Crossed-Arm Factory
Other Tutorials:
The Crossed-Arm Factory is a
variation of the three ball Factory pattern in which the carried ball is
dropped and caught by the same hand, resulting in a crossed-arm position at
the end of each cycle. The trick is more dynamic and complex than the
regular Factory, making for a more impressive pattern, though this is offset
by a greater overall difficulty.
To being learning the Crossed-Arm Factory, start with one
ball in each hand. Cross your dominant hand over your non-dominant hand and
then raise your dominant hand vertically so it is around chin-level.
Drop the ball in your dominant hand and then quickly swing than hand around
and under your non-dominant hand, catching the dropped ball.
As shown, practice this on both sides. To add in the third
ball, start with two balls in your dominant hand and one ball in your
non-dominant. Make a vertical throw along the center of your body from your
dominant hand, and then follow it up with a second vertical throw from your
dominant hand along the outside of your body on the dominant side. This will
clear space for your dominant hand to catch the center ball it threw. As
that second ball is thrown, you are going to take the ball in your
non-dominant hand and raise it up vertically in the air such that it remains
horizontally aligned with the thrown ball. As that thrown ball reaches its
peak and begins to descend, you are going to cross your dominant hand over
to the non-dominant side of your body and make a mostly vertical throw. This
will clear space for your dominant hand to catch the ball descending along
the outside of your body. While this is going on, you are also going to take
your non-dominant hand, which should have followed the outside ball to its
peak, and move it horizontally to the dominant side of your body. So far
this has all been identical to the regular Factory.
To recap, your dominant hand has crossed over to the
non-dominant side of your body and made a throw, while your non-dominant
hand has been raised in the air and crossed over to the dominant side of
your body. As the ball thrown from your dominant hand reaches its peak and
begins to descend, you are going to drop the ball in your non-dominant hand.
The ball that was dropped and the ball that was thrown should now be
descending alongside each other. After making the drop you will swing your
non-dominant hand around and under your dominant hand, catching the dropped
ball (as was done in step one). At the same time your dominant hand will
make a vertical throw along the center of your body, clearing space for it
to catch the ball it threw. This catch and the catching of the dropped ball
should happen at the same time. The center ball will then be caught by your
non-dominant hand.
As shown, practice this on both sides. For the final step,
you are going to uncross your arms after the simultaneous catches at the end
of previous step are made. As the center ball descends you will make a
vertical throw from your non-dominant hand along the non-dominant side of
your body, clearing space for that hand to catch the center ball. The
outside ball will then also be caught by your non-dominant hand.
Once again, practice this on both sides. Notice how the last
two throws (the center and outside vertical throws) of the previous step are
mirror images of the first two throws. To perform the full trick, simply
raise the ball in your dominant hand up so that it remains horizontally
aligned with the outside ball thrown from your non-dominant hand, and then
repeat the the same throws and catches of the previous step with your hands
reversed. The Crossed-Arm Factory, because of its odd ball drop, will take
some time to perfect, though the core pattern itself is fairly easy to
figure out.