April 26th, 2023
Juggling
Feeling particularly clownish this week? Well, you might as well double down and learn how to juggle. Plus, once you’ve figured it out, you’ll be able to slightly impress any party for the rest of your life!How to:
- Start simple. The trick is getting used to the rhythm. Practice tossing and catching one ball to get in the swing of things. Make sure your hands are moving in a half-circle scooping motion every time you toss the ball up. Every object you juggle needs to make an arc in front of you.
- Add. Once you’ve gotten used to the basic idea, try juggling two balls. The goal is to perfect the timing it takes to toss one while the other reaches its peak in front of you. Make sure you’re throwing about eye-height.
- Add again. Undoubtedly the hardest stage. Hold two balls in your dominant hand and one in the other. Toss ball 1 from your dominant hand, then when it’s at its peak, toss ball 2 from your non-dominant hand. Catch ball 1. Toss ball 3 when ball 2 reaches its peak. Catch ball 2. Toss ball 1 when ball 3 reaches its peak. Catch ball 3. Repeat for a very fun forever.
Tips:
- Start with objects that won’t bounce and roll away (for example, hacky sacks or t-shirts). You’ll be dropping things a lot while you learn—don’t waste the energy it takes to run around, trying to pick things up.
- Stand near a wall with a big vertical space so your throws don’t get too far away from you, and you have the room to experiment.
- It might help to think that juggling is more about accurately throwing a ball into your hand rather than catching it. Once you’ve become comfortable tossing the balls without looking at your hands, you’ve mastered the most important part of the trick!
- Watch a video! Visually seeing the timing of a throw or scooping motion from a practiced juggler will help.
—Ariel Rutten