The M.A.T. Game

The M.A.T. Game: “The Most Attempts Tracking Game”

This game is played using the various tricks in any given “Practice Set.” The “Practice Set” changes as I learn and incorporate new tricks.

Before playing The M.A.T. Game, decide on which tricks you’ll be using. Probably best to decide on a set that  you’ll use consistently for a while, so you can track  your progress. I’ll use Practice Set 2.2 as the example to explain the rules.

In Practice Set 2.2, there are 22 tricks (just happens to be that way, I got the name from making adjustments to the old Drill Set 2.1). The goal of The M.A.T. Game is to move through the Practice Set, attempting to land each trick, counting the attempts per trick, and trying to land each trick in as few attempts as possible. Whatever is the highest number of attempts for any given trick becomes the “M.A.T. number”, or the “ceiling”, so to speak. Throughout consecutive rounds or over the course of days, the object of competition is to see if I can reduce the M.A.T. number to as low as possible, eventually having a perfect game.

In the blog notes for any given session, I indicate the M.A.T. number and the trick which caused that highest number of attempts before getting the make. I also indicate the runner up trick(s) and the number of attempts that went into it before getting the make.

Example:
On Friday 12/6, during my first ever run through of The M.A.T. game, I used Practice Set 2.2. The trick that took the most attempts was a tie: Heelflips and No Comply Impossibles tied as the M.A.T tricks at 7 attempts each (make on the 7th). The runner up with Varial Flips at 5 attempts.

On Saturday 12/7, I did two rounds of Practice Set 2.2.
Round 1: M.A.T. Trick: Fakie Heelflip @ 23 attempts (M.A.T. number 23). Runner up: Varial Flip @ 5 attempts. (I’ll note here that in Round 2 I got the fakie heelflip on the very first attempt!).
Round 2: M.A.T. Trick: 180 Backside kickflips @ 8 attempts. Runner up M.A.T. trick, tied between Varial Flips and Fakie Varial Flips @ 5 attempts.

This game can be practiced at the same time as other games which are based off of any given Practice Set, such as the F.A.M. Game. (This is different than a game like The Component Game which is based on breaking down usually 25 attempts of any given one trick).