Juggling Balls
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Juggling balls, or simply balls, are a popular
prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...
used by
jugglers Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the object manipulation, manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipula ...
, either on their own—usually in sets of three or more—or in combination with other props such as
clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands a ...
or
ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...
s. A juggling ball refers to any juggling object that is roughly spherical in nature.


Types

;Beanbags: The most common type of juggling ball. Juggling beanbags are typically constructed with an outer shell made from several pieces of
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
or microfiber (imitation leather), and filled with
millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...
, birdseed, plastic pellets, sand, crushed rock, ground rubber, or other material designed to give the beanbag bulk. Beanbags come in a variety of colors, the most common being "beach" (a combination of 4 panels colored red, yellow, blue and green), white, and other combinations of colors that are easily visible. Beanbags are preferred by many jugglers because beanbags don't bounce or roll when dropped, are caught the most easily, and have reasonable pricing and availability. Beanbags are generally found in sizes ranging from bob 2.5"-3" in diameter, with weights of 90–130g. Smaller beanbags with less filling in them are sometimes used by numbers jugglers, who require a smaller and lighter ball so they can throw and catch many balls using the same hand. ;Stage balls: 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 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/Russian balls: 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. ; Bouncing balls: Designed for
bounce juggling Juggling practice has developed a wide range of patterns and forms which involve different types of manipulation, different juggling prop, props, numbers of props, and numbers of jugglers. The forms of juggling shown here are practiced by amateur, n ...
, these feature a 75–90% bounce return. They are made of silicone or a synthetic rubber compound. ;Silicone balls: A type of bouncing ball most commonly used during
bounce juggling Juggling practice has developed a wide range of patterns and forms which involve different types of manipulation, different juggling prop, props, numbers of props, and numbers of jugglers. The forms of juggling shown here are practiced by amateur, n ...
and stage performances. These balls are made of
silicone In Organosilicon chemistry, organosilicon and polymer chemistry, a silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer composed of repeating units of siloxane (, where R = Organyl group, organic group). They are typically colorless oils or elastomer, rubber ...
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. Many jugglers choose to use non-silicone bouncing balls instead, due to their far cheaper price and similar performance. ;Russian balls: These share some of the advantages of stage balls (rigidity, visibility) and some advantages of beanbags (dead drop). They have a thin shell, and most of the weight is provided by a filling of granular material (most commonly sand or salt). 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. Russian balls are sometimes home-made since the materials needed 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 similar balls with a soft and slightly thicker shell, partially filled with liquid silicone or fine sand.


Use

Juggling balls are usually the first props that beginners attempt to juggle with, due to their simplicity (compared to other juggling props such as
clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands a ...
) 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 juggle three balls before moving on to other juggling props. However, some jugglers prefer to focus on only one juggling prop in order to achieve "mastery" of one art. For the more advanced juggler, juggling balls are often used to demonstrate basic patterns such as the
cascade Cascade, or Cascading may refer to: Science and technology Science * Air shower (physics), a cascade (particle shower) of subatomic particles and ionized nuclei ** Particle shower, a cascade of secondary particles produced as the result of a high ...
,
fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...
,
shower A shower is a place in which a person bathes under a spray of typically warm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showers are set up to have adjustable temperature, spray pressure and showerhead nozzle angle. The si ...
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. Many advanced jugglers can juggle seven or more balls at once, but not seven or more rings or clubs. This is because juggling balls are the easiest to juggle, can be manufactured (or home-made) in small sizes and light weights, and beanbags can be underfilled to facilitate catching. However, some juggling tricks, such as those typically done with
clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands a ...
or rings that involve spinning or twirling the prop are impossible or not as effective with balls, since a juggling ball appears the same from whichever angle it 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. Clubs are also larger and therefore easier to catch when thrown from a great height or distance. Juggling balls can also be used for
contact juggling Contact manipulation 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 ...
, 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 juggling Toss juggling is the form of juggling which is most recognisable as 'juggling'. Toss juggling can be used as: a performing art, a sport, a form of exercise, as meditation, a recreational pursuit or hobby. In toss juggling, objects — such ...
is eleven ( Alex Barron, 2012, 25 catches). The record for most balls juggled in
bounce juggling Juggling practice has developed a wide range of patterns and forms which involve different types of manipulation, different juggling prop, props, numbers of props, and numbers of jugglers. The forms of juggling shown here are practiced by amateur, n ...
is ten.JISCON Juggling Records.
/ref> Enrico Rastelli is also widely reported to have been able to juggle ten balls in the 1920s.Enrico Rastelli.
/ref> The record for the most juggling balls flashed (where each prop is thrown and caught once) is fourteen, by Alex Barron on April 19, 2017.14 Ball Flash on YouTube
/ref>


References

{{Juggling Juggling props Balls
Juggling Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object o ...
Game equipment