POI: Handle designs for throws

hey all,

I'm wondering what kind of poi handles ppl who do a lot of throws use?

descriptions? experiences? I've been thinking about getting into throws, but with my current lightweight two finger loop handles, its not really gonna happen.

I was thinking of replacing the handles with a piece of aluminium with grip tape on it (like a staff grip) and a pommel on the end, which would make doing one handed and throws much easier to execute IMHO.

Josh

steel rings

does having a hevey handle make throws easyer?

Something like a "mini-meteor" with tennis balls on each end seemed to work when I was messing around with throws.
Also means you don't have to do a full 360 degree throw each time.

My guess is, that the throw will look more dynamic if the chain has equal weight at each end...this would also allow you to use your poi as meteors too...as an added bonus...

Josh

I've been playing with throws with my practice poi. The "handle" is weighted with a big-ass swivel (think I've shown you before)

Knagi - I think the weight of the handle needs to balance the weight of the ball/wick so that as the poi spins in the air, it is a balanced spin. My handles are not heavy enough so that as the poi spins it whips the lighter end around too quickly.

If the weights are equal the centre of gravity is around the middle of the cord/chain (like a meteor) but if the weights are different the centre of gravity is closer to the heavy end.

You might want unbalanced weights so that you can throw the poi and have the handle quickly whip around and catch it quickly, or a heavy handle so that the spin is closer to the handle and the wick/ball makes a wider circle and the handle would move slower(?) allowing for an easier catch.

I have a lil set with tennis balls on one side and golf balls on the other... seems to work good for me

We've been talking about using glowsticks (easier to see in the dark), but the 2 inch rings seem to work ok too.

I am with Twist all the way : RINGS !!!
But I guess Bassman's crazy tennis ball handles should do the trick if you are a juggler, right ?

Shine on
Cassandra

I haven't changed my handles at all. My deerskin loops work well and the non-counter weight makes for some nice archs.
If I were to attempt to do poi in a more juggle style or something of that sort I would go the ball handle route, but probably make it one of the really cool colored acrylic balls, or maybe silver so it would reflect the fire.
And glowsticks on the handles work well. I have done it with my single long wrap chain that I do wrap releases with. It makes it easier to see in the dark to, but the dichotomy of fire at one end and glowstick at the other is nice.

------------------
Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

http://www.pyromorph.com

I like compleatly unweighted handles. I know the chains will cut into your hands, but after a while you get used to it. And while they are coming down just catch the chain anywhere along it's leingth.

bouncy balls!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriously, you can tie them into socks or you can sew them into whatever sock style poi you may be using. if you use string, tie a know in the end, drill a hole through the balls and thread the string through them and tie another knot.

I tried bouncy balls, but they came apart really fast and weren't quite the right weight. I've taken to using rolled innertubing as seen in Nulleamai's tutorial, which makes all the more sense considering I use mainly innertube poi anyway. And being a rolled up strip makes customizing the weight easier (just snip some or tape on extra). I've also used sock poi with lentils in the head and a smaller sack of lentils knotted in the neck for my handle.

If you put equally weighted bouncy balls at each end you can do some interesting things....

i use marbles and tennis balls. the handle end whips round and slaps into the palm really easily after one revolution. Painful if you get the catch wrong so you learn quickly. Downside is more than one revolution or a long time in the air sees the length of the string/sock collapse in on itself

i use really small wooden balls i got in an art store(they had a pre-drilled hole in them) very light so good for isolated throws etc but just enough weight for suicides and wibbles. I have various sizes of them, took me a while to narrow down the perfect one for me

Has anybody tried a combination of a weighted handle AND a single loop handle? I have two pairs with single loops, and I also have a pair with rice filled balloons working as weighted ball handles. I like the advantages of both a lot. I like the versatility single loops give as far as gripping goes, but I also like weighted handles for throws.
What I'm wondering is how the transition between using the loop and the ball while spinning, works in these combination handles. Is it awkward? Does it work at all? Do the poi fly away easily? does having the ball there take away from the advantages and comfort of the loop handle, or vice versa?

I recently made some new fire chains and I made a throwing handle by making a crown braid out of 8mm hemp rope around the end of HoP's single loop handles. Good grip, better counterweight than I expected, and the rope doesn't catch fire very easily at all. Photos in my gallery some time this week...

Here's a picture of my fire handles. Hopefully someone else finds the design interesting.

http://www.homeofpoi.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21177

@Sister Eleven:
it's a very good counter weight, i had that for years, i put inside also some iron pieces to have more weight.

Now i'm using a different kind of counter weight, i use the same for normal poi and fire poi. I put withe stripes on the fire-ones to see better them in the dark.

These are my counter weight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k24lOn5ymJQ