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This is surprisingly effective when done well, it can really look like your leg has dissapeared! Unfortunately it's very angle sensetive, it only really works when viewed from the front.
Incase you can't work it out from the video, here's how you do it.
Hold the hat by the brim, with the opening resting against the top of your thigh, move it down until it covers your foot and hides it from view. As you raise the hat again, bend your leg at the knee. Et voila! Your leg has vanished!
Lower the hat again, straightening your leg as you do so. Ooh look! Your leg has re-appeared!
Top tips: Only raise the hat as far as your knee, and keep your foot hidden behind your thigh. A few minutes practice infront of a mirror and you'll soon get the hang of it.
Bonus points: Make both legs dissapear, at the same time...
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Forward Twiddle - Twiddle the hat off the head and back on. It's got comedy potential too! Allegedly.
Use a palm-up fork grip on both sides the hat, and lift it off the head. Remove the ring fingers from the brim and twist the hat between the fore and middle fingers. Stop the spin by gripping the brim between the fore fingers and thumb.
Reverse the process to return the hat to the head.
You can get an easy laugh by getting the return part wrong and pretending to hit yourself in the face.
Jon Lockwood (of Mushy Pea Juggling fame, now working as with "Company of Fools") did lots of hat workshops at juggling conventions in the mid to late 1990's and started Mike and LP out on the hat road. This was often the first trick he taught...so it's Jon and this trick that ultimately led to the creation of this site. Thanks Jon!
From the TricksWithHats archive
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Hold the hat with the crown to the outside in an outside grip. Bring it across the body, and cross the arms. Flick the hat over and drop it onto the thumb of the catching hand. Uncross the arms.
The hat is now held in an outside grip in the other hand, which suggests that the tumble would be a good next move.
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Back catch - Throw the hat, bend over and catch it on your back.
Hold the hat crown up in an inside grip. Throw the hat as if you were doing a low throw to head, and at the last minute bend from the waist and duck under it so is lands flat on your back.
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04-12-2015
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Back Roll (One handed) - Rolling the hat across your back from one side to the other.
This trick is the one handed version of Back Rolls
Hold the had in an Inside grip, with the thumb in a straight line with the forearm.
Bend over at the waist, swing the arm across the body, and up under the armpit. Flick the wrist at the last moment to help with the spin. Look out to the side, and GRAB!
Haggis' Hot Tip: If you can get the hat to bounce
oll on the catching arm as it comes off of your back, this will slow things down a bit.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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Back Rolls - Bend forward and roll the hat across the back.
Hold the hat with the crown facing backwards in an inside grip. Bend the body forward from the waist and swing the hat across the body tucking the hand into the arm pit.Let the hat roll across the back, aiming for the opposite shoulder.
Turn the head to the right and watch the hat as it drops off the shoulder. Catch it in an inside grip with the left hand.
If the hat is difficult to catch then you are probably throwing it too hard.
Learn this trick with both hands, as it looks nice if you roll the hat back and forth across the back.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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Back tumble - Tumble the hat down your back and then up again.
Put the hat towards the back of your head. If you throw the head back you should be able to hit the brim with the back of the neck and have it roll down the back. As the hat rolls bend forwards from the waist to slow it down. Catch it in a inside grip with both hands.
Hold the hat still but move your hands so that they are at the front of the brim. Flick the hat so it rolls up the back. As you feel it on the shoulders put the head back to catch it.
Getting the timing right takes a lot of practice...be warned, this trick is difficult.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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04-12-2015
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Backcross to head catch - Throw the hat behind your back, and catch it on your head.
Like most throwing moves, this is a variation on the Throw to head - so it's probably a good idea to learn that first!
Hold the hat in your right hand using an inside grip, spread your fingers out nice and wide as you would for a normal throw to the head.
Swing your arm out to the side, so that the crown of the hat is pointing downwards. Bring your arm behind your back and release the hat so that it does a nice, high, slow spin above your left shoulder.
As the hat descends, look up into it and catch it in the same way that you would for a standard throw to the head.
Top Tip: The catching part is easier if you turn your head towards your left shoulder just before the catch. Oh, and obviously learn this throw from both hands...
From the TricksWithHats archive
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Backseat - A pair of throws and catches that Mike discovered while sitting in the back of a car.
Grab the side of a hat in a pinch grip, and carry it down in front of you so the crown is downwards. Flick it up so it spins 360 degrees, and catch it in another pinch grip at the back of the hat. Quickly push it up and forward, spinning the hat 180 degrees and catch in a pinch grip once again.
Stick it back on your head.
To perform the trick most effectively aim for one slick movement rather than two separate parts.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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Can Opener - Literally flipping your lid!
Reach over your shoulder and head, and hold the hat in an inverted pinch grip
Flick the wrist upwards and release the hat, which will execute a perfect single spin (honest). Coat-peg catch above your head.
Minus five style points if you have to look...
