Learning 3 Diabolos High

[bronco.bob]

Hi,

I've got some questions about doing 3 diabolos - I am just starting to learn them:

1. Doing 3 in the air - I am doing the method where one is spinning on the string and the other two in my hand. Then I will throw two in the air and then toss the 3rd one from the string.

The hardest thing I am finding is getting the first 2 throws just right. Maybe it will just take heaps of practice but do you think I should practice the throws without the 3rd diabolo until I get them perfect or should I just continue with 3?

2. Doing 3 in the air - how high would you recommend I throw them -
really high or not very? obviously the higher the throws, the more accuracy I need but then again, I would get more time.

3. Time to master - how long did it take you (or friends) to get comfortable with 3 in the air?

4. Doing 3 on the string - should I add approx 30cm onto the string
length?  this is recommended in the mister babache book on diabolo

5. Doing 3 on the string - what sort of hand movements should I be
doing to keep the shuffle running?  Assuming a right hander, with 2 we drive with the right and lift with the left. Is this the same with 3?

6. Doing 3 on the string - what is the easiest start method?  I currently get two in a shuffle on the string and do a little string wrap with the 3rd, then try to start the shuffle.

7. Time to master - how long did it take you (or friends who can) to do 3 on the string?

8. Any general advice on both methods would really be appreciated

thanks a lot

Rich

[Sean]

Rich, I edited your title there to refer to your 3 diabolo high questions. Most of what you ever wanted to know about suffering with 3 diabolos low on the string on this forum is in the 3 diabolo asynch shuffle: help!  thread. There is also more advice on 3 diabolos on the string scattered throughout the forum. Use either the search function at the top of the page or a look through the Tricks and video archive sticky that Seán_ graciously puts so much work into.

Perhaps you may want to repost any questions you still have about learning 3 diabolos low on the string (in the respective thread) after you have read through the other advice already given on the forum.

Interestingly, I don't think there has been much discussion on learning 3 high yet on this forum (until now, of course ) .

Some of the Two diabolo high thread may be of use.

I'll try and write more on 3 diabolo high advice later. Anyone else want to give some advice in the meantime?

Sean

(Oh, and welcome to the forum. )

[Sean]

OK, so here's something I posted a while back on rec.juggling for Rusty:

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I'm not sure there is an "easy" way to start 3 diabolos! You have the  
option of starting with 1, 2, or 3 diabolos on the string. 1 or 2 would be  
far easier unless you've already mastered 3 diabolos low (that certainly  
is NOT easy!). Most people start with one on the string and throw two  
others but you could start with 2 on the string with one in a right stick  
stopover and both sticks being held by your left hand. You'll have to  
angle the stick in a way to keep the string from slipping. (If all else  
fails, double sided tape will keep it from slipping.) Then throw one  
diabolo up and launch the bottom diabolo followed by the stopovered  
diabolo in a smooth motion.

In terms of throwing technique. I don't think there is a throwing  
technique not mastered by someone. So pretty much, whatever works for you  
works! The options are: (assuming right handed diaboloing)

-Backhanded spinning of the diabolo with the left hand facing the right or  
backhanded spinning of the diabolo with the right hand facing the right.  
In these cases you could throw in an arc back over your head opposite to  
the arc that the pattern will take (like Tony (left hand) with 4 diabolos  
or Priam (right hand)) or forward into the correct arc (like Ryo Yabe).  
You put your middle finger around the axle, spread your fingers out and  
use bit of wrist and arm motion to spin the diabolo.

-Underhand, right handed flat hand spinning, facing to the left. Your hand  
is flat (no finger around the axle) and facing to the left. This method  
starts the diabolos in the right arc (good) and gets more spin generally  
(good) but seem a bit awkward for some people (myself included). 3 people  
I know of that have fully mastered this: Jibe, Tony (with 3 diabolos), and  
Fred (also from France). Tony uses this for 3 diabolos I've been told  
because it creates more spin but it isn't fast enough for him to do 4 or  
more diabolos - so he switches.

In general, whatever way you decide to use will take many months to become  
at all reliable. Assuming you already have 2 diabolos high mastered and  
some 2 diabolo high tricks 3 diabolos high should take a bare minimum of 2  
to 3 months of daily practice before you experience any success with it  
and many many more before it's solid. Practice lots with throwing up the 2  
diabolos by hand and starting from there (if that's how you decide to  
start the patten). It's not easy... but that's what makes it so worthwhile!

-------------------------

Hope that helps a bit and gets a discussion started.

Sean

[JiBe]

OK, just a short one, I don't have too much time.

2 related things about the start :
- yes, you have to be able to throw the 2 first ones fairly well
- the way you'll catch them on the string the first time is very important. These diabolos spin very slowly and are not stable at all. If you're string/stick movement is not perfect, you may completely "uncorrect" (??) them. Or if you do well you can correct some slight orientation problems from the start. It's not about touching them with the sticks, it's just about the string.


Height : don't go too high.

It took me a few month to get a solid 3 high. Maybe something like 2 (maybe 3) months to get to 100 catches once (although I did 97, 98 a few times before that). The start can be a pain anyway, even after a few month you'll have some bad days.

JiBe

[MIKA]

sorry i am opening up an old topic, but i don't want to open a new topic.

Over the years i have figured out  that the stopover start is a smoother and a "safer" start. I already have two diabolos spinning so I am less likely to mess up the start. Well, exspecially as i can only mess up one throw with the stopover start in contrast to the regular throw start, where you can mess up two throws.

Some people start right away with the rocket start. I think Lena and Axel S. for example never did any throw starts they started right away with the rocket start, when they learned 3 diabolos.