Zebra Factory
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The Zebra Factory is a three
ball pattern that can sort of be imagined as an N-Box added onto the
beginning of the Factory. The trick consists of an upward diagonal pass
followed by a traditional Factory carry, with most of the added complexity
coming from the pass. For obvious reasons, you should already be comfortable
with the standard Factories before attempting this pattern, and it helps to know the
N-Box as well (though this isn't necessary).
To begin learning the Zebra Factory, start with one ball in
each hand. Make an upward diagonal throw from your non-dominant hand toward
your dominant side, while simultaneously throwing the ball in your dominant
hand underneath the diagonal ball in an arc toward your non-dominant hand.
You will then raise your now empty dominant hand and catch the diagonal ball
at about shoulder height. As the other ball begins to descend toward your
non-dominant hand, you will horizontally shift your dominant hand to the
non-dominant side of your body (as if doing the Factory). Lastly, you will
catch the second ball with your non-dominant hand. The ball carried in your
dominant hand is not thrown.
Practice this step until you are very comfortable making the
two throws. To add in the third ball, start with two balls in your
non-dominant hand and one ball in your dominant hand. Make a diagonal pass
from your non-dominant hand and an arcing throw from your dominant hand (as
you did in step one) and then, as the arcing ball descends toward your
non-dominant hand and as your dominant hand is finishing its carry, you are
going to throw the second ball in your non-dominant hand toward the dominant
side of your body. This will clear space for your non-dominant hand to catch
the arcing ball thrown at the beginning. As the ball just thrown by your
non-dominant hand reaches its peak, you are going to drop the ball in your
dominant hand and quickly snatch the other ball at its peak (just as you
would in the Factory). As the dropped ball is descending toward your
non-dominant hand, you will make a roughly vertical throw from your
non-dominant hand near the center of your body, clearing space for your hand
to catch the dropped ball. You will then catch this vertical throw with your
non-dominant hand as well.
Once again, practice this step until you are comfortable with
all of the throws. To continue the pattern, simply make another
diagonal/arcing throw pair before catching the vertical ball, and proceed
from there. The Zebra Factory is a good trick for the intermediate juggler
who wants to add an interesting twist to the basic Factory, and is not
especially difficult.
