Juggling Tricks
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Sam Yates

Two ball tricks, um, there's one I like which involves a bit of illusion, so to speak. The key part of it involves 'sucking' one ball from one hand to the other. For example, take a ball in your left hand (facing up), and position your right hand above it. Draw your right hand upwards, while gently throwing the ball up from your left hand, so as to make it appear that your right hand is drawing it upwards. You should catch the ball at about the peak of its arc, and keep the right hand moving a little after you've caught it to help maintain the illusion.

Now with two balls, one in each hand, you can do the same thing; first throw the right ball in a gentle small arc to the left, and then do the trick described above, and catch the first ball in your left hand after you've thrown the second. Repeat :-)

Alternatively, you can alternate between drawing up the right hand and the left.

Another one, which is along the same lines, is to hold a ball in your hand, facing down (like a claw), at about waist level. Bring it up rapidly, and extend ones hand out flat, so that it appears that the ball is stuck to your palm. Once it starts to fall away, follow it down with your hand so that it still looks stuck, and catch it at the bottom and repeat. This looks neat when done with both hands, left then right then left, etc.

I've seen people do parallel contact juggling tricks with two balls, but I lack the skill to perform or describe them :)

David Ward

A neat two ball trick that I've always liked uses the same basic move [as described by Sam Yates above]. This trick also gives the illusion that one of the balls is moving upwards on its own. Start by holding one ball in each hand, one facing downward and the other facing upward. The hand holding the downward facing ball should be about shoulder height and the other should be above the waist. Now drop the higher ball at the same time you throw the low one up. The throw should peak at the shoulders. While the balls are in the air, the hands should move laterally to catch the balls thrown from the opposite hand. Try to make the balls move on the edge of a square plane in front of you. After catching the balls, move your hands laterally again back to the starting position and repeat. You can get an interesting robotic looking move out of this where the balls move in a square in front of you. When done properly, the upward thrown ball seems to move up by itself.

Another move is what I would consider a 'classic' since it seems to me that I've seen it done ever since I started juggling. Hold one ball in your hand facing down at the floor. Hold it with your thumb and two smaller fingers so that the index and middle fingers are free. Now make a peace sign with these fingers and balance the other ball in the groove so that you are now holding both balls with the same hand. Now move the hand upward, releasing the ball being held. Grasp the ball that was being balanced, quickly reform your hand to its original shape and catch the released ball. In short, make the balls trade places. This can be done in a daring and impressive way such that an audience might OOOH or AAAH for you. Make the catch as close to the floor as possible to make it look difficult.

Angus Orde

Much more simple than than tricks described so far, is a 3-ball cascade with a gap (330 ?). Then if you use the gap to wave to the audience (or mop your brow) you will find that people find it looks quite impressive. This can be used quite nicely as an introduction to the 3-ball cascade, and is just about as easy with clubs as it is with balls.

Allen Knutson

My favorite two-ball tricks are 40303, 411, and the amazing 501, a two-ball pattern that can actually help you learn 5! [see the siteswaps files -mpg]

Ab Wilson

There's a silly two ball trick which someone showed me as a way of learning a "proper" three ball trick.

You hold one ball in each hand, palms down (claw style), with your arms crossed (say left arm over right). Then which ever hand is underneath (right hand) throws the ball strait up and catches it over the other arm. Now the arms are crossed the other way (right arm over left) and you just repeat the trick with the other hand etc.

The balls never change hands, but when the trick is done fast and fluently it's quite difficult to work out what's going on.

3 Ball Tricks

Ab Wilson

  I came upon a 3 ball trick that I don't have a name for and have not
  seen done. It is sort of a 1/2 box. 1 ball in the right hand goes
  straight up and down, like the box, and the other 2 balls go in a
  counterclockwise shower pattern. It is not symmetric and can be done
  either direction.  Anybody got a name for this or a siteswap? It is
  not a very difficult trick.

I think the trick you're describing is called the "slam" over here. The term comes from the way you throw the ball from the left to the right (the slam).

There are some variations on this. Firstly it sounds to me like you're throwing the slam underneath the ball that comes out (i.e. like a shower pattern). Well you can also throw the slam over the ball the comes out. Some people tell me that they find this easier. To these people I say, "You're weird".

