One-Step Kickups

This is a passing technique for intermediate passers, generally done in 4-count (every others):

1. After any pass, and just before you catch the incoming club, place the club which is in your left hand behind and between your legs, and let go so that it slides down to rest on your foot. If you do this right, the club will naturally fall into the proper kick up position - the knob almost touching your lower left shin, and the handle diagonally across the top of your right foot. As the club lands, tip your right toes up a bit with your weight on your heel, so that it sort of holds the club in the right position.

1a. Often, the club doesn't fall just right. You can sort of scoop it into the right positoin with your left foot.

2. Whenever you are ready, kick the club up to your right hand, and either pass it or throw it to your left hand, depending on timing. This is a standard kick up, such as you see people do all the time. You kick almost back, in a smooth, graceful kick, such that your foot actually moves outward and backward, almost touching your butt at the end of the kick.

This hooks the club, and sends it up to your hand with a single spin.

(You can also do it way early, and a higher kick on two or three spins.)

An advanced version would be to place the club horizontally on the top of your head. Move suddenly forward, to cause the club to fall off behind you, the jump quickly back, and as you land, trap the falling club between your feet. Then do the kick up.

Another thing you can do is to do a weak single spin back-cross throw with your left hand, so that the club falls on your right foot after a single spin.

Further Discussion

2. Whenever you are ready, kick the club up to your right hand, and either pass it or throw it to your left hand, depending on timing.

Brendan Brolly:

The other option, which I prefer, is to do the kick up as a pass to the other person. The movement is similar to a standard self kick up except your foot goes further out to the side and flicks forward at the end of the movement. It's best to try this with just 1 club first so you don't end up killing your passing partner.

Jeff Napier:

Here's yet another:

This one may be a bit difficult for less than advanced jugglers, but then that's what juggling is all about - pushing against the envelope of your own possibilities!

Place two clubs on your right foot. They should be tangentl, with the knobs together, and the handle of the body of the forward club laying over the other one.

Pass an early double spin club from your left hand to your partner, then kick up both clubs, and catch one in each hand simultaneously.

Brian Milner:

Kick up to pass is now considered 'non-U' in some SE England workshops. Try the *inside* kickup and send it to yourself, not your partner. For the inside kickup, start same as the normal one, but put the bell at 10 o'clock not 2 o'clock. Step over the club with the left leg, then hoik it up on the left hand side. Very tricky, but gettable.

Jeff Napier:

Along those lines, here's another one:

Put a club backwards on your foot and kick it up to yourself or your partner. This kick is identical to the standard kickup, except that instead of the bell at 2 o'clock and the handle against your shin, the bell is against your shin and the handle is at 2 o'clock. Try it, it works, although note: only jugglers will appreciate this trick!


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