Truffle Shuffle

Other Tutorials:

Guillaume Riesen (video)

     The Truffle Shuffle is an asymmetrical three ball pattern in which one hand alternates between making lofty fountain throws and quick shuffle passes. The other hand contributes very little to the trick, only making a quick pass during the shuffle.

    The first step to learning the Truffle Shuffle is to practice the shuffle pass. Start with one ball in each hand, and then lift your dominant hand about twelve inches above your non-dominant hand. Then, your are going to make simultaneous throws from each hand. The dominant hand will throw diagonally downward toward your non-dominant hand, while your non-dominant hand will make a roughly horizontal throw (it should be angled slightly upward toward your dominant hand).
    Practice these two throws until they are second nature. To add in the third ball, start with two balls in your dominant hand and one ball in your non-dominant. Cross your dominant hand underneath your non-dominant hand, and then make a high under-the-arm throw back towards the center of your body. Then, bring your dominant hand back to its normal side, raise it up diagonally above your non-dominant hand, and do the two throws practiced in the previous step. Then bring your dominant hand back underneath your non-dominant hand and make another high throw, marking the start of a second cycle and clearing space for you to catch the first high throw.
    To run the full Truffle Shuffle, just make another pair of passes after the last high throw, and then repeat the cycle. The Truffle Shuffle is not a particularly difficult trick, but it can have a relatively quick pace so it is probably best to make very lofty throws when you are first learning, in order to give you adequate time to make the passes.