How to Juggle

Juggling is a matter of learning to catch and throw at the same time. Work up from one ball to two balls to three balls.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 3 Bean Bags
• 3 Juggling Balls
• your beds

1. Hold a ball in your right hand.

2. Be aware that as you juggle, you'll be moving your hands in two independent circles - your right hand clockwise and your left hand counter-clockwise. The left hand lags about half a rotation.

3. Throw the ball with your right hand so that the apex - the highest point - of its path is about head-high.

4. Catch the ball as it drops into your left hand, then throw it up again, catching it with your right hand. Practice this maneuver until you go blind with boredom.

5. Proceed with a ball in each hand and continue as you did with one ball, throwing the second ball just as the first reaches its apex, and catching each ball with the other hand.

6. Practice with two balls until you feel confident. Try starting with the left hand once you've mastered starting with the right.

7. Add a third ball by starting with two balls in your right hand and one ball in your left hand.

8. Begin as you did with two balls, by throwing one of the balls from your right hand and then throwing the ball from your left hand when the first ball reaches its apex.

9. Catch the first ball with your left hand.

10. Throw the third ball (from your right hand) when the second ball reaches its apex.

11. Catch the second ball in your right hand.

12. Throw the first ball from your left hand as the third ball reaches its apex.

13. Catch the third ball in your left hand.

14. Keep throwing each ball just as the ball thrown from the opposite hand reaches its apex. You will always have at least one ball in the air, and you will never have more than one ball in either hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Juggle facing a wall to keep the balls from running away from you. Also, try juggling things that don't bounce - like bean bags - so you don't have to chase after them.

• Stand over your bed or sofa while juggling so you don't have to bend down as far to retrieve dropped balls.

• If you're having trouble reacting quickly enough, try throwing the balls higher to give yourself more time to catch them, or try using handkerchiefs, which fall more slowly. You'll have to flick your wrists to toss them high enough.