toss juggling Toss juggling is the form of juggling which is most recognisable as 'juggling'. Toss juggling can be used as: a performing art, a sport, a form of exercise, as meditation, a recreational pursuit or hobby. In toss juggling, objects — such ...

, columns, also known as One-up Two-up, is a

juggling Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object ...

trick or

pattern A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

where the balls are thrown upwards without any sideways motion, distinguishing it from the

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

. The simplest version involves having three balls, with two going up simultaneously on either side, followed by one going up in the middle.Dancey, Charlie. ''Charlie Dancey's Encyclopædia of Ball Juggling'' p.111. Butterfingers: Bath, England 1994. One way to accomplish this is to juggle 2 balls in one hand and one ball in the other, so one hand has to move faster and further than in a regular pattern (cascade), whilst the other remains almost stationary. The hand juggling the center ball can alternate with each repeat to make the pattern symmetric.

Variations

The two-in-one is a variant using two balls in one hand (the hand with the "lone" ball is unused), "where the balls travel vertically in their own separate paths...Columns is really just a Two-in-One in one hand with a third ball thrown synchronously from the other hand." There are many variations to the simple three-ball pattern. Some involve alternating the placement of the 'lone' inside throw, while others involve the two outside throws. The 'lone' ball may be to either side of the two balls, and can have its position in relation to them altered whilst juggling the pattern by throwing it not at a vertical angle, or moving the hand holding it when it has been caught. This ball can also be thrown quickly from one hand to the other as in a

box A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...

pattern, whilst the other two balls are in midair. The two balls being thrown and caught simultaneously may also be moved, for example crossing them over in the air, so that they do not land in the hand which threw them. The hands holding these balls may also cross or uncross at any time during the pattern. Another common variation is to carry one of the two outside throws up and down rather than throwing it,Gillson, George. ''Beyond the Cascade: Step-by-Step Guides to 88 Classic 3-Ball Juggling Tricks.'' p.54, The Ugly Juggling Co: U.K. 1993. which may be called the Dummy pattern, or "fake columns" (siteswap: (4,2)), which may be interpreted as adding a carry to the "lone" hand during the two-in-one. "Juggle two balls in one hand, but instead of throwing and catching the third ball with the other hand, you simply hold it in that hand, moving the ball up and down." The carried ball can then be moved in many different ways to complement the pattern. In a variation called ''Yo-yo'' (siteswap: (4,2)), or The String, the ball is carried up and down directly above one of the other balls to give the impression that the balls are connected by an invisible string, like a

yo-yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...

.Dancey (1994), p.184Darbyshire (1993), p.23. "Move your hand up and down, keeping the third ball the same distance from the inner ball so that it looks as if the lower ball is joined by a piece of string." The trick can be extended to any number of balls and can be varied by doing

synchronous Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are said to be synchronou ...

iteswap: (4,4)(4,0)or asynchronous throws (siteswap: 3). The props used may also be altered.

Siteswap

The synchronous

siteswap Siteswap, also called quantum juggling or the Cambridge notation, is a numeric juggling notation used to describe or represent juggling patterns. The term may also be used to describe siteswap patterns, possible patterns transcribed using sit ...

of the basic version of the trick is (4,4)(4,0). What the notation fails to capture is that 4s are always thrown in straight lines, which can be considered an essential property of the trick, given the name (props thrown in an oval would be a fountain pattern).

References

External links

Tunbridge Wells Juggling Club: Columns

{{Juggling Juggling patterns and tricks Period 4 juggling patterns