This trick is part of the Diabolo Trick Roadmap (available on Amazon) which is a skill tree (containing 337 tricks from 1 to 3 diabolos) designed to give you a personalized list of tricks you’re ready to learn, taking into account the tricks you already know.
The hover start is one of the easiest way to start the 2 low shuffle and I recommend learning this start first. With the hover start, both diabolos will have a decent amount of speed, so you will be ready to try your first 2 diabolo tricks faster. The shuffle in itself gives speed to both diabolos but it’s a slower process.
As always the tutorial is described for righties so if you are left handed switch right and left in the step by step explanation.
Prerequisites
- #20 (1) Orbit
- #32 (1) Wrapped tug acceleration
Step By Step Explanation
1. Accelerate the first diabolo while keeping the second one in arm’s reach (it can be between your legs, under your left arm or on the floor near you). The more speed you give to the first diabolo, the easier it will be to perform the next steps as the diabolo will keep balanced while you focus on the second one.
2. Put both sticks in your left hand in a V shape. Make sure the ends of the sticks are aligned so the first diabolo doesn’t tip.
3. Wrap the second diabolo on the right string by placing it on the left side of the string and moving the diabolo anticlockwise around the stick. This will create an internal wrap. When wrapping, I personally hold the outside cup of the diabolo with my thumb and middle finger on the outside of the cup and with my index finger hooking the inside of the cup. After I’m done wrapping, I place my ring and little finger on the inside cup with the string between my middle and ring finger so that I’m in position for an underhand spin start.
4. Hold the wrapped diabolo close to the right stick as far away as possible from the first diabolo. Make sure the diabolos are aligned so that the string coming from the right stick to the spinning diabolo is straight.
5. Spin the wrapped diabolo with your right hand, quickly grab the right stick with your free hand and start the wrapped tug acceleration motion. You want to keep the wrapped diabolo close to the right stick so it’s easier to unwrap and start the shuffle.
6. When you’re ready to start the shuffle, lift the right hand up (higher than in the wrapped acceleration motion) and to the right (this will make the first diabolo jump) and unwrap the second diabolo. If the first diabolo doesn’t jump off the string and you end up with both diabolos on the string hitting each other, you need to lift your right hand higher before unwrapping.
7. While the first diabolo is in the air, let the second one (now unwrapped) roll towards the left stick. When the first diabolo comes back down, catch it as close as possible to the right stick.
8. When the diabolo hits the right string, the left diabolo will jump out of the string. If you keep your left stick pointing towards your right the diabolo will naturally follow the orbit trajectory and go towards your right stick.
9. To keep the shuffle going, you need to push the diabolo travelling the string with your right hand going down and help the jumping diabolo with your left hand going up. You can do this by moving your hands simultaneously (this is called a synchronous shuffle) or you can do it by moving your right hand down while the left hand goes up and vice versa (this is called an asynchronous shuffle). Both types of shuffle are valid and you should go with the one that feels most natural to you.
What’s Next?
You are now ready to tackle the first 2 low tricks or go straight to the 3 low hover start shuffle:
- #133 (2) 31 low
- #135 (2) Sun
- #136 (2) Sprinkler
- #138 (2) Left trapeze
- #142 (2) Rocket start
- #172 (2) Hover acceleration
- #211 (3) 3 low hover start
