Juggling is a challenging but rewarding pastime; some studies have found an increase in gray matter in people who learn to do this type of activity! Although it may seem difficult to master this art, juggling becomes easier once you learn the basics and practice a lot. This article provides guidelines for playing the game with three balls; once you have mastered the basics, you will be able to add more.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Part 1: Shaking hands
Step 1. Choose suitable balls
Juggling balls (or beanbags) are great for beginners. In principle, get some balls that don't bounce much and that don't roll off when they fall; such a choice will save you, at least initially, a lot of running! A set of juggling balls can be purchased for a few euros or even be handmade. Tennis balls filled with sand (or a few coins) and coated with a balloon are fine anyway; they do not bounce and guarantee a firm grip, reducing the possibility of the balls slipping out of your hand.
Choose a suitable place to practice. At first, the balls will end up escaping in all directions, so avoid putting yourself near your grandmother's priceless oil lamp or your father's ceramic collection
Step 2. Throw a ball consecutively into the air to enter the part
Start passing it from one hand to the other. Also do some "self" shots where the throwing hand is the same as it grabs. The ball should reach at least eye level. Your arms shouldn't move too much, so try to keep your elbows close to your hips.
Step 3. Accompany the movement of the ball
In this way the game will be smoother. Simply raise or lower your hands before throwing or receiving the ball. But be careful not to lower the receiving hand too much; making movements too wide will give poor results. Learn this technique by dribbling from one hand to the other, making sure that the balls do not exceed the eye line in height.
Imitate the movements of a real juggler. It will surely have happened to you in the past to pretend to be a juggler; in those situations did you by chance move your hands in small circles? Without thinking about it you are already accompanying the movement of the balls
Step 4. Hold one ball in each hand
Throw ball A and, when it reaches the highest point of its trajectory, throw ball B. Practice until the exchange becomes automatic.
This "highest point" of the trajectory is the key to everything! By throwing this, you will have more time to make the next trick. When you start practicing with three, four and five balls this aspect will become fundamental
Method 2 of 2: Part 2: With Three or More Balls
Step 1. Juggle three or more balls
Try doing three passes in a row. Start slowly, simply observing how the balls interact with each other in the air during execution. Being able to juggle three balls often involves understanding the trajectories of the balls and understanding how they interact with each other. Most of the time one ball will be in midair while the others will each be in a different hand.
- Initially you hold two balls in your right hand and one in your left (the opposite if you are left handed).
- Start throwing from your right hand (or left if you are left handed).
- Throw a ball from the right hand to the left and, when the ball 1 reaches the highest point of its trajectory, throw the ball 2 (the only one you have in your left hand) passing it under the 1, towards the right hand.
- When ball 2 is at the top of its trajectory (it is at this point that you receive ball 1 with your left hand) throw ball 3 underneath 2.
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When the 2 ball is in your right hand you receive the 3 ball and that's it! Repeat countless times.
If you can't get the hang of it, work with small lightweight fabric scarves that, by remaining suspended in the air for longer, will give you the opportunity to better understand how the game works
Step 2. Learn the parabola throw
Now that you have learned the "Three Ball Waterfall" start performing the parabola throw. This technique consists of throwing in the opposite direction with one hand. Instead of throwing the ball inward, you grab it and throw it outward and over the trajectory of the previous ball.
You can start with a normal “three-ball cascade” and do a parabola shot from time to time, making sure that, overall, 1/3 of the shots are parabolic. If you do one parabola throw and two normal ones every time you are doing a “slow shower”; if, on the other hand, you perform repeated parabolic throws and with both hands you are performing a "reverse cascade with three balls". Once you have mastered these types of throwing you will be able to try your hand at cross-handed throws, in columns (with one ball in the middle and the others on the sides) and in the Mills Mess
Step 3. Move to four and then five balls
Learn to dribble two balls with the same hand, then have two dribble in the right and two in the left at the same time. Some argue that three-ball exercises are simpler than three-ball exercises!
Juggling with five balls is roughly the same as juggling with three but you have to move your hands much faster and throw the balls higher. Practice; it takes time and patience to master the technique
Advice
- Practice indoors to prevent the balls from falling too far or the wind affecting the trajectories. But stay away from breaking objects!
- Start slowly, following the steps necessary to do the three-ball exercise. Then try to perform the dribble without stopping. If you can't, don't worry. Take a break and start over when you're ready.
- A bed or sofa can come in handy for picking up fallen balls.
- Start practicing with your dominant hand.
- In the art of the juggler, it helps to focus not so much on catching, but on throwing the ball precisely, so that it falls exactly on the hand it receives.
- Relax, breathe and don't be discouraged. It can take days of training to just perform a three-ball rotation a couple of times in a row.
- Building mental images helps a lot in juggling. For example, if you have problems throwing high enough and accurately, imagine that you are in a box that goes from the height of your elbow to about thirty centimeters above your head; or, if you can't help but move forward, try to imagine that you are barefoot and that the floor in front of you is littered with tacks.
- Stand in front of a wall to prevent the balls from falling too far forward.
- Remember to use objects of the same weight; this will make it much easier.
- Start with handkerchiefs or scarves. But be careful! This facilitated method is fine to start with, but it can give the impression that the exercise is easier than it actually is. So, starting then to practice with the balls, you may have problems.
Warnings
- Juggling is challenging and can sometimes be depressing, tiring, repetitive, boring or all of these things combined; but the same goes, after all, for all those activities to which it is worth dedicating a lot of time to receive the greatest satisfaction in return.
- Avoid juggling heavy objects.
- Do not try to do these types of exercises with dangerous objects. Only professionals can do this kind of performances in complete safety.
- Juggling is a physical activity; try to warm up properly by stretching before starting training.
