I'm trying to expand my skillset in things clownish, but juggling balls is isn't something I can manage to catch on to. (I know my limitations.) A search of a juggling supply store lists several alternatives and I'm just curious which ones might be easiest to start out with...

Of interest are the spinning plates, hat manipulation, cigar boxes, shaker cups, and what is called a "meteor". Anybody have experience in any of those? I figure on a budget, the plates are cheapest, and cigar boxes can be REAL cigar boxes since the ones made for juggling are kinda steep. Shaker cups might be cheaper from a liquor store, as well.

I think it's generally agreed that the easiest thing to learn juggling with is scarves. It's something I've been able to learn, and I'm sure you could do so in one afternoon. It was also fairly easy to learn how to get a plate spinning. I don't know any tricks to go with it, but I can get it spinning.

I don't have any experience with the other things you mentioned. Sorry!

I think it's generally agreed that the easiest thing to learn juggling with is scarves. It's something I've been able to learn, and I'm sure you could do so in one afternoon. It was also fairly easy to learn how to get a plate spinning. I don't know any tricks to go with it, but I can get it spinning.

I don't have any experience with the other things you mentioned. Sorry!

I forgot to mention that I do have a set of juggling scarves already, but what I can do with them is rather limited. But thanks!

I actually found scarves harder that juggling balls. They just move too slowly and don't want to go up high.

I found that the cheap spinning plates are very light weight and not as easy to work with as a heavier plate. Could just be that I need heavy things...

Depending upon the location of your clowning, a fun clown juggling routine involves you dropping the balls and having a child pick it up and drop the next as you go to grab it from the child.

I agree with Sir Toony,I purchased scarves just for some variety,and I did not get on with them,far too slow and a pain as they don't go where you wan't them to go.I prefer balls,bean bags and my favorite are bouncing balls.I find you can have a right laugh with them with the kids,as soon as I accidently drop one,I let the rest fall and they just bounce all over the place and the kids love it.I have tried juggling my finances but I found that more difficult than balls.

I actually found scarves harder that juggling balls. They just move too slowly and don't want to go up high.

I found that the cheap spinning plates are very light weight and not as easy to work with as a heavier plate. Could just be that I need heavy things...

Depending upon the location of your clowning, a fun clown juggling routine involves you dropping the balls and having a child pick it up and drop the next as you go to grab it from the child.

For me, the very slowness of the scarves allows me to manipulate them much easier. I see scarf juggling more as an exersize in creative dropping... with a little practice, I've been able to turn all the way around, juggling the scarves as I go. with the balls, I can toss one ball to the other hand easily, from either hand, but my ease of control disappears when I try to toss both...my brain know one ball is in the air so I try to toss and catch at nearly the same time and that just doesn't work for mel like trying to run and stand still..:)

Practice man. You can juggle three balls. All it is being bad at creative dropping. That being said there are also a couple of non-juggling juggling ball techniques.

1) Arm pit juggling: take two balls in your right hand and one in your left. Put one of the right hand balls under your left arm pit. Then put the left hand ball under your right arm pit. Then lower your left hand and open the left arm pit and let the ball drop into your hand. As soon as that arm pit is free, put the ball in your right hand into the left arm pit. Then bring the right arm down and drop the ball in your right arm pit into your right hand, and place the ball in your left hand in your right arm pit. Repeat.

2) Neck juggling: same as arm pit juggling except that you hold the balls by placing them on the side of your neck and leaning your head. As you turn your head to hold the ball, the ball on the other side rolls free down your chest.

3) Floor juggling: Place two balls on the floor about a foot or so apart. Have the third ball in your right hand. With the left hand pick up the left ball, and place the ball in your right hand in its place. Then pick up the right ball with your right hand and put the left ball in its place. Repeat. This can also be done with volunteers holding the balls.

I'm trying to expand my skillset in things clownish, but juggling balls is isn't something I can manage to catch on to. (I know my limitations.) A search of a juggling supply store lists several alternatives and I'm just curious which ones might be easiest to start out with...

Of interest are the spinning plates, hat manipulation, cigar boxes, shaker cups, and what is called a "meteor". Anybody have experience in any of those? I figure on a budget, the plates are cheapest, and cigar boxes can be REAL cigar boxes since the ones made for juggling are kinda steep. Shaker cups might be cheaper from a liquor store, as well.

