Is that even something to be proud of? Perhaps if I called it world’s highest throwing or highest velocity juggler? But that’s not accurate either since I could actually throw higher if I threw the next ball earlier in the cycle. I guess Guinness World Records has it right: “Fewest Juggling Catches in a Minute (3 balls)” – and yes, you have to be juggling the entire minute.
Watch the Video!
Image Gallery: Slowest Juggling GWR Gallery
It was a great day reaching for the sky on the Blue – both literally and figuratively. The balls went up and I’m reaching to meet the sky-high goal of setting this Guinness World Record. I’ve been practicing for about 15 months now. Twenty Four tries later, I’m satisfied with the result.
The minimum mark to set a Guinness World Record was 30 catches in a minute which is more than 2 seconds of hang time per throw since the throws have to overlap, otherwise it’s not juggling. The world record according to Juggle Wiki was 25 catches in one minute. I went out and got 24 catches in my first few tries. Several tries later I got 23. I was running out of time when I got 23 again. On my 24th attempt I was at 22 catches when the minute expired and the ball in the air was at the peak of it’s trajectory.
Let’s have some fun now: math. Statistical analysis based on video!
The first throw is always the best and it went up nearly 35 MPH and reached a maximum height of 39 feet (compare to the 30 foot football goalposts) backed out of a 3.13 second hang time (assuming vacuum conditions). The average hang time was 2.88 seconds with an average overlap of .22 seconds. Minimizing the overlap is just as critical as throwing the balls as high as possible. My right hand average 2.95 seconds of hang time / 35 ft and my left hand averaged 2.74 seconds of hang time / 32 feet. That’s within 5% of each other for release velocity and 10% for max height. Think about what tasks your left hand does within 5% of the performance of your right? Throwing a football? Writing? Pitching a basketball? Serving a volleyball? Eating with a fork? After 15 months of practice, I’ll take it!
Thanks to the team!
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Congrats David, we will have to rename you, guinny book. What a fete, good thing you had a nice day, I know how hard you work for these records, do it while you are young. I suppose you have Jeremy throwing balls already, some day he might even ruin your records.
It is nice you have a faithful team and wife Jennifer, they are important too. Be good, I love you and your family. Nana