Absolutely!

Powerball is designed to spin in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction in either the left or right hand and this be altered while the rotor is stationary or spinning the only caveat is that you don't switch rotor spin direction violently! (it will switch between a clockwise and anticlockwise spin in the blinking of an eye but doing so at high speeds can cause undue wear and stress on the rotor support band and is therefore best avoided!).

Some experienced Powerballers will also use two Powerballs simultaneously which is an incredible way to train and improve your co-ordination.

It is possible to switch the direction of the rotor's "Y" axis rotation during a session simply rotate your wrist in the opposite direction to the current one and the rotor will switch in the blinking of an eye.

Note: Please bear in mind that the rotor is suspended on a polycarbonate ring which can be subjected to significant stress and wear in the event that you chose to switch rotation direction in the middle of a high speed run we recommend that if you must alter direction you do so gently or when the rotor speed has slowed sufficiently in order to preserve the tight, smooth movement of the ball.



Or; "Why would I bother spending Eur34.99 on 250Hz Powerball 'Pro' when I can buy a gyrotwister, or similar copy product for only Eur19.99?"

Two kinds of hand gyro exist on the market these days;

1) The first can be bought in the shops from under USD$20.00 / Eur20.00 - it is generally made in China and is a mass produced product, manufactured in quantities of hundreds of thousands each production run.

In this gyro, iron axles and cheap plastics are the order of the day.

These are generally a similar size to powerball and weigh approximately the same. However, that is definitively where all similarity ends.

The key element of any hand gyroscope is its rotor.

In the cheap copy product, the rotor is mass produced and is therefore not balanced in any way before being inserted into the outer shell which itself is then glued together. In simple terms, this means that as soon as you activate the gyro, the off balance rotor inside will begin to vibrate strongly and transmit shock waves into your hand and up along your arm the faster you spin the ball.

As a consequence, these are often called "Vibro" ball or similar, by their manufacturer.

Apart from limiting the actual top speed the rotor can reach (these gyros can generally reach maximum speeds or around 6000-8000rpm), it also means that your limbs are subjected to a most unpleasant 'shock' sensation at these higher speeds as the vibration from the off balance rotor becomes more intense the faster it spins.

This, of course, is quite acceptable if you have purchased it as a toy or a game for your children, but not much good if you are looking for an arm workout for sports or fitness purposes or some non impact rehabilitation for a damaged wrist or arm.

2) Powerball - the second type of gyro on the marketplace and several generations ahead of the other versions, Powerball is a tuned, precision product which has been hand assembled using materials of the highest quality and which features an internal rotor on a stainless steel axle which has been so finely and precisely balanced using advanced computerised jigs that it can reach speeds in excess of 16,000rpm without vibration of any description.

Powerball's primary focus is as a sports/fitness and rehabilitation instrument and succeeds in this aim as a result of its totally non impact properties. Each Powerball is individually tested before being hand assembled to ensure 100% precision in every component - a time consuming process which adds considerably to the basic build cost of each unit when compared to the mass produced items described above but also one which guarantees superlative quality in the finished product when compared to the mass produced copy items.

The outer shells in the Powerball product range are also snapped together as opposed to being glued like in the copy gyro which allows each Powerball to be easily and completely refurbished back to factory spec. in the event of accident or wear - the lifetime warranty offered on each unit allowing the user to request a new component, absolutely free of charge, as required.

Finally, the 'Pro' powerballs are shipped with an extremely accurate inbuilt digital counter/speedmeter to allow the user record and monitor their speed and performance during each session - a valuable addition which add's further benefit to the instrument and keeps it at the very top of its particular marketplace.

Summary:

Powerball features

1. Your new Powerball is a superlative product which has been hand built from start to finish.

2. Each Powerball is built around a stainless steel rotor axle using only the highest quality plastics.

3. Before assembly, each rotor (the heart of your new Powerball) will have been clinically balanced on a state of the art computerised jig to ensure absolutely zero vibration at any speed that a human being could be capable of spinning it at - consequently, Powerball can reach speeds in excess of 16,000rpm without missing a beat.

