Club on a Club

From a normal cascade throw a double instead of the usual single from the right hand, immediately after throwing the double place the club in your left hand into a balance on the club held in your right hand, then return the left hand to its normal position and catch the double as it comes down:

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Obviously we use a double spin in this trick to create more time for the left hand to place the club correctly in a balance, but it is also possible to use a single, making the move much quicker. However the use of a double has an added advantage in that the audience tend to watch the high throw as it goes up and down, and don't tend to notice you actually putting the club in a balance - the first time I saw this trick I thought the juggler (who was busking ) had caught it in a balance from a throw, and it was months before I found out what he had really done. If I ever see him again I'm going to ask for my pound back.

A useful hint here is to watch the balancing club from the moment you put it in place, don't look back at your left hand to catch the double. You should aim to position the balanced club on the fattest part of the bulb of the club in your hand, this gives you the greatest margin of error when placing the club. It can also make the balance much easier if you hold the 'base' club by the body, rather than the handle, so that your hand is nearer to the object you are balancing.

Some people have difficulty with this trick because they don't have time to set up the balance and bring their hand back to catch the incoming club. This problem is caused by not starting the balance early enough - you should begin to move the club over to the right before you throw the double, so that the moment the right hand club is free you can put the balance in place.

Some plastic one-piece clubs are too slippery for this trick, but sometimes it can help to balance the club with the head end down, the larger contact area between the clubs provides a bit more grip.