Wrestling Tourney: Preventing Body Fatigue

Hey Guys and Gals,

Wrestling season is approaching soon. I am going to be the Official Photographer for a 32-team, two day tournament this January. I will be sitting matside and started wondering how my body will be handling these two long days of shooting. I've done dual and tri-meets, plus tournaments where I only shot one team -- so I had some breaks in between matches. This will be non-stop shooting for hours upon hours.

If I sit with my legs crossed (indian style), after a bit, my feet fall asleep and getting the feeling back takes some time. Shooting on my knees is fine for a bit too, but that also wears on the body.

This tournament will run on 4 mats for the first several rounds, and I was wondering if anyone has tried using a foldable stool (like a hunter might use) to sit and shoot from, or something similar?

Any advice on shooting (body) positions will be appreciated.

Not at indoor matches, or wrestling matches for that matter, but I do use a fold up hunting stool when I do outdoor soccer shoots. Only drawback is that I can't swivel around without hopping the chair along on its axis. I usually sit between two fields and shoot whichever one has the action nearest to me at the time.

A friend of mine who coaches girls softball told me of a paricular device he's seen around the fields that essentially looks like a 5 gallon bucket with a padded swiveling stool seat on the top. Gotta look for those.

But, I agree with you. The first time I went to shoot soccer, I was either squatting or kneeling the whole time (about 4 hours worth). I could hardly walk around the next day my legs were so sore.

Study the form of a rifle marksman, standing, sitting, kneeling, and prone.

---Bob Gross---

Here's a nifty idea - The Flipstick.

Anyone ever use one of these?

Gatorboy wrote:
Here's a nifty idea - The Flipstick.

How old are you? Why are you expecting to sit in one place for the whole day?

When I was shooting boxing and wrestling, I was just as tired as the wrestlers... cause I was changing the positions constantly, trying to get the best angle to get both of the player in the frame.

I'm not expecting to sit in one place all day. I'm looking for some advice to cope with fatigue. The portable seat idea is something I may want to use if my back or knees need a break.

Here is another portable stool that swivels from Bass Pro Shops.

Get some volleyball knee pads. Don't squat. Sit. Stand. Kneel. Let your bones take the strain, not your muscles. Use a monopod.

Don't stay in one place 'till it hurts. Move around.

Some of the best wrestling photos that I have seen were shot from the floor level. The photographer used a bean bag and had his own belly on the floor. The only parts that got sore were his elbows.

---Bob Gross---