On my way to learning 7 balls. Skipping 6. Did the same when going from 3 to 5. Learned 4 after 5. 4 was easy then. 6 seems really hard right now, but 7 seems almost doable. I can do this pretty frequently now: 7777770 flash
I’ve started back into practicing 3 club reverse backcrosses. Some things just click after you spend time away from them. I’ve been working on the 3 club pattern, but with two clubs, one throw being a reverse backcross, the other a normal front throw. I can do that consistently, right side or left, whether I start with the normal throw on each pair of throws or a reverse backcross. So I started working on the full 3 club pattern, throwing in a reverse backcross and then continuing the basic pattern. I was able to get this a couple times: 333333 where the bold 3’s mean a reverse backcross. I’ve not yet been able to do anything like this: 333333 where 2 adjacent throws are reverse backcrosses. But I’m still sloppy at the one-at-a-time thing so I’ll work up to it. I also could do it without looking!… but I was watching myself in a window reflection at the time. It was like watching someone juggle, but you could control them. It’s that what looking into a mirror is like always, though?
5 clubs getting solid! I’ve been working the 55550 a lot. My record there is 4x through the pattern. After running those awhile, then 5 clubs feels easier. I can qualify 5 clubs clean a couple times every practice. It’s getting there.
My Xbox 360 has the "3 flashing red lights" problem and won’t run. I have to send it in for repairs for $140. All models manufactured in 2005 get free repairs. Mine was manufactured in Jan. ‘06.
Heh, I watched the WJF ‘05 Convention Video. Pretty rough video. But I like it since it’s a reminder of the time I had there. It was weird seeing footage of some of those workshops. And Jason gave me a "speaking part" 
… I was talking siteswaps with Vova in the 5 Club Moves workshop. There were only 3 people in that workshop. I couldn’t even juggle the basic 5 club pattern back then but I still attended the "moves" workshop. The other guy in there Ron was really cool. He had a lot of good juggling tips he shared with me at that convention. I probably learned just as much from him as from the official workshops. Collaboration is good.
5 clubs is getting easier. I still haven’t beaten my 18 catch record, but I’m no longer trying to beat it. I’m working on fewer, more solid catches. I think this winter I’ll work on 7 balls (I’ll learn 6 later). 3 Club Backcrosses are "easy" now. Not solid, but I have no problem doing 6 to 8 in a row then back into the basic pattern. Maybe I’ll throw it on video to document my progress.
I got a Zalman CPU cooler for my "Oblivion PC". And that 700W Power Supply. I still had one reboot with that power supply. Don’t know why. But ever since getting the Zalman cooler, everything is running much more smoothly. No more artifacts on screen, no matter how long I play. And no more reboots. And GPU and CPU are overclocked (my 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo CPU is at 2.46GHz now). Also got some Accelero coolers for the CrossFire cards that I run at 100% and you still can’t hear them. I think I have a solid setup finally.
Wow, havn’t blogged in a while. Summer has been busy with visitors since I live in a vacation spot. Haven’t juggled a lot either. But that’s because I spend all my free time playing Oblivion. Now I play it on the PC, bought a new one, top of the line parts, JUST to play this addictive game at full graphical amusement level. I haven’t played video games on the PC for years, because it’s so uncomfortable, but this game changes all that. I’ve been putting in like 3 hrs a night!!! Sorry juggling practice.
But a friend of mine has started practicing 5 balls. He got some GBallz and loves them. So, it’s fun talking juggling, sharing my learning experience with 5 balls.
I’m still working on 5 club cascade. But lately, 3 club backcrosses are FINALLY starting to click. It just makes sense now. I don’t freak out about it, I just throw them and it works.
BTW, in case anybody wants to build a PC capable of playing Oblivion with all option sliders to max, here are some of the more important parts to get:
I haven’t juggled in about a week. I went to practice my 5 club pattern and it went pretty well. Then my brain stops working and it gets sloppy and I can do less catches per attempt. But I can trick myself into qualifying by just telling myself "just do a flash", and that’s easy for me now, so I get that going solidly, then I just don’t stop, and it’s a good way to start off a longer run (for me 10 is a long run).
See how Dnaygs stands up straight? I know he’s only juggling 3, but look how little he’s moving his arms during the basic 3 club pattern. I’ve notice I’m always tipped backwards, especially for 4- and 5-club patterns. And I think it’s because I wear glasses. My stupid glasses don’t allow me to make my eyes look up, or I’ll be looking over the lenses and can’t see. I have to tilt my head way back and it still isn’t far enough, so I tilt my whole body. Very bad form. I gotta work on that. I do have "juggling glasses" that I bought specifically for juggling, that are frameless and go up to my eyebrows, so I gotta start wearing those suckers again. And I hate contacts.
Anyway, that little Dnaygs clip. I wanna get so I barely move too. It’s so smooth and easy looking that way.
Oh, and Dnaygs was the only person I’ve ever passed with! That was actually one of the high points of the last WJF convention… learning pass juggling with Dnaygs in his workshop. I’d never passed before, and haven’t passed since, which is sad.
And I probably won’t go to the WJF convention this year… I mean… I’m NOT going. I’m slacking on work lately, I can’t afford to take the time off.
There’s a cool video-only forum on the WJF group on YouTube. Just like any other forum, but you can only post if you show your face on video, speaking your message! Cool idea.
Today wasn’t the greatest day to film my 5 club progress, ’cause I sucked. But anyway, I wanted to get this documented since I’m progressing quickly with it. I’m hoping to be pretty solid at it soon. I’ve only been able to juggle 5 clubs for a couple weeks now. It just clicked recently. But it’s been my goal since day-1 of club juggling over a year ago. Well, 5 clubs in singles is the real goal… maybe later.
The music is a song called "Five-Five-Five" (just had to use it for my first 5 club video!) by Frank Zappa (Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, of course). I kept it short, basically clipped out the whole song, kept the beginning and end. Anyway, here it is…
[update: Just signed up on youtube, just to be able to embed video…]
I watched this then automatically became a better juggler.
Made 18 catches of 5 clubs today. I got too excited to keep going.
I’m up to a record 15 catches of 5 clubs.
I was watching some WJF videos and realized (before, but this time a lot more) that Vova’s arms are always at like a 90 degree angle. I bet that makes for really consistent throws. Mine are nearly straight out on every throw! I’ve gotta keep my arms closer to my body.
More comments on PX3 clubs: When I catch close to the end, they usually pop out of my hands. I think it’s because of the plastic flexible dowel. It flexes and bounces out. Also, I’ve said this before, but the handles are too thin (for me). They’re great for holding a bunch in your hand when starting, and when collecting, but once they’re all up in the air, catching/throwing one at a time becomes more difficult with the thinner handle to control them.
[Update: First time over 10 catches with clean finish: 12 catches, clean! 5 clubs is so cool]
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