2004 Association Training Conference

• CCCBR booklet "One Way to Teach Bell Handling"
• Bell handling can be taught from a down bell, as well as on an up bell
• Any method has to be adapted to the learner

• Hearing the bell is helpful
     - car tyre muffles
     - simulator
     - 'dingler'
• Safe box(es)
• Dummy tail end

• Introduce the bell
     - Garter hole & pulley; bounce
     - Stay
     - Safety - bell in motion
• What’s the rope for?
• Can’t push
• Can’t tell up from down by the rope
• If things go wrong...
• Which hand on top?
• Little finger demo

• Need awareness - keep low key
• Already done:
     - Bell in motion
     - Can’t tell up from down by the rope
     - If things go wrong...
• Point out the obvious
     - Don’t go near an up bell
     - Check up or down before pulling a rope
• Watch for hands above and behind

• Avoid or explain jargon
• Don't suggest mistakes
• Give positive instructions
• Don't try to cure everything at once
• Always revise last lesson
• Don't try to perfect each stage before moving on - revision works better
• Mild distraction, or a break, cures a lot of faults
• Hands above the learner's DO NOT help

• Tying up the rope
• Taking in rope
• Letting rope out
• Changing speed
• Raising
• Lowering
• Theory - call changes & method

• Rope length
• Thumb across rope
• RELAX!
• Explain what's going to happen - and that may not be able to stop first time
• Remind to pull GENTLY
• Keep your hands to yourself!
• Use to develop feel

• Looking up
• Anticipating
• Stopping pulls short
• Stiff elbows / not pulling straight
• Elbows stuck out to the side
• Tugging
• Holding rope too high / too low
• Hands behind at top of stroke

• Pull off slowly
• Keep pulling - more gently
• Let go!
• At waist level
• Teacher keep a short tail end

• Handstroke pull-off with tail end
     - Start on tail, teach transfer to sally
     - Short tail end
     - Check for tidy hand transfer to tail end
• Introduce timing
• Need to catch from backstroke pull (not teacher’s)
• Wait for safe backstroke pulls - suggest a single catch
• Increase numbers and frequency of catches

• Previous approach nearly always works
• For the very rare, very nervous learner:
  
• Teacher has tail end, learner has sally.
• Teacher needs to control strength of backstroke to safeguard stay (and learner!)
     - teacher may need to practice!

• Catching at the wrong height
• Slipping sally
• Late hand on tail end
• Stopping pulls short
• Fumbling for the rope
• One or two lower hand fingers on sally
• Tail end over thumb
• Lower hand on top on sally
• Hands separated
• Pushing up

• Lots of practice!
• Introduce to ringing with others (rounds on simulator first if possible)
• Keep one to one sessions going
     - watch for faults developing
     - teach speed changes
     - aiming for complete control of bell
     - relaxed handling of rope