Juggling balls
Encyclopedia
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
, either on their own—usually in sets of three or more—or in combination with other props such as clubs
Juggling club
Juggling clubs, or simply clubs are a prop used by jugglers, as are other props such as balls or rings. A typical club is in the range of long, weighs between , is slim at the "handle" end, and has its center of balance nearer the wider "body" end...
or ring
Juggling ring
Juggling rings, or simply "rings", are a popular prop used by jugglers, usually in sets of three or more, or in combination with other props such as balls or clubs. The rings used by jugglers are typically about in diameter and thick....
s. A juggling ball refers to a juggling object that is roughly spherical in nature.
Types of balls
Beanbags are the most common type of juggling ball. Juggling beanbags are typically constructed with an outer shell made from several pieces of vinylVinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
or imitation leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, and filled with millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
, birdseed or other material designed to give the beanbag bulk. Beanbags come in a variety of colors, the most common being "beach" (a combination of Red, Yellow, Blue and Green on each piece of the outer shell), white, black, and other colors that are easily visible. Beanbags are preferred by many jugglers because of their lack of bounce and roll when dropped, the ease with which they are caught, and their reasonable price and availability. Beanbags are generally found in sizes ranging from 2"-3" in diameter, though smaller beanbags with less filling in them are sometimes used by numbers jugglers, who require a smaller and lighter ball to facilitate throwing and catching many balls in the same hand.
Stage Balls are often used during juggling performances. Stage balls have a polished outer shell, typically made of plastic or hard rubber, and are hollow. For this reason, stage balls can be manufactured to a greater diameter than beanbags, whilst maintaining a more manageable weight for the juggler. Furthermore, stage balls hold their shape and color better than beanbags making them a more visual prop. Stage balls, however, tend to bounce or roll away when dropped, and therefore are not commonly used during practice. Stage balls are generally found in sizes ranging from 2.5"-4" in diameter, though many performers such as Sergej Ignatov have used balls larger than 4" when performing, for extra dramatic effect.
DX Balls are a style of juggling balls that combines many of the benefits of both beanbags and stage balls. DX balls are constructed with a hard PVC outer shell, similar to a stage ball, and are part-filled with millet seed, to give the ball a consistent weight. This produces a juggling ball that flies consistently in the air, and does not roll away when dropped. The DX ball is patented in the UK by Beard Enterprises Ltd.
Silicone Balls are a type of juggling ball most commonly used during bounce juggling and stage performances. These balls are made of silicone
Silicone
Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
and have the same clean appearance as stage balls, a surface which is easy to grip and catch, and have a consistent, high bounce. Silicone balls are also easier to clean than stage balls, which can often scuff permanently. Unfortunately, these balls often cost 5-7 times more than beanbags or stage balls, which often limits the use of these balls to performers and serious hobbyists.
Russian Balls share some of the advantages of stage balls (rigidity, better visually) and some advantages of beanbags (dead drop). They comprise a thin shell with most of the weight being in a granular material (sand or salt being the most common). This gives them slightly unusual flight characteristics, but the low centre of mass makes them well suited for catches using other parts of the body than hands. They are common home-made balls since the parts involved are cheap. This makes them well-suited for experimentation regarding different sizes and weights, with the main limitation being the availability of the shells. Play, from Italy, makes a similar ball with a slightly thicker shell which is partially filled with liquid silicon.
Juggling balls are usually the first props that beginners attempt to juggle with, due to their simplicity (compared to other juggling props) and availability. Additionally, many common types of balls can function as juggling balls for a beginning juggler (such as tennis balls or baseballs). Most novice jugglers often spend much time learning how to control three balls before moving on to other juggling props.
For the more advanced juggler, juggling balls are often used to demonstrate basic patterns
Juggling pattern
A juggling pattern or juggling trick is a specific combination of manipulations of props while juggling . At its simplest level, a juggling pattern can normally be defined as a sequence of various throws using a certain number of props...
such as the cascade
Cascade (juggling)
In juggling, a cascade is the simplest pattern achievable with an odd number of props. The simplest cascade is the three-ball cascade. This is therefore the first pattern that most jugglers learn.-Three-ball cascade:...
, fountain
Fountain (juggling)
The fountain is a juggling pattern that is often used for juggling an even number of objects. In a fountain, each hand juggles separately, and the objects are not thrown between the hands. For example, in a four-ball fountain, each hand juggles two balls independently.A fountain can be synchronous...
, shower
Shower (juggling)
A shower is a juggling pattern for 2 or more objects, most commonly balls or bean bags, where objects are thrown in a circular motion. Balls are thrown high from one hand to the other while the other hand passes the ball back horizontally. The animation depicts a 3 ball version. Siteswap notation...
and half-shower, and can be used to form more creative juggling patterns as well, such as patterns involving throws around the body, blind throws or catches, and throwing or catching with parts of the body other than the hands. Typically, more advanced jugglers will juggle between four and seven balls at once, though many advanced jugglers can juggle more than seven balls at once, partially due to the fact that juggling balls can be manufactured in small sizes and light weights, and beanbags can be underfilled to facilitate ease of catching.
However, some juggling tricks, such as those typically done with clubs or rings
Juggling ring
Juggling rings, or simply "rings", are a popular prop used by jugglers, usually in sets of three or more, or in combination with other props such as balls or clubs. The rings used by jugglers are typically about in diameter and thick....
that involve spinning or twirling the prop are not as effective with balls, since the perception of a juggling ball remains the same from whichever angle the ball is viewed. The use of juggling balls in passing is, for this reason, less popular than the use of clubs, since the spin of the clubs in the air is often one of the appeals of passing with juggling clubs (and also because a club is larger, and therefore easier to catch when thrown from a great height or distance).
Juggling balls can also be used for contact juggling
Contact juggling
Contact juggling is a form of object manipulation that focuses on the movement of objects such as balls in contact with the body. Although often used in conjunction with "toss juggling", it differs in that it involves the rolling of one or more objects without releasing them into the air...
, a form of juggling in which the juggler never throws the objects. Typically, the contact juggler will use stage balls or balls specifically designed for contact juggling.
Records
The record for the most juggling balls juggled (where a "juggle" is defined as at least two throws and catches of each prop) in toss jugglingToss juggling
Toss juggling is the form of juggling which is most recognisable as 'juggling'. Toss juggling is at once: a performing art, a sport, a form of exercise and meditation, a recreational pursuit and often is a hobby....
is ten. The record for most balls juggled in bounce juggling is eleven. Enrico Rastelli
Enrico Rastelli
Enrico Rastelli was an Italian juggler, acrobat and performer.-Biography:...
is also widely reported to have been able to juggle ten balls in the 1920s. The record for the most juggling balls flashed
Flash (juggling)
A Flash in juggling is where each throw in a pattern being juggling is thrown and caught once. For a three ball cascade, this means three throws and three catches. However, for a four balls mills mess, this means six throws/catches as one round of the pattern requires six throws to complete it....
(where each prop is thrown and caught once) is thirteen, by Alex Barron on October 21, 2011.