Have you tried the devil sticks or diabolo?

ok now for my 2 cents on the subject when trying to juggle you dont try to trow and catch at the same time you wait until the ball you last trew is at it's peak in the air then you throw the next giving you time to catch oh and don't look at your hands trust them to know where the ball is going to be.
you mentioned cigar boxes i have a video posted of me doing cigar boxes you can take a look if you get real boxes hopefully made of wood you need to get some leather to put on the sides to give you that split second of grip to catch the middle box and to hold it there once you have caught it and unlike juggling balls you have to throw the boxes in the air straight up using your body from the knees
and while i respect noname and his advice i would start out with flower sticks they move much slower and are easier to manipulate then move on to devil sticks i am still waiting to make that move myself

Have you tried the devil sticks or diabolo?

I just bought a dollar store diabolo... ages 3 and up, but this 38 year old can't figure out what I'm supposed to do with the darn thing...maybe I need to ask my 4-yr old. lol

I owned a set of juggling sticks for years, but couldn't progress past the basics with them and gave them up long before I discovered clowning. I have LOTS of things I can goof up easily, I'd just like at least ONE thing that I can learn to do with some amount of grace and proficiency. :)


hmmmm...maybe my second clown should be called "Willy Nilly"...lol

Ok... So I actually got outside today and had a bit of juggling fun. Before Christmas my juggling supplies were limited to my Juggling bean bag balls, and my yellow juggling hat made my Karen Bell.

For Christmas I recieved a set of dube airflight juggling clubs. I'm still learning with them and the progress has been a bit slow as it was too cold or too wet to get out and work with them. My goal is to be able to juggle them before going to Moose Camp.

Recently I bought a spinning plate and a set of juggling rings.

I've played a bit with the rings in the house... but really just tossing one back and forth to get used to catching it ... Today I actually got outside and I was able to juggle them. They are a lot of fun. But a slight breeze can blow them out of the pattern.

Spinning plates are so simple! I ordered a plastic one form Larocks was able to spin it right out of the shipping box. Inside they look great but outside the wind can make things difficult.

The next juggling toosl I order will most likely be a diablo and maybe some heavier plates.

Oh and as a tip for those who are wanting to learn to juggle with scarves and think "Oh I'll just order a set" ... Hang on to three plastic grocerie sacks and try juggling them ... Toss, catch, toss, catch, toss, catch... they are a great way to see if you like juggling before actually spending the cash on scarves and other juggling tools.

you tube has TONS of material on "almost" everything juggling... i like contact juggling too. there's a high bounce ball that im using for practice, i bought it at borders (although im seeing it everywhere nowadays), its a clear ball that has liquid and glitters inside. try "cup stacking too".

I just bought a dollar store diabolo... ages 3 and up, but this 38 year old can't figure out what I'm supposed to do with the darn thing...maybe I need to ask my 4-yr old. lol

Diabolo Tricks (Home) (http://www.diabolotricks.com/)

Floor Juggling! LOVE IT! Thanks!!
Cigar boxes? They actually seem HARDER because they all have to work together.. unless you make some with either magnets or velcro!
Scarfs? YES! They have their own challenges [avoid using them outdoors with ANY breeze! unless you are prepared to chase them].
Here's something I do you may try: Balancing!
Try the ball on the nose gag. a dab of rubber cement on the nose and on the ball. [keep the ball somewhere safe from dust and lint]
Or... a rigged pie tin with a stick in the bottom. Mine has a white rubber pie-rat in it. I balance that on my palm, then on two gradually longer lengths of PVC.
Balancing a folding chair is an easy (but showy) trick you can spend a few minutes on. I haven't yet tried it on my chin, but maybe soon!

What's becoming painfully obvious is that I am suffering from my lack of internet access from home :( ..(all this posting I do is from work...). But before I get internet access, I'm needing two things...one is a newer comp, and the other is to be able to afford the access. Both are waiting for a few more months when I get my car paid off completely.

Back to this thread. My budget is opening up finally, but before I get a new comp, I'm investing in clownish tings. My cigar box juggling has made 0 progress since I got kinda frustrated with their lack of cooperation, so stopped practicing. I have, however, just ordered a cheap spinning plate, a cheap booklet to tell me how to spin the plate, a set of "poi" and a dvd to show me how to use the poi. I figure poi is more of a dance, and since it doesn't require me to throw and catch at the same time, maybe I'll better luck with it. I may also look into "bounce" juggling as well, but that will be a bit later.

