Anybody out there think of any new things related to the game of cornhole? Ways to play, rules, products or anything? Everytime I think of something new I end up finding it has already been done by someone else. I usually come across these things on the internet on other bean bag websites or forums. Check out some of these other blogs for some of my ideas:
http://beanbaginfo.blogspot.com/2009/09/leagues-with-4-player-teams.html
http://beanbaginfo.blogspot.com/2009/09/types-of-games.html
For example, I thought it would be cool to have a set that you could play on in the water. I am not talking about a set of boards for your swimming pool. Instead, it would be a set that you can bring to the beach. I later saw a set like this online, but I do not think you can actually bring it into one or two feet of water. Of course, this would require the use of different materials than wood and corn. Some kind of plastic would work for the boards, but I am not sure what the bags can be made of so they can get soaking wet. Any ideas?
One of the hardest parts of this idea is to make the boards stable while taking a beating from waves, and keeping them lightweight and portable. One way to keep them steady is to have a heavy base to connect the board to, but this makes it less portable. Also, a set of augers could dig into the ground as a base for the boards to connect to, although it would be harder to level out the boards to the correct angle.
This all seems like a lot of trouble just to play cornhole in the water, maybe I will have to wait for someone else to think of the design so I can buy a set for myself! I think it would be a big hit for those who go to the beach a lot or own waterfront property.
Feel free to post your own ideas in the comments box below.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Backyard Barkeep
You may have seen a few different types of "score towers" as we call them in the cornhole world. I looked around at a few different products that are available out there to try to find the best. After comparing the ones I have seen and actually used in tournaments, I decided that my favorite score tower is the Backyard Barkeep. There were a few reasons why I chose this product over the rest.
First, I looked at the score-keeping aspect of each product. The Backyard Barkeep has a simple design with a scorecard and two clips to mark the score. Most score towers use this design, and I find it to be the easiest to use. Sometimes it is hard to see the score from the other end, but this holds true for just about every product.
Next, I looked at the overall quality of each score tower. The Backyard Barkeep has a very sturdy design, made entirely of metal, and is able to stand up on nearly any surface. One of the key advantages of this product is the removable metal base. Without the base, you can press the product into the ground by pushing on a small platform above the metal stake. For hard surfaces such as concrete, slide the stake onto the heavy metal base to keep it level and sturdy.
The Backyard Barkeep includes extra built-in perks like cupholders and bottle openers. Each stand has two cupholders that can hold just about anything (yes of course it holds beer, why else would such a product be invented!?!?). There are two bottle openers on each stand as well to accomodate the thirstiest of players.
After carefully analyzing product after product, I decided that this one was the best... especially for the price. Two stands without the metal bases amount to $40; add only $10 for a metal base. for more info on this product visit http://www.backyardbarkeep.com/
Monday, October 26, 2009
State vs State
Now that the game of cornhole has been catching on across the country, there are a lot of good players emerging from various states. Sooner or later players will be able to compete against other players from different states in some kind of team competition. For example, a team of players from Indiana can compete against a team from Ohio. This might help spread the game and get more people to play competitive cornhole. It would be a good way to bring in more money from organizations that can sponsor each team. Players can have team uniforms that indicate where the team is from if they wanted to.
As for actual competition, teams can compete in both singles and doubles matches. They can play a certain number of games at each event, and the team that wins the majority of the games would win the event. I guess one team would have to travel far in order to play at the other team's home court; maybe they could meet somewhere in the middle.
The game will have to continue to grow in order to get enough teams to compete, so far there are only a few states that seem to be very serious about cornhole!
As for actual competition, teams can compete in both singles and doubles matches. They can play a certain number of games at each event, and the team that wins the majority of the games would win the event. I guess one team would have to travel far in order to play at the other team's home court; maybe they could meet somewhere in the middle.
The game will have to continue to grow in order to get enough teams to compete, so far there are only a few states that seem to be very serious about cornhole!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Hustlin' in the New Sport
Hustling is found in many bar sports like billiards and darts, and you can be sure to find gamblers just about anywhere. Cornhole is becoming a popular new bar sport where people play for money or drinks. Players will usually put down five or ten dollars a game, or sometimes a lot more. Where money can be earned by playing a game, you are sure to come about some hustlers. If you are a good player among stankers who like to gamble, you can easily drink free for the night. If you are playing for just cold hard cash, you can probably take home enough for a tank of gas (and drink free for the night!). However if you are an average player, watch out for those that always seem to give you a close game and always beat you. They might be "sandbagging" a little just so you will play them again. Hustlers like to keep it close to make their opponents feel like they have a chance to win. Their goal is to make the other team say "man we were so close, we can take them."