Secondly (since you can do the trick in both directions) you can alternate the slam from either hand to make the trick symmetric. You can of course mix this up with the first variation to great effect. There was a guy at the EJC doing this. The net result was a pattern with balls going in every possible direction which got my prize for the best three ball trick of the convention. (The same juggler also: did a shower with the one throw done as head rolls; flashed up three balls, did a half pirouette and continued juggling with the balls behind his back, flashed them up turned again and continued juggling in conventional manner; did the neatest penguin I've ever seen; did a box with the ball that goes across the middle being thrown OVER the balls on either side (i.e. a sort of clawed box)--- don't ask me how. Who was he?)

  The second is harder. From a 3 ball shower throw 1 high. While the
  high 1 is up swap the other 2 ball positions in a 2 ball shower
  manner. This can be done once or twice or repeated
  continually. Anybody have a name for this one and a notation that
  would show this pattern on JugglePro? 

 

This sounds sort of like a 531 siteswap, or a 73131, or indeed a 9313131.

Steven Ragatz

(sarcastic font on) Well I guess that I should have expected it. Monday A.M. and my mail box is filled with requests for those "Killer three ball tricks that are VERY easy..." I had intended the posting as a joke... I guess that it wasn't very funny, oh well. (Unfortunately UNIX does not allow me the luxury of my favorite sarcastic font.) At any rate, here are some good - easy three ball tricks that I use...

Three Ball Start Hold three balls in a triangle shape in one hand. With a swinging arm motion and a little wrist flip, toss all three over the same shoulder. Line the swing of the arm with the shoulder plane. With all three in the air, claw the first two as the balls go up. Catch the third and start juggling. It helps if you make the toss straight up and keep the elbow out (like a chicken.) At the point of release, you hand should be next to your shoulder.

Neck Catch If you have had dance lessons, this trick is the ol' flat back exercise. Toss the ball just over your head, say about three to six inches. Watch the ball with your eyes and not with your face. Just as the ball goes out of view, follow the ball down and catch it in the nape of your neck. It is important that you pull your shoulder blades back and keep your head up for the catch. This makes a little pocket and the base of the neck where the ball rests. It is also important to follow the ball down. If you have trouble with the ball bouncing off of your head or back, you probably need to think more "catch" than "neck."

Chin/Ear/Mouth Catch One ball is tossed into the base of your throat. By dropping you chin to your chest, you can trap the ball. The ear catch is the same but the ball is trapped between the ear and the shoulder. (Same ear - same shoulder. Don't hurt yourself...) Mouth catch - just suck. (No tongue. It makes a clean spot on the ball.)

Juggling Head Rolls One hand rolls a ball off of the head instead of a throw. The ball is set just off of center so that it rolls to the opposite hand. Nice move with continuous rolls on one side. Killer trick with both hands rolling all throws.

(boldface sarcastic font on) Fritz's Frenzy The description takes 2.6 MB compressed tar. I can E-mail it to those who really want it but I shouldn't post it here. boldface sarcastic font off)

Yo-Yo/Oy-Oy/Barbell This is the old favorite. Two in one hand while holding the third in the other. Move the extra third ball in sync with one of the balls being juggled. Depending on which ball you choose you can get the different illusions. This trick is really good if the isolations are clean. Think mime.

Rolling Hey! It don't get much easier than this! Roll them in a shower on the floor.

One Up - Two Up Two in one hand and throw the third ball up as well. You can make that third ball do figure 8 patterns around the two, circle in and out or do back-crosses/shoulder-throws. Do lots of tricks with the extra ball.

Kick-Up Start with one ball on your foot. Kick up into three. Whee. OR... you can catch the ball between your heals and kick up straight over your head and into a beautiful three ball cascade. Ahhh... (Try not to kick the ball into the back of your head. Ohhh... You'll figure this one out...)

Claw Catch and throw with you palms facing down. This can be added to just about any trick for some additional dramatic effect. Dum, Dum, Dum!

Well that's about it. If you want some more creative ones, I'll see what I can come up with. If you want some harder ones, I'll post more. Otherwise I shall refrain from anymore sarcastic postings. (I wouldn't want to interfere with all of the IMPORTANT discussions that go on with rec.juggling.)

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