The difference between 5 clubs and three clubs is only two clubs!

By Mark Neisser, Durham , New Hampshire

 

Five clubs is not a trick as much as it is a mixture of the hands and mind properly combined to produce an incredible sensation.

 

"Five clubs," you say, "I could never do that! That's one of those hard tricks." That's the first thought that enters your mind when you see a pattern you don't understand.

To begin learning five clubs, try to erase your concept of "hard" and "easy" tricks. Let five clubs be just another pattern, so that it can soon be your easy trick.

 

Five clubs is a regular cascade pattern using slow double spins with each club. This extra turn heightens the pattern and gives you the extra time to add the other two clubs. I believe that by practicing the exercises listed here, you can juggle five clubs before you can name the capitol of Czechoslovakia !

 

NUMBER ONE

Always keep in mind three things ­ body position, club height and rotation.  Take three clubs and practice continual three club flashes with slow double spins.  Your hands should, be empty for a second while you toss all three quickly and sequentially into the air: As soon as the first one tossed lands back in a hand, get ready to repeat the same move.

 

Try snapping your fingers between flashes. During this and all the following exercises, your elbows should be at your sides, your feet about 1 1/2-feet apart and your knees slightly bent.

 

NUMBER TWO

The three club chase. Take three clubs and place them in the stronger of your two hands. Toss them one-two-three into the air using slow double spins. As you release the third club, the first will be landing in your other hand. Throw it back to the original hand, again using a slow double spin. Repeating this pattern from left to right, all three clubs should be in the air momentarily. As its name implies, the three clubs chase each other.

 

Snap the fingers of the hand not doing the tossing between each toss. The pattern

goes: Throw club one from right, snap left; throw club two from right, snap left; throw club three from right, catch club one in left; etc.

 

This exercise is the key to five clubs. I've seen people who can do this pick up five and get them going very quickly.

 

NUMBER THREE

The key to the five club start is to get started quickly. Practice flashing five clubs until you can clearly release them and catch them. Once you've accomplished this, add more tosses.

 

Keep in mind trying to achieve equal height of tosses, equal spin and turnout. Turnout becomes more important as you sustain the pattern. It is important to toss each club so that the body of the club points away from your hand, at a 45-degree angle to your body, rather than straight in front of you. This makes each toss easier to catch. To understand the point, juggle three clubs standing right up against the outside corner of a building or wall.

 

NUMBER FOUR

Now take five clubs, 30 days supply of water, a ration of freeze-dried apricots and fly to the nearest desert island! Though it's not a dream vacation, it is a great place to practice. That's the final step in the instructions. As Sergei Ignatov (who reportedly juggled 5 clubs for 16 minutes without a drop) once said, "Without practice, there is nothing." I couldn't have said it better myself! Good luck!

How to get more 'up' in your American kickups

 By Dick Franco

The most difficult part about the American style, or cross-legged kickup, is getting the club to come straight up to the catching hand.

 

Often in the beginning stages, the club will roll out of the instep of the lifting foot, causing it to land far in front of you. In order to insure a good vertical lift, tie an imaginary string to the toe of the lifting foot and lift TOE FIRST, keeping the side of your foot parallel to the ground.

 

Keep this parallel position throughout the kicking motion. As you kick, the object is to hit the back-mid-thigh with the inside ankle bone of the kicking foot. As you begin the kick, flex the opposite knee and squat slightly, letting your body fall away from the club.

The kicking, squatting, and falling motions should occur all at the same time. Once the club is released, use your kicking foot to catch your balance. A shoe with a well-defined instep will greatly aid your progress.

 

The pro talks about ball spinning for jugglers

By Larry V., Philadelphia , Pennsylvania

 

Every juggler has a trick that has been frustrating to learn. Something that he or she knows is feasible, yet it continues to be elusive. What's yours? Write me about it c/o JUGGLER'S WORLD, Davidson , NC . If it's something I can't do myself, I'll consult the best durned expert I can catch on the phone and get advice for you that way.

This edition's topic is:

 

HOW THE HECK TO SPIN A BALL

Best estimates say that there are over 200 million people in the United States who cannot spin a ball on their fingers.

 

Up until the advanced age of 28, I myself was numbered among these unfortunates. This was in spite of having spent a great deal of time trying to spin a well-inflated basketball.

 

I finally made a breakthrough just by changing props. Borrowing an Edward (Funny Face) Jackman idea, I combined two beach balls, one inside another that had the valve cut out. I deliberately underinflated the beach ball. Any ball is easier to spin when soft, but I think the double beach ball is the best idea for non-spinners.

 

Once you have selected your spinning object, place it in a tub of water. The heaviest part of the sphere will sink down. Make a mark at the highest point. It will be easiest to spin at this mark or directly opposite this mark. You see, due to the cruel order of nature, balls with valves are not evenly weighted. This procedure will enable you to spin your sphere with the weight evenly distributed around the axis.

 

Now that you've gotten your ball, marked it and have tomorrow's bath water waiting, it's time to learn how to spin the ball.

 

The least difficult beginning is a two handed start. The object is to spin the sphere so that its axis is perpendicular to the ground. Hold it up at eye level, the right hand between your face and the ball, the left hand opposite the right on the other side of the ball. You will give the globe a smooth but snappy start with the fingertips by briskly moving the right hand to the right and the left hand to the left.

 

To give the ball a little more spin, start with the right hand a little more to the left and the left a bit more to the right, so that they are slightly crossed. This way, the fingers will be touching the object a little bit longer and give it a slightly stronger, smoother initial move.

 

Also, pop the ball slightly upward. This will enable you to "catch" the ball on the edge of the fingernail of the right middle finger. The finger should be pointing diagonally to the left and forward. As with any catch, the finger should be going downward with the ball, so that it settles cozily on the nail.