Juggling
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Learning to juggle is not as complicated as it may seem. By taking five simple steps, one at a time, you should be able to juggle three balls within one hour. This may vary depending on your motor skills.
Contents |
[edit] Preparation
[edit] What to juggle with
To learn how to juggle, you will need three objects of suitable size, weight and hardness. Use common sense when choosing juggling objects. Juggling balls or hackey-sacks are optimal, but tennis balls or racquet balls and the like can fill the role in nicely. You may also wish to use mandarin oranges, rolled-up socks, newspaper balls or other similar objects instead.
[edit] Where to juggle
The place where you juggle should be bright enough to allow you to see the balls clearly. Depending on the balls used, it may also be necessary to juggle in front on a bright wall (as is often the case with hackey-sacks). The place should be well ventilated and not too hot, but a direct breeze is ill-advised as it may make it harder to throw the balls accurately. It should also be tall enough to allow you to juggle freely without hitting the ceiling.
[edit] Position
Stand up in a comfortable position in the middle of your juggling area and begin with step one!
[edit] The Three Ball Cascade
The three ball cascade is the basic juggling style. If you have not done any juggling before this is what you should start with. You should NOT try doing a shower(where all the balls move in a circle with all the balls moving in the same direction. aka clockwise or counter-clockwise) until much further along in your juggling practice.
[edit] Step one
Use one ball for this step. Take a ball in one hand. Now throw it to the other hand. The throwing hand should move in a semi-circle before releasing the ball in order to make the ball fly almost vertically. This is called a "scoop" and will help a lot in further steps.
You should aim to throw the ball in such a way that it falls directly into the other hand. Having to move the catching hand too much is not a good sign. The ball should travel in an arc, its top around the height of your eyes.
Do not look at the ball as it falls. You have to learn to control yourself and catch the ball without looking at it. If you do not learn to do so now, further steps will become very hard. Throw the ball softly and try and keep the flow of the throwing smooth.
Do not underestimate this step, as it is possibly the most important. Not knowing how to throw the balls nicely will result in trouble in the following steps.
[edit] Step two
You will need two balls for this step. Take one ball in each hand and throw it directly upwards. Catch each ball with the hand that threw it. Alternate which ball you throw such that when the left ball is at the top of the arc, you throw the right ball and when the right is at the top, you throw the left one.
This process will help you achieve good rhythm for later. Apply the principles from step one - throwing the ball so you don't need to move the catching hand much, looking upwards instead of at the balls etc.
Try and make this step as automatic as possible. Listen to a few songs while performing it and throwing the balls to the rhythm. Try and listen to songs with different rhythm. Fast, slow, whichever you like.
[edit] Step three
This is the step that makes what you are doing actually look like juggling. Take a ball in each hand. Now throw one ball to the other hand as in step one. When the ball is at the top of the arc (as in step two), throw the other ball to the first hand. The second ball should travel underneath the first one.
This step may seem a bit daunting, but it is just a combination of steps one and two. When practicing this step, you should train both hands equally. First, throw the left ball first and the right ball second. Then, throw the right ball first and the left ball second. After a while, you should be able to do this in a nice, circling movement.
Never be afraid of going back to previous steps just to recapture the rhythm or throw more accurately.
[edit] Step four
When performing this step, you are actually already juggling. Take two balls in one hand and one ball in the other. Always begin with the hand with two balls. Repeat what you have been doing in step three, but when the second ball is at the top of the arc, throw the third ball to the opposite hand.
When you have done this step, you have made the first juggling circle. Actual juggling is just a series of these steps. Try and repeat these three passes until you feel you have perfected them. Throw the balls accurately, remember the rhythm when throwing and always try and catch the balls. It isn't a problem if they fall on the ground, but you need to be able to do at least three circles (with pauses after each circle) without them falling down before proceeding to step five.
Remember to practice this step with both hands equally. Left-right-left, then right-left-right. Music might help you with rhythm.
This step is the forerunner to juggling. As such, you might feel tempted to pass it quickly, but you should resist the urge and repeat it until you are comfortable with it.
[edit] Step five
This is it, the last step of the way! This is the breakthrough step and the time needed to get the grip of it varies greatly from person to person. If you have thoroughly practiced the previous steps, however, it shouldn't be a problem.
Repeat step four, but instead of catching the third ball as it falls down, throw the first ball again and proceed right into the next circle. When you first do it, you might get caught off balance and you will drop all the balls. Don't worry, it's natural at this point! Repeat step four again. When you are comfortable, try and do two circles without pausing.
As you learn this step, you will realize the movements are becoming more and more natural. Feel the flow of the balls as they soar through the air. Enjoy yourself! You now know how to juggle!
[edit] Troubleshooting
[edit] I cannot do more than 3(or 4 or 5 etc.) throws
This is probably a mental problem. If this is happening to you, you need to make a point of throwing your balls whether or not you think you can catch them. Even if you drop them, throwing the balls will help you get past this mental block.
[edit] I throw my balls forward
(and in turn have to walk forward to keep up)
This is a common problem and can probably be fixed by juggling while facing a wall just close enough that you can extend your arms.
[edit] My balls collide in mid-air
To fix this problem you will have to work on your throws. Go back to step one and make sure you throw the ball correctly. Make sure that you are "scooping" your throws so that the ball flies almost completely vertically.
[edit] I still can't juggle.
Try this: http://www.alightfingers.com/tuition/ This is a more gradual and supportive version of the above.
[edit] Basic Juggling Tricks
After you have practiced the three ball cascade enough that you can do it comfortably, you are ready to learn your first juggling trick.
[edit] Over the Top
The first trick that most people learn is "over the top". This trick is just what it sounds like, instead of the normal cascade throw in which the ball travels under the previous one, you throw a ball over the top of the other one.
To begin with, practice the over the top throw with only one ball. Simply take the ball in your hand and "scoop" in a half circle towards the outside instead of the inside. When doing this you will probably want to move your hand further to the outside in order to make the throw more horizontal. When doing this you should throw the ball all the way from one side to the other whereas in the cascade you throw them from the middle to the outside.
Once you are comfortable with this try working it into a three ball cascade. Do not worry about it falling. Just throw it over the top of the other balls and resume your cascade.
[edit] Jugglers' Tennis
Before you learn this trick you need to know "over the top".
When doing "juggler's tennis" it may help if you have one different colored ball but it is definitely not necessary. The jugglers' tennis is when you do an "over the top" over third throw such that the same ball goes over the top every time you throw it. If you have a ball that is a different color than the other two that should be the one that goes over the top. This will help you to remember which ball you are supposed to throw over the top and lets you concentrate more on the technique.
[edit] Half Shower
Before learning this trick you need to know "over the top". "jugglers' tennis" will help but is not required.
In the "half shower" you throw ever other ball over the top such that the same hand always makes this throw. If you thoroughly practiced "over the top" and "jugglers' tennis" this should be fairly easy.
[edit] Reverse Cascade
Before learning this trick you need to know all previous "over the top" tricks.
This trick is basically a cascade where you throw every ball over the top of the others. It is not, however, that simple. You see if you throw every ball with the over the top throw, you will have to continually throw them higher and higher until you cannot keep up. Instead, you must make your throws go from the outside to the middle. This will be hard at first but with practice will gradually become easier.
As soon as you have the new throw down you will want to work it into the cascade. You may have been starting with a normal cascade and working your way into the trick before, but with the reverse cascade you will have to go straight into it. You may not get it at first but keep at it. You will get it eventually and it is really fun once you do.