Many believe this to be unethical behavior, even if the other team does not care about losing a couple bucks. Maybe a less "deceiving" way to play for money is to let the other team know you are good, and spot them a few points before taking their money, lol. There is really no fair way to hustle, but playing for cash or drinks is so much more exciting, isn't it? Most people will disagree on this, but one thing I noticed is that it makes you try a lot harder to win the game. Obviously this is because you have something to lose, but this can actually make you a better player too. Playing under pressure is one of the best ways to prepare for a tournament, and playing cash games may be one of the best ways to play under pressure.
Many believe this to be unethical behavior, even if the other team does not care about losing a couple bucks. Maybe a less "deceiving" way to play for money is to let the other team know you are good, and spot them a few points before taking their money, lol. There is really no fair way to hustle, but playing for cash or drinks is so much more exciting, isn't it? Most people will disagree on this, but one thing I noticed is that it makes you try a lot harder to win the game. Obviously this is because you have something to lose, but this can actually make you a better player too. Playing under pressure is one of the best ways to prepare for a tournament, and playing cash games may be one of the best ways to play under pressure.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Difference Between Bags
There are many things that can affect the way the game is played, and even performance. One of these things is the type of bags that are used in gameplay. Different players are used to using different types of bags. Whether it is the set they have at home or the ones they use at the bar, every player has a preference.
The type of bag you use affects the way you play. Players get used to the size, shape, and weight of the bags they use. These properties of bean bags reflect the way the player pitches the bag, and changes the way they throw. Of course, the type or set of boards you play on will affect the way you throw the bag as well. For the purpose of this article, I will discuss how the type of bags you play with can affect the way you pitch your game.
Every player can agree to expect each bag in a given set to feel the same, so why do some feel different than others at some tournaments? This can be one of the most aggravating things that can happen to a competitive player while at a tournament, and it seems to happen too often. Individuals that play in tournaments frequently are able to feel these differences in size, weight, and shape quite easily. These players know that lighter bags should be thrown harder or spun more to cut through the wind. Heavy bags are not affected by the wind as much. Bags that have a different feel in shape or weight usually have a corn fill and tend to break down over time, causing the difference in feel.
Bean bags can also vary in the materials used to make them. The type of cloth used can affect the shape and feel of the bag. It can also cause the bag to either slide or stick on the board when a player pitches. So what type is best? It all depends on what the players are used to, and bean bags will continue to be made differently until a very detailed set of specifications is made standard.
The type of bag you use affects the way you play. Players get used to the size, shape, and weight of the bags they use. These properties of bean bags reflect the way the player pitches the bag, and changes the way they throw. Of course, the type or set of boards you play on will affect the way you throw the bag as well. For the purpose of this article, I will discuss how the type of bags you play with can affect the way you pitch your game.
Every player can agree to expect each bag in a given set to feel the same, so why do some feel different than others at some tournaments? This can be one of the most aggravating things that can happen to a competitive player while at a tournament, and it seems to happen too often. Individuals that play in tournaments frequently are able to feel these differences in size, weight, and shape quite easily. These players know that lighter bags should be thrown harder or spun more to cut through the wind. Heavy bags are not affected by the wind as much. Bags that have a different feel in shape or weight usually have a corn fill and tend to break down over time, causing the difference in feel.
Bean bags can also vary in the materials used to make them. The type of cloth used can affect the shape and feel of the bag. It can also cause the bag to either slide or stick on the board when a player pitches. So what type is best? It all depends on what the players are used to, and bean bags will continue to be made differently until a very detailed set of specifications is made standard.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Play during the Winter!
So just because it is getting cold outside and the snow will start falling soon, you are just gonna give up pitching bags and wait for the Spring to bring the warmth back to your game? You can't give up that easily! I am sure you can find a place somewhere that has a set of boards you can play on while it is cold outside. If not, what is stopping you from talking to a local bar/restaurant about setting up a league, tournament, or just a set of boxes to play on?
Summer is long time away to pick up where you left off in your cornhole game. If you are a serious player, you might find yourself falling behind once those summer tournaments start to kick off. Those players in the sunny-year-round states are going to catch up quicker than you think! And they will probably start traveling to your state and beat you at your home court!
If you are an average player, this is the perfect time to practice up for the big summer tournaments. Cornhole is really a simple game of repetition and accuracy that can be mastered in no time at all. Of course, if you want to be the best you will have to play in a few tournaments where you can play the best players. The best players in the country have been playing tournaments for a few years now. As the sport becomes more competitive, players are trying to play as often as possible to maintain and improve their game. So it is time for all of us to do the same: play more, spread the game, and become part of the development of this game into a national sport. More and more great players are popping up from around the country, and in my opinion... the best are yet to come.
