Rotating Three Count Triangle Feed

Rob Street of York, England, submitted this pattern to the network newsgroup rec.juggling this Spring and it reminded me of the Supernova that I described last time, though this one has nine clubs and the Supernova has 10. Both are triangle patterns with two people doing pass-pass-self, although the 10-club Supernova has the third person passing more often than in this nine-club triangle. If you have trouble with the Supernova, try this easier pattern, which, nevertheless, is "Ah, another lovely pattern to get the grey matter working," according to Rob.

In this pattern, whose causal diagram is shown in Fig. 2, juggler A does a three-count, always passing to B and always receiving from C. (I call this type of pass a "triangle pass," because all three people are passing at the same and everyone is passing to one person but receiving from another. There are no exchanges of clubs between any two people in a triangle pass.) It is the easiest role in the pattern.

Each of jugglers B and C does pass-pass-self (PPS). But B passes only to C, whereas C alternates passing to A and B. When C passes to B, it is an exchange, because B is simultaneously passing to C. But when C passes to A, it is a triangle pass. So B and C both do the sequence: triangle pass, exchange, self (and they have to do it in phase, since the triangle passes have to occur all at the same time by definition).

 

Rob suggests that, after you have learned all three roles, to test your grey matter a bit more, you can change roles dynamically every six counts. A takes on B's original role, while B takes C's and C takes A's. Keep rotating roles every six counts and everyone will have the same degree of difficulty overall, although each of you gets a brief respite now and then during the three-count portion (A's original role). As Rob says, "This feels lovely when it's going, like everyone is part of a finely tuned machine, somehow working, but who knows how."

 

Here's another variation you can try. If you look at Fig. 2, you'll notice that all three jugglers have selves at the same time (on counts three and six). So if you want to spice up the pattern, you can turn some or all of those selves into passes. E.g., you could have A and B do an exchange, or you could add another triangle pass, perhaps by reversing the direction of the other triangle pass (which in fact occurs on the next count). Oh, and if you have any selves left, throw in an early double now and then.