36-4,p35

TIPS & TRICKS

Passer's Corner by Jeff Napier

French Chops: Watch Arsene for these. They are like ordinary passing chops, but passed from the left side of the head using your right hand. Timing is important.

Left French Chops: In a shower pass, simply throw a French chop using your left hand. There is a tendency to underspin, so wind up your wrist well to get the proper spin. The club should float somewhat. In every others, throw a right-to-left self double and then the left French chop.

Froggie Catch: Catch an incoming pass with your left hand inverted. This way you flourish the club as you bring it back to a regular situation. Your arm and hand will look like a frog's front arm because your elbow is bent and forward.

Hawaiian Toe Throw: You must be barefoot. Simply pick up a dropped club between your big toe and the other toes. Pass it to your partner flat, using only your foot. The more difficult variation as done by Salty Scott Pruitt is picked up the same way, but passed with a rearward kick that brings it up behind the body and over the head to the partner.

Head Balance: Set a club on your head with your left hand and then immediately take it off with your right. The club can be horizontal or vertical. Vertical looks harder, but I think it's not because you take it off so soon that it doesn't really need to balance. You can also bash the club off your head with the club held in your right hand. In every others, I throw the next right club after the pass with a double spin to my own left hand and then set the left club vertical. I then bash it to my partner and catch the left double to keep juggling.

Kicks: These can be done in every others or showers. The basic move is to hold a club low and horizontal in front of your body and kick it to your partner. The variations are endless. You can set with the left hand and kick with the right or left foot about equally well. Setting with the right hand is more difficult, but not impossible. The kick, using your toe or the top of your ankle, should be more of a lift than a hit. Accelerate the club and your foot together. In every others, it's easier to throw yourself a right-to-Ieft double before you set the left club. This gives you more time to get the set accurate.

(Jeff Napier's book, "Advanced Passing, Vol. 4," is available for $12. )

Simple seven club variation

Here's a different and relatively easy seven club passing pattern. One partner holds four clubs and begins the pattern by passing the partner a high triple spin throw.

The next throw is a single to himself. As the partner receives the high triple throw, he or she return throws a high triple spin, then juggle one self beat. The pattern continues for each as: triple throw pass, single self. If you can't pass seven clubs, you'll find it works just as easily with balls. Try it!