Summer is long time away to pick up where you left off in your cornhole game. If you are a serious player, you might find yourself falling behind once those summer tournaments start to kick off. Those players in the sunny-year-round states are going to catch up quicker than you think! And they will probably start traveling to your state and beat you at your home court!
If you are an average player, this is the perfect time to practice up for the big summer tournaments. Cornhole is really a simple game of repetition and accuracy that can be mastered in no time at all. Of course, if you want to be the best you will have to play in a few tournaments where you can play the best players. The best players in the country have been playing tournaments for a few years now. As the sport becomes more competitive, players are trying to play as often as possible to maintain and improve their game. So it is time for all of us to do the same: play more, spread the game, and become part of the development of this game into a national sport. More and more great players are popping up from around the country, and in my opinion... the best are yet to come.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Fix Your Bouncy Boards
Have you built a set of boards that seem to bounce every time you hit the middle of the board? There is a way to fix this problem without taking the set apart, and it is rather easy. You can simply use a two by four as a cross-brace underneath the box. Many builders use this in the design of their boards. The board should be placed about half-way in between the hole and the bottom of the board. This design fixes the bounce-effect very well, no matter what type of boards you have. It works for three foot and four foot boards alike.
One way to prevent this from the start is to use a thicker surface board. Most people seem to use half-inch plywood in the construction of their boards. Half-inch plywood does allow the bags to bounce, but it also depends on the quality of wood and how well the set is put together. I would recommend using something a bit thicker than half-inch plywood. 3/4 inch plywood works and almost allows for no bounce at all. The ACO uses something in between (5/8" with a small cross-brace), and it seems to reduce the bounce a lot.
In my opinion, I think it is better to allow the bag to bounce a little bit. It can be a useful shot if your opponent's bag is right in front of the hole. Sometimes you can bounce right over it and make it in the hole without moving the other bag. Bouncy boards require more accuracy because there is not as much leeway for an inaccurate shot.
One way to prevent this from the start is to use a thicker surface board. Most people seem to use half-inch plywood in the construction of their boards. Half-inch plywood does allow the bags to bounce, but it also depends on the quality of wood and how well the set is put together. I would recommend using something a bit thicker than half-inch plywood. 3/4 inch plywood works and almost allows for no bounce at all. The ACO uses something in between (5/8" with a small cross-brace), and it seems to reduce the bounce a lot.
In my opinion, I think it is better to allow the bag to bounce a little bit. It can be a useful shot if your opponent's bag is right in front of the hole. Sometimes you can bounce right over it and make it in the hole without moving the other bag. Bouncy boards require more accuracy because there is not as much leeway for an inaccurate shot.
Monday, October 12, 2009
In My Opinion...
How big will the sport of cornhole actually get? If it becomes a competitive sport aired on television, what would it be like? Would the rules change at all? How would the sport be organized? I'll give you an idea of what I think the sport will be developed into during the next couple of years.
First of all, I think right now that the American Cornhole Organization (ACO) has a major grip on the sport, and therefore the best chance of bringing it to television. At this stage, I think it all comes down to the money and sponsors. Whatever organizations are able to bring in the most prize money through sponsorships, etc. will end up being the big players in controlling where the game ends up. However, it also depends on the planning and structure that the "pro" players are involved in now. Right now, the ACO is really the only organization that recognizes the best players in the country, and the players seem to like the way the ACO is running things... for the most part.
There are a couple "cracks" in the way things are going right now, but you have to expect that in the development of a entire new sport. So let's say the ACO does become the governing body of the sport and organizes a Pro Tour. Right now they have a lot going for them in terms of developing a way to rank players and have them compete against each other. However, there have been a few complaints about the way tournaments are operated and such. I am certain that all the little problems with the way the rankings and tournaments are structured will be sorted out by the ACO soon because they seem to listen to what the players want.
I believe that the future of competitive bean bags will be similar to the way the ACO does now. Players will earn points in a series of single-elimination tournaments throughout the year, and be ranked based on the points they earn.
First of all, I think right now that the American Cornhole Organization (ACO) has a major grip on the sport, and therefore the best chance of bringing it to television. At this stage, I think it all comes down to the money and sponsors. Whatever organizations are able to bring in the most prize money through sponsorships, etc. will end up being the big players in controlling where the game ends up. However, it also depends on the planning and structure that the "pro" players are involved in now. Right now, the ACO is really the only organization that recognizes the best players in the country, and the players seem to like the way the ACO is running things... for the most part.