Ok, my plate and poi have come in at last! Unfortunately, both seem to require practice...instant mastery of either has eluded me thus far. Good thing the plate isn't breakable. And I have to remind myself that the poi look very much like cat toys, and I'm sure my young cat will think the same thing, so have to keep them out of reach. Already I'm planning on making some homemade poi to practice with when I take my walks during lunch time at my "real" job. I figure I'll use some nylon craft string inserted into some tennis balls. If I make an "X" cut opposite where the string goes, I can insert a bandana with a knot in one corner and have removable tails on them. :D I was highly enspired to try poi after watching Aga-Boom. The hobo-style clown of the trio had homemade poi using toilet paper rolls as the balls/tails. If he can do it, I can attempt it too!

ok now for my 2 cents on the subject when trying to juggle you dont try to trow and catch at the same time you wait until the ball you last trew is at it's peak in the air then you throw the next giving you time to catch oh and don't look at your hands trust them to know where the ball is going to be.


I don't look at my hands, either. If I do, I literally drop the ball. It helps to feel what you're doing instead of seeing it.

I just bought a dollar store diabolo... ages 3 and up, but this 38 year old can't figure out what I'm supposed to do with the darn thing...maybe I need to ask my 4-yr old. lol

I owned a set of juggling sticks for years, but couldn't progress past the basics with them and gave them up long before I discovered clowning. I have LOTS of things I can goof up easily, I'd just like at least ONE thing that I can learn to do with some amount of grace and proficiency. :)


hmmmm...maybe my second clown should be called "Willy Nilly"...lol

What dollar store did you go to? I haven't seen those around here. Are they under a different name? My clown's six, so maybe she can master them, lol!

there are several adages that may relate well here:
You get what you pay for.
Being home made is ok for stage but not looking home made is vital
Pro's know, armatures think they know, yammas haven't a clue
It's not the tool its the craftsman

just words to ponder

What dollar store did you go to? I haven't seen those around here. Are they under a different name? My clown's six, so maybe she can master them, lol!

Well, it was springtime when I bought the toy. After a few tries, I decided I'd rather invest in a relatively inexpensive diabolo from a juggling store online... better a true juggling prop than a "toy." I like www.jugglingstore.com (http://www.jugglingstore.com) . Oh, and I still haven't bought a True Diabolo yet.

I just kinda want to see how it works before investing money I don't have. I have all kinds of "toy" magic tricks and whatnot that I'm not sure I'd ever use at an event(or at lease with modifications!)
I like to handle things before I buy them so I know if I like the feel of them. I also just like having toys!

The thing with the "toy" diabolo was that the diabolo itself was tiny and not very well balanced. I couldn't get it to do ANYthing that it was supposed to do. I figure a true diabolo (I've seen one for as low as $15.00) would be less frustrating.

well, the $ store I normally go to during my lunch hours was sold out of tennis balls. :( but they did have some wonderful long and WIDE blue and red shoe laces I can use for my poi, some large play money (Do you accept large bills?) and a funny looking shrimp magnet I plan on giving to one of the new clown school students whose clown name is Shrimp. (He's attending with his mother, Gumbo.) I figure he can put a magnet or metallic washer underneath the crown of his hats and secure the magnet that way. the magnet is a large shrimp on a spring, so his body, legs, and antennae all move.

The thing with the "toy" diabolo was that the diabolo itself was tiny and not very well balanced. I couldn't get it to do ANYthing that it was supposed to do. I figure a true diabolo (I've seen one for as low as $15.00) would be less frustrating.

well, the $ store I normally go to during my lunch hours was sold out of tennis balls. :( but they did have some wonderful long and WIDE blue and red shoe laces I can use for my poi, some large play money (Do you accept large bills?) and a funny looking shrimp magnet I plan on giving to one of the new clown school students whose clown name is Shrimp. (He's attending with his mother, Gumbo.) I figure he can put a magnet or metallic washer underneath the crown of his hats and secure the magnet that way. the magnet is a large shrimp on a spring, so his body, legs, and antennae all move.

I must have missed this thread. For the most part, the Diabolos you get from toy stores or even hobby stores are hard plastic and really not ideal for learning the Diabolo on. The more professional style ones are a "softer" type of rubber and kind of remind me of two plungers bottoms put together. ( I would not suggest doing that, however, since they are specially balanced).

The Diabolo is one of the first things I learned to juggle after balls (my arms tired out with the cigar boxes and clubs and I always hated scarves since I think that is the WORST way to learn how to juggle).