Plus 10 points if you can catch the hat on your head blind, and without the coat-peg grip.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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Chest spin - Spin the hat down the arm, across the chest and out along the other arm.
Hold the hat crown down in a outside grip. Flick the wrist inwards as hard as you can so that the hat spins fast and strikes the inside of the wrist. Allow the spin of the hat to carry it across the body and along the other arm. Catch the crown as it reaches the other hand.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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04-12-2015
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First do the coatpeg with your left hand. Then drop the hat straight down, and catch it with the right hand behind the back.
Place it back on the head.
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04-12-2015
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This trick is similar to the coatpeg drop but instead of dropping the hat and catching it behind your back, you catch it on your elbow.
Hold the hat in your right hand, and throw it up to a coatpeg catch in your left hand. Let go of the hat, and bend your left arm at the elbow, pointing your elbow upwards. Catch the hat on your elbow. To complete the move, straighten your arm and the hat will fall. The catch is similar to that in the wipe up
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04-12-2015
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Take a pinch grip at the front of the hat's crown and flick it up and forwards. Turn the hand round so the palm is facing forwards to catch the hat in another pinch grip at the back. After you've got a feel for this try doing it without looking at the hat.
Either place it straight back on the head or reverse the process to return it.
If you use a bowler hat make sure you take a really firm pinch to crease the top of the hat when removing it, otherwise you'll be left trying to catch the smooth round surface of the back of the hat.
Once you've mastered this one it's a trivial task to start by pinching the back of the hat and flicking it to a catch on the front.
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Hold the hat in an inside grip. Put the other arm out at an angle and twist the hand round so it faces backwards. Place the hat on the upper arm and let it roll down to a catch in another inside grip. Repeat as often as you like by alternating sides.
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Hold the hat by the brim in an outside grip with the crown facing forwards.
Swing your arm up infront of you, until your hand is about eye level, with the hat tilting slightly upwards. If you let go at the top of the swing, the hat's momentum should carry it through, and it will roll down your arm.
The movement that follows is similar to the one arm tumble. Look down your arm, tuck your chin in, and raise your arm slightly so that the hat rolls downhill and on to your head.
Once you can do that, try throwing the hat from your left hand, and using the right hand to guide it into a dynamic arm tumble.
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Turn your head to the left, then reach over with the right hand to grab the front of the brim (in as close to an inside grip as you can manage). Lift the front of the hat and remove it from the head so it is upside down above the shoulder. Straighten the arm so it ends in an inside grip at arms length.
Turn your head to the right so you are looking at the hat, flex the wrist so the hat lies inside the forearm then bend the elbow and replace the hat on the head (with your hand at the back).
Repeat on the other side.
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Hold the hat out in front of you, in an inside grip so that the brim is horizontal, and the crown is on top.
Pull back on the hat as you throw it, so that it floats, without spinning and catch it on your head. Here's what it looks like from the inside.
The key to the trick seems to be to keep the hat level, and pull it towards you as you let go. That and luck, and/or practice.
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At some point, your hat will end up on the floor and you'll want it back in your hand. You could just bend down and pick it up (boring!), use a normal foot to head (less boring, but relatively easy) or you could use this little move... (Far more studly way to kick a hat :-)
Place the hat on the floor, to your left, crown downwards and the opening tilting slightly towards you.
Point your right toe, and bring it behind your left leg. Place your right toe into the opening of the hat, and give it a quick upwards flick. With luck (and practice :-) you can make the hat jump up into your left hand.
Top tip: If the hat isn't quite in the right position, you can use your right foot to move it around a bit before kicking.
Bonus points: Do it without falling over about 20 times whilst filming the damn clip for your website...
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After getting the hat to your foot (the knock to foot is the most common way, but there are plenty of others) you can hop and quickly remove your foot from the hat. Quickly get your throwing foot onto the ground and place the other foot inside the hat. As you can see from the video the hat stays fairly still and it's you that does all the movement.
This video of the hat being spun as it is thrown between the feet should give you some ideas for variations on this trick.
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This one is quite easy, assuming you can already do a forward roll from a standing position.
So, learn to do a forward roll from a standing position (get a gymnast to teach you :-) then put a hat on the floor in front of you, with the opening facing skywards and give it a go!
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04-12-2015
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Grip the front of the crown of the hat and remove it from the head. Hold the hat vertically and spin it outwards while pushing the hat up with the finger tips. After one spin catch the hat in an outside grip.
With a bit of extra practice you can do this with two or three spins or do it in "slow motion".
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04-12-2015
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Full arm roll - Roll the hat from hand to hand along outstretched arms
Hold the hat with the crown back in an outside grip in your outstretched right hand. Flick the hat so that it spins up onto the arm and rolls across the back of the neck (make sure the head is ducked forward out of the way) and down the other arm.
As the hat reaches the other wrist bend the hand up and catch it in a inside grip.
Make sure the arms are sloped so that the hat is always rolling "downhill", and practice, practice, practice - this is a difficult trick.
From the TricksWithHats archive
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