h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An ex-boyfriend, years ago, bought me a nice set of juggling balls which I have consistantly tried and failed master in the traditional manner. I'd like to know if there is a special knack to juggling, is it just practice, or are you just born to juggle?

Did the balls come with any kind of guide?

Ahem. No. Though a friend told me that the best way to start is just to throw one ball up in one hand, trying to keep in as straight a line as you can. Couldn't even do that very well. Not surprisingly, I never got picked for the school cricket team...

Being taught by someone in person is the easiest way. Just about anyone can learn to juggle in less than an hour with the proper guidance. An illustrated guide would be the next choice. However, check out this entry and see if you can make any progress with some non-pictoral guidance:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A61813

Thank you, GGtW, you have inspired me to try again.

Rooti.

the most important thing is practice - i tend to practice over a table or sitting on the floor or bed, so you don't have so far to go when you drop them

also don't try to progress too fast, ie master two balls before trying three

also do it on your own first, it is so much easier when you're not being watched

patience i guess too

also there are ways to make it look a lot harder than it is, once you have a grip on the techniques, so don't be put off by show-offs

hope that helps
span

Thanks, Span!

Good advice about the table - I can get so much more practice done without wasting time picking up dropped balls. One piece of advice from an incompetent novice to anyone even less experienced than me - never practice with a dog in the room!

Rootitoot.

I am not able to juggle, but I have watched someone learning to do it. The important thing is that the balls do not go in a circle. It is not a question of throwing a ball in a big arc from one hand to the other and then passing it back quickly across the bottom. The action is symmetrical. Balls going from left to right go the same height and speed as balls going right to left. This only really makes sense when there are three balls. This makes it very difficult to learn with only two balls.

Try the following steps:

1. throw one ball from hand to hand until you are happy you can catch it every time.

2. hold a ball in your right hand. Throw a ball from you left hand to it. Just before this ball arrives, throw the ball in your right hand to your left. Catch both balls. Do this loads of times, then repeat it the other way around.

3. the final step is to introduce the third ball. Do this standing up as you may find you need to run forward to keep up with the balls if your aim is not quite accurate. Start with two balls in your left hand, one in your right. Throw one across and repeat the move that you practised in (2) over and over. You are now juggling.

I learnt to juggle as I was trying to impress a young man, (it didn't work). I wasn't very good at it, and found I had to keep walking forward to keep up with the balls. I was told to juggle in front of a wall to stop this happening. Then they went sideways so I gave up.
But the standing in front of a wall tip might help you, so good luck.

Perhaps you should ask Vogonpoet -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U174321

- he is keeper of balls in the air!

Ugi

Thanks, Ugi, thanks Mina! I wasn't expecting to get so much good advice about juggling. What a nice, friendly place this is (loved your page, Mina!) Ugi, I shall walk my two left hands over to the page you suggested.

If you find the balls go forward then incline yourself backwards ever so slightly...

The trick is not to watch your hands but the top point of the balls flying arc. Practice as suggested with one ball first going from hand to hand in an arc about head height, when you catch it 99% of the time make the arc higher. Remember to watch that top point of the arc, if you watch your hands or the ball you wont get a consistent throwing pattern.

Build it up to two or three balls when you feel you have mastered the previous level, keep the technique the same, you cannot focus on 3 balls but you can focus on where they _will_ arrive

Mel ><<

Hey there, rooti ...

I had a book called Juggling for the Complete Klutz and it said the first lesson in juggling was to hold three balls in one hand, throw them up in the air and make no attempt to catch them. Then bend down and pick them up as this was a move you were going to get used to!

From experience the easiest way to learn is practise, and as someone said, a visual aid makes it much easier to see what's being got at so I'm not even going to try and explain ...

Persevere ... it's easy when you know how!

Oh, I forgot ... juggling over a bed is a good way to go about it (same as table I guess) ... the balls have no chance to roll away and also it stops you walking forwards ... and also should it all become too much you can collapse on to it in despair ...

Or how about in front of a computer desk? *Balls fly in all directions, knocking over glass of wine onto keyboard*

It's all about focus.

I know juggle with fire clubs, and it didn't really take me that long to learn.
The art to it is to try it every day, and spend a lot of time just throwing 1 ball / club ( with clubs it's the same principle except with 1 spin involved), getting used to the weight/how far to throw it. Then play around with just 2. You'll find that if you do this, when you get to 3, you'll be able to do it with your eyes closed



Starman

please excuse the poor spelling !

Please tell me you learnt with balls first?!

I thought everyone started with torches or very sharp knives... but then I have to type using only my thumbs.

Good calls on using a wall if you keep going forwards and a bed to prevent ball retrieval related backache. I notice that no one has said how to move from one ball to two balls.

Well after you get good and throwing one ball from one hand to the other (and back again) in a big arc you have to take the plunge and move up to two. This isn't as easy as you think it's going to be.

Start with a ball in each hand. Throw one ball in a nice big arc like you've got good at, right? Now keep watching it. Keep your eyes on it. Has it reached the top of it's arc yet? No? Keep watching then. Once it reaches to top of it's arc, it is time to throw the ball in you other hand, once again in a nice big arc. Try to throw it under the incoming ball.

Got both balls in the air now? Good. The first ball should now be plummeting rapidly towards the hand that has just thrown the second ball. Before you relax that hand you have to use it to catch the descending ball. Once you get good, the throw and catch will be the same effortless movement on the hand.

Did you catch it? Never mind, try again. Dropping is progress. If you do catch it and yet you still notice that there is a ball on floor after this manouvere, you might be forgetting to catch the second ball. This is very easy to do as the hand that threw the first ball has had very little to do for sometime. Make sure you remember to catch the second ball and ta-da! You can juggle two balls

Make sure you can do this both ways round (that is starting this mini routine with both your left and right hands) and that you can do it 99 times out of 100. After that you're ready to string it all together and move up to 3 balls in what inverterate jugglers like to call a 'Cascade' to confuse those who don't juggle.

The best advice to new jugglers is just practice. Practice, practice, practice. Do a limited amount at a regular time everyday and you'll get good.

Some people learn a 3 ball cascade in an hour, others take weeks. Don't worry, you'll get it. Once you've got the cascade there are lots of other exciting patterns with 3 balls to learn, you can go for four or more balls (warning learning how to juggle 5 balls takes a very long time indeed) or try clubs and hoops. Fire clubs and knives aren't really that dangerous. There just clubs with really cool bits at the opposite end of the handle.

Final advice. If balls go to quickly for you, try hankies for a while. They float down slowly and let you learn the patterns before you gain the speed in you arms you need to juggle balls.

Any more advice needed, leave a message on my space.