There are a couple "cracks" in the way things are going right now, but you have to expect that in the development of a entire new sport. So let's say the ACO does become the governing body of the sport and organizes a Pro Tour. Right now they have a lot going for them in terms of developing a way to rank players and have them compete against each other. However, there have been a few complaints about the way tournaments are operated and such. I am certain that all the little problems with the way the rankings and tournaments are structured will be sorted out by the ACO soon because they seem to listen to what the players want.
I believe that the future of competitive bean bags will be similar to the way the ACO does now. Players will earn points in a series of single-elimination tournaments throughout the year, and be ranked based on the points they earn.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Cornhole Nationals
The biggest event in cornhole is coming up soon to end this season of the American Cornhole Organization's Master Series. It is the Cornhole Nationals in Las Vegas on January 28-30, 2010. This event is the Super Bowl of cornhole and will feature some of the best players across the country competing in singles and doubles events. This weekend-long event will be located at the Orleans Hotel which is only a few minutes from the Las Vegas strip. Here is a schedule of some of the activities taking place that weekend.
January 28th:
There will be a luck of the draw tournament, airmail challenge, board challenge, and consecutive pitch challenge. This is a prelude to the competitive tournaments on the following days.
January 29th:
A qualifier singles event for the King of Cornhole and competitve and Pro doubles event will take place. The top 24 finishers of the qualifier event will advance to the king of cornhole tournament. Players choose to either play in the competitve doubles (no two ACO pros on a team) or the Pro doubles (any two players).
January 30th:
The King of Cornhole main event and a few sudden death tournaments on the last day. Previous three-peat champion Matt Guy will look to add another win under his belt.
Visit AmericanCornhole.org to get more information on this event and sign up for the greatest cornhole event of the year! It is a great opportunity to meet and compete with the best players in the world.
January 28th:
There will be a luck of the draw tournament, airmail challenge, board challenge, and consecutive pitch challenge. This is a prelude to the competitive tournaments on the following days.
January 29th:
A qualifier singles event for the King of Cornhole and competitve and Pro doubles event will take place. The top 24 finishers of the qualifier event will advance to the king of cornhole tournament. Players choose to either play in the competitve doubles (no two ACO pros on a team) or the Pro doubles (any two players).
January 30th:
The King of Cornhole main event and a few sudden death tournaments on the last day. Previous three-peat champion Matt Guy will look to add another win under his belt.
Visit AmericanCornhole.org to get more information on this event and sign up for the greatest cornhole event of the year! It is a great opportunity to meet and compete with the best players in the world.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
CornholeBlog.com
I was looking around on the web and I found another blog about cornhole! I do not know why I have not seen it before, it has been around since 2008, but it is a cool site to visit. The author blogs about news, events, and tournaments going on in the cornhole world. Most recently, there were a few posts about the World Championships of Cornhole in Evansville, IN. This was one of the biggest cornhole events of the year with over 100 teams in attendance.
It is good to see that others are trying to spread the word about the game. People are doing it in different ways using all kinds of media. Whether it is on the internet, radio, television, newspapers, or magazines, people found a reason to write about cornhole. It starts with the events. Perhaps 95% of articles and blogs are written about cornhole events, tournaments, and fundraisers that take place across the country. Blogs at CornholeBlog.com are the same way. Almost every post is about a cornhole event that took place somewhere, and had an impact on many people. Other posts were written to provide information on where to buy products, for those that are new to the game and confused by all the standards, specs, and rules.
I would expect to see many more blogs like CornholeBlog.com come about within the next few years. With the increasing popularity of the game, more events and tournaments are going to take place and more people will become addicted to the game. Hopefully it will become as popular as bowling or billiards, so we could eventually see it on ESPN someday. CornholeBlog.com, may we pave the way for future blogs and articles that will soon arise and flood the internet with great cornhole literature for all those bean bag enthusiasts out there!
It is good to see that others are trying to spread the word about the game. People are doing it in different ways using all kinds of media. Whether it is on the internet, radio, television, newspapers, or magazines, people found a reason to write about cornhole. It starts with the events. Perhaps 95% of articles and blogs are written about cornhole events, tournaments, and fundraisers that take place across the country. Blogs at CornholeBlog.com are the same way. Almost every post is about a cornhole event that took place somewhere, and had an impact on many people. Other posts were written to provide information on where to buy products, for those that are new to the game and confused by all the standards, specs, and rules.
I would expect to see many more blogs like CornholeBlog.com come about within the next few years. With the increasing popularity of the game, more events and tournaments are going to take place and more people will become addicted to the game. Hopefully it will become as popular as bowling or billiards, so we could eventually see it on ESPN someday. CornholeBlog.com, may we pave the way for future blogs and articles that will soon arise and flood the internet with great cornhole literature for all those bean bag enthusiasts out there!
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