Site Swaps in a Simple Feed

If you just follow the relay race around the course of the clubs in a feed, you will find some unusual site swaps. Of course, the well known ones show up as well. With one feeder and two feedees (passing only right handed), we have a 4-count cycle, so there are four doubles that either feedee can throw (two from each hand), four triples, etc. The feeder also has four possible doubles, four triples, and so forth.

 

Two of the feedee doubles are the usual early and late passes to the feeder. The other two are self doubles kept to the feedee: L to L or R to R. You can figure out the triples by extending the relay race by one throw from the end of each of the above doubles. Thus we get the four triples listed in Fig. 6.

 

 

The most challenging of these is the last one listed. This triple goes to the other feedee, and the feeder must pause and not pass to that second feedee. That is, make sure the feeder knows what's happening. Since the feedees don't normally look for passes from each other, I generally call the other feedee's name as I throw this pass.

 

Try these triples at first without any juggling going on, to get the feel of these new throws. As you throw the triple to the other feedee, it helps to angle it so that it will point out to the left as it lands in the left hand. This is easier to do if the other feedee is on your left. If that feedee is on your right, the club goes almost straight up and down (moving slightly to the right), but to get a good angle on the club, you can backhand the throw, pointing it a little to your left as you release it.

 

Try to throw these triples so that they won't hit the feedee if unnoticed. Make sure that they are plenty high, so that the receiver has time to see them (or to get out of the way). Note that if both feedees throw these triples continuously on their passing beats, the feeder is left out of the pattern, simply pausing forever with only two clubs while the feedees do a 7 -club 4­count side by side.

 

Site Swaps in a 3-Count Feed

Following the relay race route of clubs in a 3-count feed again shows you the possible basic site swaps. Most of these are equivalent to ones listed earlier for 3-count passing with two people. A couple are like the above triple between feedees in a feed.

 

But one is particularly different and interesting. The first feedee (and only the first), when time to throw a single pass, can throw a double to the other feedee. This pass is thrown either R to R or L to L. In both cases it is a bit tricky to provide the receiver with a good angle and to avoid a collision. Try this carefully, and be sure to call the catcher's name or plan the whole thing explicitly in advance.

 

Site Swaps Out of Doubles or Triples

The general rule stated above is formulated carefully to work even for patterns where everyone is normally throwing doubles (or even triples) instead of singles. The rule is simply that you add one extra spin for each hand that you skip. So if you are passing seven clubs with doubles, you can do an early triple from your left to your partner's left (skipping one hand, so one extra spin) or a late triple from right to right. Or you can conceivably throw an early-late quad from your left to your partner's right.                       

If you have any comments or suggestions for Juggler's Workshop, write to: Juggler's Workshop, Palo Alto, CA or call Martin Frost.