Difficulty: 4 - Applied-Intermediate Trick
Siteswap: (4x,2x)(2,4x)(4,2)(2x,4x)(4x,2)(2,4)
Prerequisite Skills: Cherry Picker, Burke's Barrage
Watch Video - WMV - 0.6 MB
The Sandbox Shuffle is one of my favorite 3-ball tricks. It was created by Michael Karas, a very inventive juggler who specializes in 3-ball patterns. I love this trick so much because of the vertical throw, straight up to the other hand which is just waiting there to receive it. It makes it seem like gravity has been reversed for a moment.
Prior to finding this Michael Karas trick, I was trying to create a pattern that used this type of exchange, but all I could come up with was a 2-ball version. (The ironic thing about this, is that when Michael recorded a version of my trick, Mangham's Mangle, he actually performed it a bit differently... by using this quick vertical exchange.)
Instructions:
This trick was not an easy one for me to learn. I tried to learn it a while back, then gave up for a while, then returned to it, determined to get it right this time. Even now, it's still a pretty hard trick to run solid without dropping.
Start with the over-hand carry ball. Make this throw using a claw grip (hand on top of the ball, palm face down). You'll need to get a little height on the throw to leave time for the other balls.
Starting with a ball in each hand, do the over-hand claw throw (above). At the same time you release that claw throw, throw the other ball straight up from your other hand, directly underneath the top hand. Your top hand will already be in the claw position, so just catch the ball as it is still going straight up (before it ever reaches its apex). Practice this with both hands. This is the part that makes this trick hard to perform consistently. The quick, vertical pass tends to interfere with your over-hand claw throw.
Watch Video - WMV - 0.5 MB
Now you will need to add the third ball. The trick to this pattern is keeping each throw in its proper column. Again, make sure your claw throw has enough height on it to give you time to take care of the other balls before coming back to it and carrying it over to the other side.
