Uplifting Passers

(This term 'uplift' is shamelessly taken from a series of science fiction books by David Brin and shows our attitude towards juggling...)

On this page we shall attempt to explain some methods for creating club passers and improving their skills.

Old School

In double juggling or team juggling of any kind, it goes without saying that each person must have complete mastery of three clubs before he can juggle with another person.
- Harry Lind, quoted in the Manual of Juggling, by Max Holden, 1947

It seems that almost everyone was taught to pass after they could keep a cascade going at least reasonably well. There then followed a period when they had to learn to pass every so often (4-count, 6-count), which caused major disruption in the cascade and (usually) horrid throws to the partner.

Different school

Did you know that is possible to create a competent club passer who cannot juggle a cascade, even with balls? Haven't you always wanted a passing partner...?

The secret is in picking patterns that require no self throws on the part of the student, and progressing... eventually even to Ultimates (or beyond?)!

The progression

Dave! Help! until the passer can do Ultimates.

4-club patterns (one-handed for non-juggler, then two-handed... 4-counts, 3-counts)
5-club patterns
6-club patterns -- (6-count?), 4-count, (5-count? one-in-five or PSPSS?), 2-count, 3-count, 1-count
Advanced (patterns with with hurries, diagonals, etc.)

An interesting side benefit from learning some of the early patterns is that 'hurries' can be learned outside of a juggle.

Exercises

Some of these exercises are for getting to or passing from intermediate passing. In the future, we will break them down by "skill level".

Long throws - One or both passers step back every one or two passes until some distance is reached (4-5 meters?) then step forward on same rhythm. This will get the passer accustomed to throwing at different distances, making him more useful in various positions in multi-person patterns.
Wide throws - Useful when some obstacle (usually another juggler) is between the passer and her target hand.
Expanding the Zone of Catchability - Pass "tough" throws, causing accommodation on the part of the catcher. Inside, outside, upside-down, high, low, tricks, whatever.
Pick ups - Teach the juggler to pick up in a 4-count, then make him practice by passing a club to his feet... or leaving a club at her feet, and passing something uncatchable.
"Lazy" throws - a single which is thrown higher than a normal single, but with the same amount of spin. These are useful for slowing down patterns.
Left-hand passes. Is this best done in a PSPSS 5-count, so that only every-other pass has to be returned w/o an opportunity to fix it on a self? 3-count is another choice... or 4-count done with all left-handed passes.
Diagonal passes. For single-spin diagonals... ?? Jim's 3-count? It has hurries, too.
Double throws. Practice with Early&Late doubles in 4-count? (This gets diagonal doubles working, anyway.)
Hurries ! Jim's 3-count may be the best tool for this. Another possibility is do to a three-count, 'pseudo-random', with the teacher changing two consecutive passes to diagonal throws before going back into straights.
Triple throws. Early tramline triple in 4-count? 7-club 4-count?
Hand-across. How to introduce these? (4-4-2?)
Reach-across. is this just a trick throw? Errr, catch? Just a way to save a pattern? A way to make a boring pattern more interesting?

Last updated 22 May 2004
These pages have been created and are maintained by Dave Davis and Ron Harvey.
Copyright 2003-2004 Dave? Ron? Aerial Mirage?