4. All 'Pro' Powerballs come complete with the current Accura Speed meter V2.0 to ensure precise registration of the rotor speeds achieved during a session.

5. Your new Powerball is shipped with an unconditional lifetime guarantee - no matter what happens during its life, we repair or replace it without question.

Copy Product Features

1. Mass produced in China

2. The rotors aren't balanced in any manner and so will struggle to reach speeds of 8,000rpm, at which point they are vibrating badly and make the whole experience a less than enjoyable one

3. Only one of the copies we have come across ('rollerball') has the option of a digital counter. On testing samples of this product, it was quickly established that the counter (a copy of the older Accura Speed V1.0 meter we used before the current model) was presenting completely inaccurate scores to the realtime achievement of the rotor and was found to be reading some 25% off the true [rotor] rotational speed. The other copies have no such facility.

4. Offered with a basic, conditional, factory warranty (if any)

(If you do want a product for under Eur20.00 then consider Powerball 250Hz 'regular' (without speed meter - it can be added later) and purchase the best of both worlds: excellent value, perfect, creamy smooth movement as in the rest of the range, unconditional lifetime warranty, the option to add a counter - all for less than Eur20.00)

Fault: None

Solution: If you are seeking the fastest powerball, it will have to be the 250Hz Pro!

Detailed Explanation: We are regularly asked about the top speeds that each Powerball model is capable of achieving and whether one Powerball within the range is faster than the other.

In simplified terms, it would be truthful to say that the 250Hz products remain king when it comes to pure outright speed there is nothing faster available on the market at present, for any money!

These superlative gyros are totally unencumbered by the onboard induction dynamos which are inbuilt on the rotors of the Neon and Techno ranges and are therefore able to offer a faster spin to those seeking all out speed from their shiny spheres.

Looking at it objectively however, it should also be pointed out that the rotors on both the Techno and Neon ranges have been balanced to the same ultra fine degree as the 250Hz range and, in theory, should be capable of reaching the same dizzying heights in terms of pure outright speed.

However, in practice, we generally find that the top speeds of these two models will be in or around 2-4% less [than the 250hz] as a result of the induction mechanism on their rotors.

Not that this makes a huge difference of course; Neon Blue will still hit the mid 15k mark in the right hands  it is only above this stratospheric level that the difference between it and the 250Hz Pro will become apparent (and thus far, there has only been one man on the planet who could have been privy to such minute variances!)

Techno is a further 2-3% slower [than the Neon] as a result of a slightly different internal design on its rotor and can be quite difficult to take over 15k (it will exceed this level of course, but again, only in the right hands).

The Metal 350Hz; at time of writing, we are offering this product with the high density (heavy) rotor as standard.

This rotor is almost twice as heavy as the lightweight rotor from which the model range takes its name and so puts down a formidable challenge to those looking for outright speed from the metal range at present. This Powerball generates a monstrous gyroscopic inertia when the rotor is spinning and is extremely difficult to push past 12,000rpm let alone the loftier heights of 13, 14 or 15,000rpm.

Once again, at time of writing, the highest recorded score we have witnessed is just under 14,000rpm from Akis Krisinelis, our Greek World Record Holder, leaving it well short of the current 250Hz speed record. However, it should be stated that the gyroscopic inertia being inflicted upon the arm and wrist by the 350Hz at 12k is substantially higher than that being generated by the 250Hz at 14k so this is all relative to what you are considering purchasing the ball for.

Once the lightweight rotor debuts for the 350Hz Metal range, we confidently expect to see Akis somewhere North of 20,000rpm stay tuned!

Summing up; 250Hz is the fastest, followed by the Neon models in second place and Techno in third. At present, the Metal is more about inertia than speed, but you can expect it to slaughter all speed records once the lightweight rotor appears.

Your shiny new Powerball is a superlative, hand built product which has been precision balanced using an advanced computerized jig to ensure zero vibration at speeds in excess of 16,000rpm.

