How To Juggle

Posted on June 16th, 2009 by Elaine

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Don’t you just love how clowns juggle? It’s one of the oldest forms of amusing exhibitions known to us today, yet not everyone can do it perfectly. There’s no real physics needed when doing this trick, though. All you need are your hands, three items to juggle around, and good eye and motor coordination. Got these already? Then, let’s start learning how to juggle!

Materials:

Your hands
Three items of the same size to juggle. This depends on you, but make sure the items have the same shape, weight, and can fit easily in your hand. Juggling balls or small bean bags are great choices.
Plenty of room. You might need to move around while doing this exhibition. Clear some space, so you won’t bump into things.

First Step: Juggling One Item

Starting first with one ball helps you get used to the motion. Here’s how.

Get one ball, and hold it in one hand, the one which you’re more used to using. For example, if you’re right-handed, hold the ball in your right hand.
Notice that when you’re juggling, your hands will be moving in two independent circles. Your right hand willl move clockwise, while the left goes counter-clockwise, lagging about half a rotation.
Using your right hand, throw the ball, just enough for its apex—its highest point—to be as high as your eyes.
As the ball drops, catch it using your left hand. Throw it again upwards, then catch with your right.
Continue practicing this, until you get used to it.

Notice that one of your hands, most often your right hand if you’re right-handed, is better at throwing and catching the ball. This is called the dominant hand. The left one will be your subordinate hand.

Second Step: Moving To Two Items

If you already feel accustomed to throwing and catching one item, you can then add another item to your exhibition.

Get a second ball, and hold it in your empty left hand.
Start practicing throwing the second ball from your subordinate hand, towards your dominant hand.
Just before your dominant hand is about to catch the second ball, throw the first ball towards the subordinate hand.

This can be pretty tricky when you’re just starting, but as long as you keep practicing, this step will be easy.

Third Step: Juggling Three Items

This is the third phase of this exercise, and once you properly master it, you can say that you truly know how to juggle. The steps can be confusing, but with a bit of patience, you can achieve this easily.

Start off slowly. Hold one ball in your dominant hand, while your subordinate hand holds two.
Throw one of the two balls you’re holding in your subordinate to your dominant hand.
Just like in the second step, return the ball in to your right hand. This time, as you catch the returned ball, throw the last ball remaining in your subordinate hand back to your dominant hand.

A Few More Tips

Not everyone gets their juggling rhythm the first time, and dropping the balls is natural. Don’t lose hope. Be persistent and just keep practicing. You will get your rhythm soon enough.
Face a wall when you’re juggling, to avoid the items from rolling away from you.
Try not to use balls or items that bounce, since retrieving these can be difficult.
Another tactic is to juggle in front of a sofa or bed, so bending down to retrieve the fallen items won’t be so hard.
If you find it difficult to react quickly, throw the balls higher, so you’ll have more time to catch them. Using handkerchiefs is also a good idea, since these are light and fall slowly. It also means you have to flick your wrists to throwing them to the right height.

Juggling might seem difficult from the audience’s point of view, but once you master these tactics and learn the technique, you’ll realize it’s rather easy. Try these tips, and soon, you’ll be able to awe your friends with your smooth juggling skills.