Diabolo.ca Forums > Tricks
Starting and correcting 2 diabolos
Sean:
Seán (yes, the other Sean), had the great idea of starting a sticky where people can post their experiences in regards to learning how to start and correct two diabolos.
This is a very common question on juggling forums. Hopefully we can combine many people's advice over time into this one thread for people who are beginning to learn 2 diabolos.
As this topic will inevitably come up many times in the main forum we'll try and move the advice from those threads into this sticky and perhaps summerize the main themes at the top.
For now, it would be great if some of you guys could contribute what you would tell someone who wanted to learn how to start and correct two diabolos. Suggestions for topics you could include:
-What method you found easiest to learn (a right or left handed throw-in, a wrap start, or something else):
-How you first learned to correct.
-How to keep the shuffle going.
-How long it took you to learn to start.
-How long it took you to learn to correct.
-Advice you were given that helped you.
-Any other advice you would give.
Eventually we'll combine this advice and turn it into a "sticky" for the top of the forum.
Cheers,
Sean
Edit: see also http://diabolo.ca/forum/index.php?topic=34
seán_:
Right, since this was my fault I might as well get the ball rolling.
Matt from Leeds (doing two since the early days in the UK) gave me the most help. Help also came in the form of Dave Barnes site www.2diabolo.net
I had a few goes with one diabolo being passed in and just letting the shuffle go around a few times. definately a good step. The person should pass in from your left (assuming right handed).
I then found myself having to practice myself (the other person got bored :-) ). to do this I had to learn to throw in. I first tried the 'normal'method (right handed about head height throw) but had a few problems keeping the throw in line (you can't reach for the catch or you'll move everything out of line). The right handed throw in seems to be most peoples choice although I'm seeing more and more people starting with a wrap start.
Suffering with this throw I developed my own throw in technique:
I call it the left hand butterfly.
Hold the sticks (forked) in your right hand. Hold your left hand palm up fingers pointing to the left,
the second diabolo is in this hand with the middle finger touching the axle.
Make sure the left hand is in line with the string and 'wave' it in (let it roll up towards the finger tips)
Grab the stick, catch the diabolo watch it shuffle a few times then come to a tangled mess.
Video of Left Hand Butterfly start (marvel at the horid shuffle technique and miss-alignment making a mockery of my points) ;)
Why I like this throw:
I find it easier to throw it in line.
I do not need to throw it so high.
I find it a stable throw.
The diabolo seems to hit the String (right side) in a way that starts the shuffle nicely.
It feels quite close to having a diabolo passed in.
Why I don't like this throw:
It isn't the prettiest
It gives you less spin than some methods
I haven't seen anybody using it to start three ;-)
A more common left hand throw is to hold the diabolo palm down and toss it in underhand like a boules throw (more spin this way)
Personally I'd say try the normal methods first (right hand and wraps) but if they are going nowhere try the above method.
(just my 2p)
keeping the shuffle going and corrections I'l leave to somebody else.
Seán
Sean:
Thanks for the extensive notes on how you learned to start 2 diabolos, Seán. I'm curious to see that video. It might be neat to accumulate a few small clips of various people's 2 diabolo starting techniques.
OK, the subject of correction techniques is a big one. I'll get it started with some stuff ripped right from my site (diabolo.ca):
-------------
It seems like there are as many methods for steering two diabolos as there are diaboloists. Find a method that makes sense to you and work on it. You'll quickly become very good at it.
Here's what worked for me: Rub the top of a cup to turn a diabolo. Rub a side of a cup to tilt it. Done.
Remember that diabolos must be spinning relatively quickly to steer them while maintaining stability. Also note that both diabolos can be tilted by directing the right hand push slightly away from or towards the body.
Can only rub the cup closest to you? You're not alone. With time both cups will become easy to rub. Trust me.
By using combinations of the above mentioned techniques you can get away with only rubbing the close cup. Although you will likely have to keep turning.
-------------
Many people correct using vastly different methods than what I have described. I correct now almost entirely by tapping a diabolo while it is wrapped and it is being "whipped"... but that is most definitely not the best way to learn at first! ;)
How about you crazy people out there that correct by tapping the axles of the diabolo from various angles. How would you describe your methods?
Sean
barnesy:
I've always thrown in from my right hand. I'm not keen on wraps as a start method. Throwing in just seems to make more sense! I learned right handed throw ins first. Rocket starts, wrap starts, floor starts, and left handed throw ins all came later.
But then I don't think I got the throw in start working quickly when I started learning. I tell people it takes a long time to get the shuffle to start going round, then the same length of time to get correction sorted, then that same length of time again to get some tricks to start working. At that point, everything starts coming together a lot better. For me, I think each of those phases was a few weeks. It was very slow to start with, but that tends to be the way I learn - other people will make quicker progress. I guess others will be slower.
The biggest thing that helped was good diabolos. I first started two with little Beard High fliers. They were awful. I moved from those to renegades, which were fantastic for learning two. I hardly use them nowadays though - I've moved to and stuck with Henry's Circus.
As for correction: I tell people to learn what effect rubbing different bits of the diabolo cups has on their angle, then try to apply that to two, hitting/rubbing against the diabolos as they pass down the right hand side (assuming right handedness). These points may help:
Touching the top or bottom of a cup will make it turn left or right (viewed from above)[/list:u]touching the sides will make it lean forwards or backwards.[/list:u]It's easier to reach over the diabolo, so I recommend touching the top of a cup, or reaching over to touch the side of the cup so the diabolo doesn't miss the string.[/list:u]Opposites can be helpful - remember that touching the top of the far cup is the same as touching the bottom of the near cup, etc[/list:u]With practice, all of this becomes much more subtle - I do most corrections with one touch somewhere between the top and the side of a cup.[/list:u]There are still times with 2 where you need to correct like you would correct one. When both diabolos look straight, but are not in line with the string, you probably need to move your right hand backward or forward[/list:u]
Hope that helps.
Dave
PS - This page here is the 'starting two' page on my website. It probably contradicts most of what I just said, but may also be helpful.
http://www.2diabolo.net/?page=2
Arjan:
I like to keep it simple. Remember, a fast diabolo will stay more stable. So making speed wraps is the first important thing to do. Also making corrections on a fast diabolo is more secure, because it is more stable.
Speed is what you need (read in the non-drugs way 8) )
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