However, despite this perfect form, the nature of the design requires that there be a small amount of 'play' (up/down movement) between the rotor and the outer sphere case. (If you really must know why this play is necessary... or if you simply like all that technical stuff, then please click here for more details on how your Powerball builds its speed!).

As the rotor spins, it generates a force called 'inertia' (this is what occurs when you try to alter the direction of a fast spinning metal disc/object... the faster you spin, the harder it fights against your efforts!)

Now, the rotor in your Powerball is indeed perfectly balanced and won't vibrate in any way - however, because of that little bit of up/down 'play' we described earlier, if you fail to grip the ball really firmly during operation (and, say, let it sit loosely in your hand as the rotor spins), what happens is that the inertia being developed will cause the whole sphere to resonate in sympathy, causing degradation of the internal support band on which the rotor itself is suspended. Each time this happens, the polycarbonate rotor support band will shed a fine coat of tiny particles from its surface (plastic dust as it were!), which will end up inside the rotor support band cavity, making your formerly smooth, quite Powerball rough and noisy!

Over time, this dust accumulates and ends up being pulverized into the sphere's surface by the metal axle with each rotor revolution causing disharmony between the sphere and the support band and ultimately causing significant speed deterioration in the Powerball.

Moral of the story; keep the Powerball gripped firmly at all times during use!

Reason: Poor wrist rotation / starting technique

Solution: Follow the correct technique as outlined below

Detailed Explanation: (Note: from time to time we will receive a correspondence from a new customer who has purchased a Powerball but is unable to successfully activate the rotor. In these cases, the first reaction is to suspect that you have purchased a faulty unit! We are here to reassure you that in absolutely every such case that we have seen in the past, the cause of this has been either as a result of using an incorrect technique (99%) or, as a result of the plastic starter cord tip (or other such foreign object) entering the inner cavity and jamming the mechanism (1%)... removing the foreign body is covered in another FAQ here - while learning the correct technique is covered in the following information).

Once you have initially jump started the rotor with the cord (please click on the following video for a visual solution or review the written instructions here) it is important that you quickly synchronise your wrist rotation speed so that it fully aligns with the rotor speed in the ball.

From experience, you will see that a good, sharp pull on the cord will leave the rotor spinning at around 2500/3000rpm.

From that point, unless you begin to "agitate" the rotor by rotating your wrist in a correct fashion, the rotor will begin to decelerate and the speed will effectively die (natural laws of physics! :o)

You therefore must begin rotating your wrist at a slow, steady pace so that it manages to sync perfectly with the spinning rotor in the sphere and help to both sustain and build its speed.

This is easier to do than it sounds;

If you are a beginner with Powerball, we recommend wide, lazy wrist turns, such as if you were stirring a pot, whisking eggs or waxing a car - about 5/6" in diameter, about 1 or 2 turns each second.

It is all about "feel" - you will immediately know that you are at the correct speed as you will begin to feel a resistance to your wrist rotation efforts (when you are out of sync, there will be no resistance, the rotor may "slap" around noisily inside the sphere and it will feel as if you are just turning your hand around the wrist joint - when in sync however, there will be a pleasant, soothing resistance to your efforts and the Powerball will suddenly feel much heavier in your hand!)

Once you feel this resistance (otherwise known as Gyroscopic Inertia), slowly begin to increase the speed of your wrist rotation (NOTE: it is important that only the wrist rotates - your arm must remain steady and in the one position) - this will serve to increase the actual speed at which the rotor is spinning which, in turn, will increase the resistance being inflicted on your hand/wrist/arm.

Once again, if you are trying to turn your wrist too fast while at these slow starting speeds or, if your turning circles are too small, you will hear (and feel!) the rotor slapping noisily inside the sphere - if this happens, simply slow the speed of your turns or increase the diameter of the turn (dimensionally)... this will immediately help to bring you back in sync with the spinning rotor and the speed will build proportionally once again.

So remember, if it hits 2000rpm from the pull start and then dies, you are doing it wrong! :o)