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Throws In Asynchronous Patterns

The patterns considered so far introduced the throws 0,2,3,4,5 and 6. In asynchronous patterns, throws to an odd height, eg 3s and 5s, are cascade throws, whereas throws to an even height, eg 4s and 6s, are fountain throws. To work out how many beats later a throw is caught you subtract 1 from its height. So for example a 7 is a cascade throw caught six beats later.

If you apply this logic to a 1, it must be caught on the same beat as it is thrown. This can be done by handing the ball from one hand to the other, which is called a feed. Another way that a 1 can be thrown is as a fast, low, almost horizontal throw, known as a snap. Whether you choose to perform 1s as feeds or snaps is simply a matter of your juggling style!

Other unusual 'throws' in asynchronous patterns are 0s and 2s. A 0 is an empty hand and a 2 is a hand holding a ball. These two throws feel similar when performed because they usually result in two consecutive throws from one hand. The difference between them is that with a 0 the non-throwing hand is empty, whereas with a 2 it's holding a ball.

Another thing you need to know in order to perform throws to different heights is how high to make them. The following table shows the height of the throws up to 9 relative to a 3, and for club jugglers, the number of spins for each throw.
 

  Throw    Height relative to a 3    Spin for clubs 
3
1 times
single
4
2¼ times
double
5
4 times
triple
6
6¼ times
quad
7
9 times
quin
8
12¼ times
6(!)
9
16 times
7(!!)

You can work out the relative height of two throws by subtracting 1 from the height of each throw and then squaring. For example to compare the height of a 7 relative to a 4, take 1 from 7 and square the result, which gives 36, and take 1 from 4 and square the result, which gives 9. Then the height of a 7 relative to a 4 is 36 to 9, or in other words a 7 is four times higher than a 4.

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