Jul/090
Learning to Juggle – Step One
Now that you have the proper equipment, you can begin your quest to be the best juggler in the world. As I mentioned in previous posts, I’m a self-taught juggler who has taught many other people how to juggle. This may not be the preferred way of learning how to juggle but it is the way I have found works for me and those people who I have taught. Hopefully, it will work for you as well.
Take one ball and put it in your dominant hand. In my case, this is my right hand so I’ll talk as if this is what you’re using as well. If not, you can just switch “right” for “left” and vice-versa. Now throw the ball up and catch it in the same hand. Keep your arm bent at the elbow and throw the ball from your hand to about the level of your eyes. Do this until you can get the throw correct 10-15 times in a row. Throw up to your eye level, let it drop and catch it a little bit above your waist.
Once you have mastered that step, you’re ready to throw to your other hand. Keep both arms bent at the elbow with your hands facing up. Gently toss the ball from your right hand to your left hand, keeping the ball at eye level. You should not have to move your left hand much to catch the ball. It should go from your right hand, up to the level of your eyes and down to your left hand.
Many people try to lift their left hand up too high to catch the ball as it is coming down. That move certainly makes it easier to catch the ball in your left hand, but it will make it hard to learn to juggle when we go to the next step. At this point, you will throw from your right, catch with your left and move the ball back to your right hand to try it again. Do this until you can make the throw perfectly 15 to 20 times in a row.
Once you can do that, you’ve just completed Step One in learning how to juggle! Congratulations!