Three-Cup Rotation

The following article first appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of JUGGLE magazine, the official publication of the International Jugglers' Association. The publisher has kindly given permission to reproduce it here.

 

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Here's a nice move that incorporates all three cups using a Shake Hands grip.

 

In this move one hand throws the stack of three cups with a single release so all three cups make one outside revolution. The same hand catches the same stack of three cups. While the cups begin to separate while they in are in flight, they don t separate enough to change their orientation with each other.

 

Begin with a stack of three cups in the right hand. The right hand holds the black cup with the regular, Shake Hands grip. The striped cup is nestled in the black cup, and the white cup nestled in the striped cup. (see photo 1)  

 

Release the stack of three cups with an outside flip of the right hand. For the right hand an outside flip rotates clockwise as you look at the cups. To impart enough spin on the stack of cups the right hand should let go of the black cup around when the right hand passes the ten-to-eleven o clock position on the imaginary clock face. (see photo 2)  

 

Let all three cups flip in the air. Catch the black cup with a standard grip in your right hand, when the bottom of the black cup is pointing up and to the right, at about the two o clock position. (see photo 3)

 

Continue your right hand motion so all three cups firmly nestle into one another. Finish with the cups pointed up, so the striped or white cup don t fall out. (see photo 4)

 

Many thanks to David Aiken, The Checkerboard Guy, for modeling the shaker cups move on this page.