The thing with the Diabolo that you have to remember is this, you are the source of momentum for it, so if you move too slow you will not keep the Diabolo going. The best thing to do is put the Diabolo on the string and then move up and down quickly, like you are playing the drums. Of course, the next and biggest problem is that with that much force is wants to go forward or backward. This is the point where most people panic and it starts to spin out of control, tangling all over. But, this is easy to correct: with your dominant hand (that is, the hand you write with) while you are "beating the drum" and the Diabolo decides to move forward, you simply move your dominant hand backward, if the Diabolo goes backward, you then simply move your dominant hand forward. This is how you "steer" your Diabolo. The thing about this, however, is that people think that in order to "steer" they have to push out or in far, this is not the case and will cause your Diabolo to get confused and get tangled.

The movement is very slight, just in the same way as the way the Diabolo moves, very slightly, not a lot. So, what I am saying is don't "oversteer" simply move your hand slightly forward or backward, as the case may be.

Once you have that, you will have your Diabolo under control, once it is under control, in order to speed it up, start "beating the drum" faster.

If you want to get really fancy, another way to speed it up is to take your non-dominant hand and tilt the stick (with the string as well) towards your dominant hand, once the Diabolo moves over towards the stick of your dominant hand, move your dominant hand (which will take the string with it) OVER the Diabolo, this will temporarily "catch it" on the string, once this happens you then give it a whipping motion and it will "throw" the Diabolo, on the string towards your non-dominant hand, this is what is known as, well, "whipping." It is one of the easiest and quickest ways to accelerate your Diabolo.

Once you have those two basics down, you will be all set to experiment from there.

Hope that helps!

I'm trying to teach myself plate spinning right now. I bought a set of 3 plates thinking I would be able to pick it up in a weekend. I watched a couple videos on youtube of plate spinning demonstrations, and it looked simple enough.
Clearly I was fooling myself.
I can't get the darn things to work for me. I have found text explications about what to do, but can't seem to find a video that shows you how to get started, only demonstration of the tricks once you've got the plate spinning.
Does anyone know of a good resource or is a there a plate spinner on these boards willing to help a guy out?

Give me a couple of days and I will try to get a plate spinning tutorial video put together.

Basic non-video tutorial

1) place the stick on the inside rim of the plate with the bottom of the rim resting on the stick. the plate will be perpendicular to the floor

2)slowly, very slowly, start to rotate the plate on the stick. it will fall off, a lot.

3) the goal is to get it spinning fast enough so that it is parallel to the ground. You just keep rotating the stick until it slips to the center of the plate. You spinning a plate.

a few tips: hold low on the stick, you can rotate it faster.
at some point it will fly off towards your head, be ready for that.

As far as non-juggling, juggling.

The important thing to remember is that juggling is just being really good at dropping. If you happen to catch a majority of whatever you are juggling good job.

I have a theory that everyone can learn to juggle it just takes time and practice. There are a lot of books about juggling out there. I learned from Klutz and I was able to pick it up in an afternoon of practice. If you already know how to juggle scarves then you should be able to pick up balls in no time. The important thing is to not get frustrated. Start off slow with one ball, just like you should have started when you learned scarves.

Oh and don't forget about gravity.

Gravity.....Oh, you mean that force that keeps dropping balls on my head! How can someone forget that.....what was I saying? Too many ball concussions!

I probaly sound really weird but I cant juggle. I cant juggle like if I try I will drop the balls

I'm gonna side with Sir Toony here, don't try to learn on scarves, it's a lot harder than balls.

I am learning to juggle, but it is going slowly. I have a good buddy who is helping me out and I understand the concepts, but I am really having some trouble with the fourth throw. Okay, but it will happen.

The point to even mentioning this is that I wanted to let the OP know that for some folks it really takes time. Really. Takes. Time. We can't all get it in an afternoon. But we can all get it.

Philosophically, I wonder why you want to learn a non-juggling form of juggling? I fear you have found the trap of the gimmick. You want a product where you can open the box and do something neat. That's my suspicion, anyway. Any good clown has to work really hard to learn to entertain.

If you can't juggle and can't make yourself learn to juggle, then figure out what you do want to learn to do. There are lots of clown skills that you can focus on. Balancing is one that I find really fun to watch. There are loads of gags and impressive (but easy) balancing tricks you can do. Example: Balance a peacock feather on your nose. If you only have a small audience you can make it seem even harder by letting the kids have "beginner feathers" from the craft store (about 8" long) to learn with. Their difficulty will make your easy success seem more impressive. If you consider this to be cheating, just really make it look hard to balance a feather.

