Yet Another Attempt to Describe 3 Ball Mills Mess

If you want to see the EXACT wording of the description, I got it from "Juggling U." by Michael Bruneau. However, I jotted my own notes onto a slip of paper I looked at while I learned. Since I REALLY used my jotted notes, I'll give you an adaptation my notes.

Some abbreviations: AUC = Arms UnCrossed, CAR = Crossed Arms, Right Arm Upper Arm, CAL = Crossed Arms, Left Hand Upper Arm, RH = Right Hand, RHHP = Right Hand's Home Position, LH = Left Hand, LHHP = Left Hand's Home Position. (In case you don't know what I mean by "home" position, it's the hand's normal position when doing the three ball cascade.)

Start with two balls in left hand, one ball in right.

-- [CAR] LH throws straight up from RHHP, and, unless just starting the pattern, LH also catches ball falling to RHHP. (If you're starting the pattern, pretend you just caught the second ball in LH.)

-- [CAR] Arms begin to uncross. As you do so, RH throws ball in an arc from LHHP to RHHP. RH then moves over to RHHP to catch the ball thrown vertically by LH in the last step. Your arms should be uncrossed now, with a ball travelling in an arc toward RHHP.

-- [AUC] LH throws straight up from LHHP. Now arms begin to cross again, into CAL. LH crosses over to RHHP and catches the ball travelling in an arc towards it.

(notice you're now going to repeat the mirror image of the above three steps)

-- [CAL] RH throws ball straight up from LHHP, and catches the ball thrown by LH in last step that's now falling to LHHP.

-- [CAL] Arms begin to uncross. LH throws ball in arc from RHHP to LHHP, then dashes over to LHHP to catch the ball thrown by RH in last step. Arm uncrossed now.

-- [AUC] RH throws straight up from RHHP. Arms begin to cross, into CAR. RH crosses over to LHHP to catch the ball travelling in an arc to that position.

(now go back to the first step)

Some notes: Evry time your arms get crossed, the underneath arm does a throw and catch almost like a 2 ball, 1 hand shower. This is followed by the arched throw by the upper arm and the uncrossing of the arms. Your arms keep going, through the pattern until your arms cross again, when you repeat the process and change direction.

If this helps you, please mail me; I'd like to hear your comments.

To go to Drew's home page click here.

Drew's Home Page / drewwright@aol.com