This time we're going to talk about several "trick" throws that you can make while passing clubs, including fairly basic throws and difficult ones. Most of these can also be adapted to ball passing or solo juggling.

Techniques for Practicing New Throws

Before we get into particular types of throws, let's discuss how to practice any new throw. Use these techniques with each new throw that's difficult for you.

For starters, practice a new throw with just one club, without actually juggling. You and your partner can throw one club back and forth while you each get used to making - and catching - some trick throw. This lets you concentrate on gripping the club correctly and throwing it to the right place. Watch where the club lands and see how easy or hard it is for your partner to catch. In general, visualize where you want the club to go and then throw it there. This may sound simple, but it works. You may need to throw further inside or outside, higher or lower, shorter or longer, or with more or less spin to make the club readily catchable. Perfect the throw this way before putting it into a juggling pattern.

Once you can make the throw with one club in isolation, add more clubs. Try the throw while passing four or five clubs around in a 2-count (every one), with one or two consecutive holes in the six-club pattern. Use those holes to get plenty of time to make the set up, the throw and the recovery. When you throw the trick using the last of the clubs (the club followed by the holes). you have a lot of time afterwards to recover. When you throw the special pass with the first of the clubs (the club following the holes). you have more time to get ready for the throw. Try both of these. If you're able to make the special pass reasonably well both ways, fill out the pattern to six clubs and try the trick in a 2-count.

Often a trick throw requires a little extra time for moving your arm. You can gain time for such a move by catching your self throw a little early and immediately moving toward the trick's throwing position. In general, as soon as you get the club into your passing hand, start moving it toward the throwing position. Don't stop with a club in your hand while you think about the other hand for a moment. Keep moving toward the destination.

With most body throws, where you have to reach around part of your body to make the throw, hold the club at or on the knob so that you can reach as far as possible with the club as you pass it.

Under the Leg

One of the easiest special throws you can make while passing is a throw under the leg. Either leg can be used. You can make a fancy combination by passing under alternate legs on consecutive throws. If you're passing right handed, the easier leg to start with is probably your right leg, but the left leg isn't much more difficult.

Lift your right leg out to the right side a little and throw from the knob under the upper part of the right leg, at or just above the knee. It's not necessary to keep your knee straight. Just get the lower part of your leg out of the way of the club, mainly by lifting to the right. Try to get your throw up to your partner's shoulder level without overspinning, but anything from waist level up can be caught. Avoid throwing inside to your partner because an inside throw is harder to catch and is potentially dangerous since it can collide with your partner's self or your partner's body.

To pass under your left leg (with your right hand). also lift the leg toward the right, moving it further than for the right leg.

An advanced move is to throw a left hand self under the left leg and the immediately next right hand pass under the right leg, a very energetic exercise when you try to keep this going for several throws. To make a self throw under the leg, just lift the leg straight in front of you and throw under the upper part of the leg. You can throw a self under either leg. Try them both, with both hands. In fact, another advanced move is to make a left self under the right leg and then a right pass under the still-raised right leg, possibly continuing under that leg with more throws.

The Flat

Another relatively easy trick is the flat, in which the club doesn't spin at all while enroute to your partner. We'll describe three types of flats: the under­handed shovel flat and the overhanded spear and fish. For any flat, to keep the club from spinning, hold it in the middle, near the center of gravity. Don't swing your arm (as you usually would in a regular spinning pass) but push your hand straight forward with a little upward angle to loft the pass enough to reach your partner.

To throw a shovel flat, first catch the club in the middle. Then hold it at waist level with your hand palm down and with your elbow bent and behind you a little. The club should be pointing forward and up at about a 45 degree angle, which is the angle you want the club to stay at for it entire trip. The knob points down and backwards (see Fig. 1). When you first start throwing flats, you'll probably find that they tend to rotate a little one way or the other. With practice you can stop that rotation by releasing the club with a push away from your hand, keeping your forearm at a mostly constant angle relative to the ground. If the club always rotates one way, actually try to make it rotate the other direction. Keep in mind the idea that you want to push or shovel it to your partner.

The spear is very pretty and a fairly easy flat to throw. This is an overhand throw which actually spins slightly. Again catch the club in the middle, fairly early to give yourself time for the overhand throw. Immediately raise your hand to shoulder level as you might to make a long throw. The knob should now be pointing forward with about a 30 degree upward tilt.

As you pull the club back to this position, change your grip from surrounding the club to a fingertip grip as you might use to throw a spear or dart. This is done

by holding on with your thumb and index finger and letting the club rotate away from your palm until it is held by all five fingertips (see Fig. 2). Now throw the club forward and upward (in about the direction it is pointing) with an easy dart-throwing motion. The desired result is to get the club to slowly rotate down­ward, like a spear does in flight, so that it is pointing down about 30 degrees when it reaches your partner, making the catch right side up and simple.

The fish is thrown from the same overhand position as the spear, but with the knob pointing backwards and down. The throwing motion is about the same as with the spear, except that you don't want the club to rotate at all while traveling. That again allows it to be caught right side up. The main trick here is getting the club into position in your hand with the knob pointing back. To do that, catch the club in the middle, as early as possible. As you raise your hand, let the club ride on your middle finger while you slide your thumb around from the top to the right side, the bottom and finally the left side of the handle. At this point, you should have the club in the fingertip grip (see Fig. 3), ready to throw the fish, which should keep its head up about 30 to 45 degrees as it flies to your partner.