Other skills you might want to practice might include magic, tumbling, balloon twisting, or puppets. But the key words here are SKILLS and PRACTICE. I'm an amateur magician. My interest in clowning is recent. I don't think I'll ever put on white face, but the clown skills really appeal to me. Hence, the recent desire to juggle. I also twist balloons (very easy to do, but have kids you can give them to or you will feel bad about popping the practice balloons). Watching a good clown or two has really helped me understand and respect the work that goes into being a clown.

Here's a lesson I learned early on (after a couple hundred bucks spent on junk) which I pass on here free of charge. Learn some tricks that take skills, not gimmicks. The kids will have seen the gimmicks or will find them on the net. If you can do things that can only be done by skill, they will be impressed. If you do stuff that they can do because they bought a Mysto Magic set, they will bust you on it every time. This applies to any clown skill, not just magic tricks. Learn to balance a pole well and any kid who has tried a broomstick will respect you. But if you are just swinging things or doing stuff that any kid can do, they will figure it out and you will hear about it.

Ultimately, instead of looking for an easy way to do something, look for something to do that you will enjoy learning. Be ready to work. But pick something that you will love working at.

-Patrick

Dusty, another suggestion I have is to get a copy of Creative Clowning by Bruce Fife, et al.

There are sections on all sorts of clown skills. You don't have to juggle to be a clown. Perhaps you would prefer to learn some magic tricks. Or work on a good set of jokes. There are too few people in the world who can tell a funny story. Learn to tell one well, with lots of body language and mugging. Or work up an act based on producing all sorts of silly things from your pockets and making offbeat comments on them.

What are ten things you can put in pockets but nobody expects to see there? Goldfish, mouthcoils, rubber chickens, a cane (the appearing cane trick), inflated 260 balloons, spring snakes, what can you think of?

-Patrick

i strongly, strongly recommend poi. they stay attatched to you (no throwing and catching) and can easily be made at home, as long as you have some kind of string and two objects that weigh the same amount. i have experimented with regular practise poi, flags, glow, and fire...i think glow are the best because they are almost as impressive (if not more) as fire, but they are as simple as regular practise poi.

i find diabolo very frustrating, same with contact juggling. i find that if i am trying to teach someone how to juggle, it works best if we use scarves. if they are three colors, i think it illustrates it well because there are three distinctly different colored objects falling slowly, rather than 3 balls that match flying through the air.

i have yet to try plate spinning.

but i think that poi are definitely the way to go :)

Poi is fun, my grandmother made those things and I liked it a lot.

Dude your killing me on this tread, if you truely dont want to practise and get the look I throw up my arms here is something that someone who without any juggleing skills can do unbralla, fishing line, ball, the other wooden plate shaped to look like plate with router from the bottom where the stick goes into you can make just enough room so it can stop spinning and wont fall off stick, no matter what you do it can be gaffed. so anyone who wants to juggle but not to take time to learn can do one of these but not both dont want to put to much preasure in learning a skill

There are a variety of juggling arts and each are different. Scarf juggling is no more like 3 ball juggling than riding a bike is like driving a car. Basic 3 ball juggling is called a cascade. How to Juggle: the 3-ball cascade (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Juggle%3A-the-3-ball-cascade/) Scarves juggling requires your arms to move across your body as you lift the scarves. Scarf juggling is done overhanded, you drop scarves as much as you throw them and the travel pattern of scarves is different than the cascade.
Years ago, the statistical success rate in my juggling classes plummeted at certain schools. I was teaching the same way, but something was definitely different. Began asking if the elementary gym teacher taught scarf juggling. In the schools where the PE teacher did teach scarf juggling, the student's that successfuly learned to juggle during my 40 minute class was below 40%. In the schools where students were not given scarf instructions my success rate is 65% plus.
If you want to juggle, learn to juggle. The 3 ball cascade is the best basic skill development that will aid you in learning so many other skills. If you cant 3 ball forget clubs or rings as well and don't even pick up a devil stick.

IPractice man. You can juggle three balls. All it is being bad at creative dropping. That being said there are also a couple of non-juggling juggling ball techniques.

1) Arm pit juggling: take two balls in your right hand and one in your left. Put one of the right hand balls under your left arm pit. Then put the left hand ball under your right arm pit. Then lower your left hand and open the left arm pit and let the ball drop into your hand. As soon as that arm pit is free, put the ball in your right hand into the left arm pit. Then bring the right arm down and drop the ball in your right arm pit into your right hand, and place the ball in your left hand in your right arm pit. Repeat.

2) Neck juggling: same as arm pit juggling except that you hold the balls by placing them on the side of your neck and leaning your head. As you turn your head to hold the ball, the ball on the other side rolls free down your chest.

