Astrojax
SKILL TOY (1987) invented by LARRY SHAW consisting of THREE BALLS on a STRING — two balls fixed at the ends, one ball sliding freely in the middle. Player manipulates the toy in 3D SPACE, creating ORBITAL PATTERNS around themselves via elegant physical motions. Distinctive from yo-yos or poi — the free-sliding middle ball creates ORBITAL DYNAMICS. Practiced worldwide by skill-toy enthusiasts. Astrojax featured on NASA Discovery Space Shuttle mission (1994) as a study in physics education.
Quick facts
Category
Skill Toys
Type
Individual
Players
1–1
Duration
~30 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
1987 Larry Shaw invention; NASA space mission demo 1994; skill-toy community 1990s-2000s
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
How it works
Objective
Master orbital patterns + tricks; personal skill development.
Rules
Basic rules
Grip 2 outer balls, spin around body to create orbital motion
Signature basic swing.
Middle ball orbits + creates centrifugal patterns
Physics-based movement.
Trick names: Windmills, Butterflies, Turntables, Vertical Orbits, Wraps
Named patterns.
No formal ranking or competition — freestyle skill development
Individual practice focus.
Scoring
No formal scoring; personal skill mastery + freestyle exhibition.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Learn basic patterns | Personal milestone |
| Combine 5+ tricks in flow | Personal freestyle achievement |
| Custom trick invention | Community recognition (rare in this niche community) |
Win condition · Personal mastery is the goal; no formal competitions.
Equipment
Astrojax set (3 balls + string, ~$8-15)
Standard equipment
Astrojax Pop (light-up variant, ~$15)
Modern LED variant
Astrojax MX (metal-weighted variant)
For advanced players
Terminology
- Astrojax
- 'Astro' (space) + 'Jax' (jacks).
- Wrap
- Trick where string wraps around wrists/fingers.
- Windmill
- Circular arm-swing pattern.
- Butterfly
- Symmetric hand-crossing pattern.
- Orbit
- Circular movement of middle ball around body/arms.
Where it is played
Frequently asked
Astrojax vs yo-yo?+
Fundamentally different despite both being skill toys with balls + strings. YO-YO: 1 ball on a string, spun on axis + returned. ASTROJAX: 3 balls on 1 string, middle ball slides freely creating ORBITAL PATTERNS in 3D space. Astrojax requires FULL-BODY MOTION + spatial awareness; yo-yo is primarily hand-focused. Astrojax is a much smaller community (~10,000 enthusiasts worldwide) vs yo-yo's millions.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Astrojax— Wikipedia