
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  12. #12
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Ive tried this way but damn... that right shoulder cops a floggingfw1.jpgfwd2.jpg
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  13. #13
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Hey Mat its my theory that its better where possible to walk on the lawn not the path when edging with a wippy. I find if your on the lawn once the cord is in the grove between the hard surface and lawn you can keep the pressure against the lawn edge a bit and it gives for a straighter, cleaner, quicker cut if your walking backwards or forwards.. Just my opinion.
    Also walking forwards without changing hands so the cord is entering the grass at the back edge then exiting on the front edge as you move forward is a bit like using a power saw pulling it backwards to cut instead of forwards, it doesn't work to good and doesn't give a good Finnish. Again my opinion
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

    http://www.ajdmowing.com.au/

  14. #14
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    I totally agree with you on the way the line cuts and the direction Dean.
    Im trying all different ways now.
    Quote Originally Posted by AJD Mowing View Post
    Hey Mat its my theory that its better where possible to walk on the lawn not the path when edging with a wippy. I find if your on the lawn once the cord is in the grove between the hard surface and lawn you can keep the pressure against the lawn edge a bit and it gives for a straighter, cleaner, quicker cut if your walking backwards or forwards.. Just my opinion.
    Also walking forwards without changing hands so the cord is entering the grass at the back edge then exiting on the front edge as you move forward is a bit like using a power saw pulling it backwards to cut instead of forwards, it doesn't work to good and doesn't give a good Finnish. Again my opinion
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  15. #15
    Member Macka's Avatar
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    Default Re: Hip Hip Hooray

    Quote Originally Posted by imoww View Post
    Ive tried this way but damn... that right shoulder cops a floggingfw1.jpgfwd2.jpg
    I think you would benefit from using a shoulder strap with a ocy strap stetup on you whippy, that right shoulder shouldn't be carrying any weight. I also run 2 handles on my main whippy "offset" one handle is in perfect position for verts and the other is for horizontals. the ocy strap is fixed on the shaft in 2 positions a foot apart, and the shoulder strap slides to the balance point when i change position, never have to stoop.


    I buss all verts with the atom that i can, I would do that edge at a fast stride and perfect.

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