Forums > Advanced Poi Moves > whip catches

Posted: 14th Mar 2009
First off I think of a whip catch as a move where one poi is tossed and then while airborne it is snagged with the remaining poi. If the planes are somewhat perpendicular this is easier then if they are parallel.

Having said that the most consistent way for me to do more of what I think you are talking about is to let the poi wind a bit horizontally (below my arms) at the heads and then release one handle to swing the whole thing around overhand and back into my momentarily empty other hand. I've also found that if the poi get all knotted up like they used to when we were first learning airwraps and hyperloops, this whip catch/release maneuver whatever you want to call it will unravel them.

I think Australian girl talks about it here:

Posted: 14th Mar 2009
Australian girl? What Australian girl?

OH! That one. I know that one. She smells like a prawn trawler.

Not really so much about whip catches, Its about extended cateye line isolated exits from tangles, but its certainly related.

Oh, but I can't say anymore on it because I WAS specifically told at the end of the video that I wasn't allowed to comment.

Posted: 14th Mar 2009
I find it very hard to explain whip catches, but I'll try and give you some tips.

Doing an air-wrap and letting go of one is something else... although I don't know what the name would be... and can work nicely if you let go of one poi, let the tangled pair do a full rotation, and catch the free handle again - while the poi are still tangled.

Suggested prerequisites: To be very comfortable with air-wraps and throws.

To get into a whip-catch, it's similar to an air-wrap - but one poi is flying through the air when you make contact. To get out of it, keep experimenting to find out how/where the tangle comes undone, and how to control it. You're normally best off starting in same direction, split time (as with an air-wrap).

It all happens so quick, it's hard to give meaningful tips - experimentation really is the key. Different throws, different speeds, different cross-points of the two poi, different orientations at contact, etc...

Is that of any help?

Posted: 14th Mar 2009
Originally Posted By: Danny_
Doing an air-wrap and letting go of one is something else... although I don't know what the name would be...

I think this is what is meant by "Release"

This stuff almost forces me to put counterweights in my poi.

Posted: 14th Mar 2009
Originally Posted By: Mother_Natures_SonThis stuff almost forces me to put counterweights in my poi.

I recommend it

Posted: 15th Mar 2009
Hey Danny, thanks heaps for the tips, I've just been starting to get into this, because I love throws and I love tangles. Those hints were great man, thanks heaps, I'll have to get out there and practice now.

Posted: 20th Mar 2009
For very useful i'm of to the garden now

I love thinking in circles

Posted: 23rd Mar 2009
Originally Posted By: Danny_Doing an air-wrap and letting go of one is something else... although I don't know what the name would be...
"Tangle-release" or "suicide" (same as the diabolo move) I think are the historic terms - these also relate to one-handed continuous airwraps ("Continuous suicide"? )

I'd definitely echo Danny's comments - experimentation goes a long way, whilst keeping one hand constant (either the catching or thrown poi) - you can vary;
~ Where the poi tangle (both with the tossed and catching poi)
~ At what point of rotation the thrown poi is caught (useful when delving into whip tosses)
~ What plane the poi is caught in
~ Direction of the catching poi e.g pulled through/across, pushed into/away

As an example, I found that when catching the thrown poi with the poi horizontal (ish) the poi generally releases horizontally, which makes for very confortable, consistant catching. If you catch the poi vertically (12 o'clock - handle at top), the poi often releases vertically, making for semi-reliable whip-tosses (i.e. where the poi is released back up into the air for an easy catch/another whip catch).

To make matters more confusing, everyone's poi are different - things like the friction between the poi will affect how quick (or even "if")the release happens, likewise the weight of the handle/head, time of day, amount of people watching (This has a huge effect, especially hot women) will vary the catch/release point.

The way I developed some whip catches was to learn the basic suicide consistently then try to recreate this entry point from a throw as opposed to an airwrap.

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude

Posted: 23rd Mar 2009
Nicely put.

To give some further tips;
- You can catch either the handle or the poi head, if your handles are heavy enough.
- The closer to the mid point of each poi the poi cross, the less happy they are to release.
- It's easiest if the catching poi head is moving downwards.
- Wall plane is a good start.

Although those things aren't always true.

The point on the poi head moving downwards echoes Durbs' comment about catching with the poi horizontal-ish.

Also, try both catching 1:'inside' and 2:'outside' (i.e. if catching with the right hand poi, on the downward part of its motion, spin it 1:anticlockwise or 2:clockwise). Different people (and different poi) have different preferences, and preferences are often strong. For 1:, catch the handle, for 2:, catch the head.