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Page 31 Spring 1985
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Some
interesting patterns for ball bouncers by
Jeff Walker With
a good surface and high bouncing balls, ball bouncing can be
beautiful. Here are a couple of patterns I discovered. Both are
"lift" bounces, that is, the balls are tossed a few inches
upward instead of being forced down. The
first is a rather energetic four ball pattern. The right and left
hands alternate in their throwing, and the balls do not cross
between hands. It is best to learn one hand at a time: The
first ball is thrown toward the opposite side of the body to land in
front of the opposite foot as in a five ball cascade lift bounce.
Then the second ball is thrown in the same way, after which the
throwing hand reaches across to the opposite side and claws the
first toss to toss it again in the same manner. Repeat. The complete
pattern is actually slower than you might think. The main problem is
keeping throws close and controlled. The
second pattern is for five balls, with three in a bounce and two not
touching the ground and each hand throwing simultaneously. If you
start with three in your right hand, here's how it goes: Throw
a ball from each hand a few inches upward and very slightly to the
left to the same height (fig. 1). Immediately throw two more the same
height very slightly to the right. The one thrown from the left hand
will pass over the first one thrown from the right. Of the first two thrown, catch the left one in the left hand but allow the right one to continue falling (fig. 2). The third pair of throws is done just like the first, slightly toward the left. Immediately after throwing, the right hand catches the ball which it threw of the second pair, and the left hand catches the first ball thrown by the right hand, which has bounced. The second left hand throw is allowed to fall through the middle (fig. 3). And so on. Just remember to keep the bounced balls in a narrow pattern, catch them palm downward, and keep smiling! * |
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