3) Floor juggling: Place two balls on the floor about a foot or so apart. Have the third ball in your right hand. With the left hand pick up the left ball, and place the ball in your right hand in its place. Then pick up the right ball with your right hand and put the left ball in its place. Repeat. This can also be done with volunteers holding the balls.

I have used the armpit juggling several times. It never fails to get laughs. Plus there are so many jokes that you can add to it.:birthday:

For years I had only 1 club and had it with me where ever I went ( and still do ) its amazing what you can do with one club to entertain, or even 1 ball to enhance the overall with stage presents. too many people that clown dont think about it at all its only a vogue thing , look at me I dont have to learn a thing and ya my make up looks like crap, but I am a clown, never mind what people in the adutition say about the job that the person did not get, only because did not take the time to put into themself before the tryed to get the job, its not like the any cast is in a circle waitng for the it clown and when you get there all say where have you been we could not do it with out you. the people that try to clown in america need to wake or just retire there red thingie that is own there face.

Thank you Alph Clown.
(I have no idea what you are trying to say. Whatever it is, it has stimulated me to go to bed.)
Good night Gracie.

For years I had only 1 club and had it with me where ever I went ( and still do ) its amazing what you can do with one club to entertain, or even 1 ball to enhance the overall with stage presents.

Would you offer some examples, kindly?

The beginning of this clip shows some amazing juggling in which the props rarely leave the performers body. The juggler is jay gilligan who is a gold medal winning juggler. I have seen him perform amazing stuff that defies the conventional wisdom of what juggling is, not contact juggling but not just plain juggling.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. (http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=RHEGre7bMqA)

Its amazing how no one wants to learn, but wants the cash, like entitlement, and its not the kids fault or the young adults fault, or even the adults in there 20’s and 30’s living at home. It’s the parents fault for not showing these people at a young age that to get something or do something you got to learn weather it be go to school/ collage or invest in one’s self directing self for the long term, juggling can be a part of clowning, but its only 5 min thing but for myself to take a club or ball lived with it making it a part of everything I do by instinct , its not a juggle tool it’s a prop with visual to work with me as I work a stage, telling the tale of human nature weather it be comedy, drama, or horror as the movement the story and facial expression and the 1 club 1 ball its like everything all working Togeather to create a comfort state for people viewing not wanting the tale to end, that how I Clown, Sell or do Bardic work not depending on a trick IT’S THE STORY working with the movement, its not the balloons or face painting, ( I just refuse to do them in last few years ) story telling with comedy tragedy drama conflict, but what ever prop I use or work I spent the time to invest the time to learn it

Correct link for the video Dylan mentioned:

YouTube - Jay Gilligan's varied rings (http://www.youtube.com/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=RHEGre7bMqA)

I saw Jay perform and took a class he taught at a festival earlier this year. His thought process is something which will entirely change your vision of what is possible with juggling.

Correct link for the video Dylan mentioned:

YouTube - Jay Gilligan's varied rings (http://www.youtube.com/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=RHEGre7bMqA)

I saw Jay perform and took a class he taught at a festival earlier this year. His thought process is something which will entirely change your vision of what is possible with juggling.

Tim is the Best

there is something call Poi. it is basically a ball on a string. you get two of them and swing them around. There is also the old stand by of a streamer on a stick.

The diablo can be a real pain to start. Once you get it going it is not that bad. The cheap ones do not always work well. We have a guy in our group that is wazrd with the daiblo and he could not even get one cheap one to work.

Also have you tried a yo yo? They make some yo yo that come back on their own.

I do cigar boxes and find them as challenging three balls. Although it is a different movement so it might work out. If You were going to do cigar boxes i would get three cigar boxes from cigar show {the same size} Cover them in duct tape and glue wo peice of rubber on the working end. It is cheaper than the kind you get on line. and if it does not work out you are not out that much.

I know it is not juggling but how are you with card. There is something called a stripper deck. it is really easy to use.And if you can shuffle in fancy ways you can get that artistic feel in a show.

Also don't gve up on juggling balls. Come back to them every onc and a while. Sometimes when we master something else it helps up with juggling. Juggling is also a really unatural movement for your hands. So it take time to get used to.

Practice is the key to juggling.Balls are annoying but they can be mastered in a couple months if you give the 20 minutes a day. If you have not read it there is the Juggling for the Complete Kultz by Klutz publishing. It comes with a set of three bean bags that are easier to juggle than balls.