Forums > Technical Discussion > POI: Handle designs for throws

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AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
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

Twistmember
160 posts

Posted:
steel rings

Knagimember
397 posts
Location: Brunswick, Ohio


Posted:
does having a hevey handle make throws easyer?

We are all in the cosmic movie. That means the day you die you watch your whole life repeating for eternity. So you'd better have some good things happen in there and have a fitting climax. --Jim MorrisonIt's going to come from a direction you didn't predict at a moment of chaos which you didn't see coming. -- NYC


emthrenmember
57 posts
Location: Sydney


Posted:
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.

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
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

Bendymember
750 posts
Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia


Posted:
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.

Courage is the man who can stop after only one peanut


Auger282member
81 posts

Posted:
***
EDITED_BY: Auger282 (1429498659)

stiltfiremember
19 posts
Location: Chicago, IL USA


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

CassandraFroggie ... Ribbit !!!
4,224 posts
Location: Back in Paris... for now !


Posted:
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 onCassandra

"I want brown bread... no, that is diesel oil..."
"So I was raised in Europe, where History comes from ..."
"NON !!! La Plume de mon oncle n est pas Bingibangibungi !!!"


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
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...https://www.pyromorph.com

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


Stringsmember
25 posts
Location: Wilmington, NC, USA


Posted:
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.

Never get over confidant... That is when your chains wrap and you hit yourself in the face.


poifull_spiritGOLD Member
journeyman
64 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
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.

Sister ElevenGOLD Member
owner of the group property
1,277 posts
Location: Seattle, WA, USA


Posted:
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.

p|.q|r:|::s|.s|s:|:.s|q.|:p|s.|.p|s


astonSILVER Member
Unofficial Chairperson of Squirrel Defense League
4,061 posts
Location: South Africa


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

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland


Paddington BearSILVER Member
member
118 posts
Location: England (UK)


Posted:
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 smirk

fire is alive. it lives and breathes. it consumes and destroys. but we control it and live with it, we are fire dancers


liquidtrancei dream in circles...
336 posts
Location: Scotland


Posted:
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 smile

even chuck norris can't pin you down if your on fire


TeamoGOLD Member
Almost again
124 posts
Location: Finland


Posted:
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?

Sister ElevenGOLD Member
owner of the group property
1,277 posts
Location: Seattle, WA, USA


Posted:
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...

p|.q|r:|::s|.s|s:|:.s|q.|:p|s.|.p|s


Sister ElevenGOLD Member
owner of the group property
1,277 posts
Location: Seattle, WA, USA


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

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

p|.q|r:|::s|.s|s:|:.s|q.|:p|s.|.p|s


nulleamaiGOLD Member
member
152 posts
Location: Napoli (Neaples), Australia


Posted:
@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:


willow2xSILVER Member
KeepTheWorldSpinning Originator
49 posts
Location: Scarborough, UK


Posted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBFMNRNambs

i prefer mine to be head heavy, throws dont seem too 'wobble' cause of the center of rotation being at the head gives it that nice whippy look =]

my latest CW's are about a tiny handle/head ratio... under 1/4 easy

similar technique to nullemai, but ive made mine a lil more modular (as in the vid i posted)

KeepTheWorldSpinning with me =]


DyamiTKGOLD Member
beginner forever
159 posts
Location: Santa Cruz, Ca, USA


Posted:
Originally Posted By: ReVoHas 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?
Yes! well no, but yes this is what i want to figure out. the best i've been able to come up with so far is to put the weight directly above the swivel and then have the single loop on top of that. the problem then is that it is only comfortable to hold it with the poi coming out the palm side. When I hold it coming out the back of the hand, it is awkward to wrap up.

GullikGOLD Member
stranger
6 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Originally Posted By: Twiststeel rings
QFT

ChrisCanfieldSILVER Member
stranger
5 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
I use flowlights for handles. The extra visibility helps with catches in the dark (use a bright blue to stand out against the fire). You'll have to build a custom clamp around the end for a proper swivel connection, though.

SoopaSILVER Member
As Himself
150 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
For fire spinning I use a small monkey fist knot at the end

For practice or normal play I wrapped bicycle inner tubes around the cord

No matter what I've kept a 1/3 weight rule though, it makes the spinning speed of the throw easy to control, from nice and lazy to so fast most people miss that you even did a throw

Juggling Jack FlashGOLD Member
Sneaking
1,207 posts
Location: Free falling through time, United Kingdom


Posted:
I found bouncy balls to be the perfect counterweight for me, they fit inside sock poi quite easily and in a double sock arrangement they will never break on you if you get quality ones (my cws have outlasted one set of sock poi so far and are holding up without a scratch in a second set now)

Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you land among the stars


jwalshGOLD Member
stranger
1 post
Location: USA


Posted:
I made a pair of single loop handles out of stainless steel rings woven into an european 4 in 1 pattern that were weighted very nicely for tosses.

Bradpetersstranger
1 post

Posted:
hey everyone trying to figure out exact weight of poi for perfect counter weight does ne one kno if somthing like this is weighted correctly

Shop > Search > Pair of Cathedral twisted oval link fire poi > Pair of Pro Series Chain Cords with Ball Handles

SpinnerofDetroitGOLD Member
All High Dude, Ruler of What You Want
2,280 posts
Location: Trenton, MI, USA


Posted:
There really isn't a perfect weight it's all personal preference. As well as the weight of your heads. I prefer little to no counterweight for my throws for example. I just want the chain to stay straight which isn't really a problem. I've met others who have counterweights about the weight of their poi, and others use golfballs. Some weight their ends to their preference and make their own handles. Just mess around until you find what you like.

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass grin


CyricxGOLD Member
newbie
28 posts
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA


Posted:
I think it's a preference thing for sure. If the heads and handles are evenly weighted it is more of a swing to give them momentum then open your hand and they spin evenly.

If the weight is more towards the head then as you release the handle you give the handle a nudge to get it to spin around and keep the chains from wobbling.

So I think it all comes down to your comfort level and how exactly you release them when you throw.

I can use unweighted and weighted with equal effect, but I prefer them to be pretty close to evenly weighted as I started out in object manipulation with chucks, so got used to tossing items with equal weight.

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RobertpersonSILVER Member
stranger
3 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Hey boss i'm pretty sure these are designed for Throwing and Bouncing. A spinner i met yesterday had them and directed me to this website and I fell in love instantly with these handles and this chain.

https://www.homeofpoi.com/shop/productDetails/Pair-of-ProAir-Oval-Chain-Cords

EDITED_BY: Robertperson (1311080444)

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