Thanks dude! This was the exact video that I needed! So much curtail information for a beginner, it's super appreciated that you took the time to make this video!
This fellow reminds me of actor Montana Jordan who plays Georgie on the Young Sheldon sitcom. Excellent video on what works best in the beginning stages of contact juggling.👍
I wish I saw your tutorial before my hubs and I picked up some balls. I really appreciate the way you get into detail and next payday, I'm going to take a look at the larger stage balls. I'm a tiny woman with small hands so I made a wild guess. I never took into account Mr. over here needing a larger ball. He hasn't had much of a chance to actually practice because of my mistake. Thanks again for your tutorials. :)
Just to help anyone else out, I got a 100mm acrylic ball, I'm a 5'11 man but have pretty small hands, I found 100mm way too large so I bought an 80mm and it feels a million times better.
I am the same height, I must have big hands! :D A 100mm is large, but not overly large. I found that working your way up through the size of ball helps your performance. So starting off with a small one and gaining a little proficiency with it, then moving on to a slightly larger ball; practicing with the smaller ball will help to gain stability and fluidity with the larger ball. The 100mm ball, when sat in the centre of my palm, sticks out a little over the edges or my hand; it was not possible to palm spin nor isolate with, when I first started CJ with acrylics! Now the 100mm ball is not a problem, and actually one of my favourites to work with :)
I did what Floyd said, except all this information wasn't available to me whist I was starting out. I had to piece all this together from what I had read and with also an element of trial and error. Start out with a large weighty stage ball, like Floyd's silicone one, then move up to acrylics when you're not dropping it as much. I found that starting with an average multi-ball sized acrylic ball (60-70mm), after gaining a little proficiency with the rubber balls, was a lot easier than jumping straight in with a 100mm clear acrylic. Wow those big clear acrylics, everyone gawks at, weigh a ton! Great video!!
The best weight is the one you feel comfortable with. It depends on where you go with your juggling. A 4 inch acrylic ball can weigh about 1.5 pounds, which can be heavy for small hands or thin fingers like mine. After much practice, I can comfortably use a 4 inch acrylic. However, I feel more comfortable using a 2.75-3.5 inch ball. If I'm working with a single ball, the 3.5 inch acrylic is my favorite to play with. However, for multiball work and palm spinning, 2.75 (about half a pound)
Great advice here this is exactly what i was after, I'm a fire twirler with 20+ years in the biz but new to contact work and was unsure about the sil-x its what ill go for for my practice ball now though after hearing that you recommend it thanks for the video !
Very awesome overview. I found a beginners guide to contact ball juggling in a used book store except it says nothing about the ball itself. Thank you!
Ordered a 4” acrylic for my 7.5” hands thinking it’ll be perfect for a beginner. It’s pretty heavy. Going to practice with a Sil-X and a 3” acrylic instead.
You don't have to at all, it's all up to personal style. Most people begin with single ball, if for only the reason that multiball still requires at least that first ball :D This is simplified if you make your first ball a 3" acrylic. It's convenient for 1 ball CJ and you will still be able to multiball with a set of 3" balls.
I actually started out with Chinese zen balls when I was little (about 7 or 8 years old) They're great weight wise and size wise for beginners in my opinion, but they do have incredibly noticeable tell marks. They also make a lot of noise since there are bells inside them. I've since moved on to the fushigee acrylic balls, for better or worse, and I will often practice with fruits when available.
I'm sure it's fine to work with. It's not so much a problem as it takes some time for your hands to build up the muscle strength and be comfortable with using that ball. I remember my first 4" ball felt like I had a bowling ball on my hand :(
for tennis balls, you cazn cut a hole in it (small one) and fill it with lead shot. then wrap it up in electrical tape. works great and lasts long great for practice
i'm so glad i watched your vid before hurting myself. I'm prone to rsi's already and bought these beautiful 4 inch glitter and water (i think it's water) filled balls from a dollar store. they probably weigh about 2-4 pds. kind of heavy. i'm a beginning hooper and was interested in learning some simple juggling tricks. i won't continue with these. i will probably knock myself out or bring back the tendonitis monsters or worse. lol you probably saved me, lol thanks so much.
@FOREVERxSWIFT hah, I actually preferred and bought both! :D Anyways, choose a color that you like, they all look amazing (every color I've seen has always looked 10 times better than what they show in a picture online) Like I mention in the video, a good 4" stage ball is something you'll probably end up buying anyways, and it's pretty cheap. If you want to jump into acrylic straight away, I'd get a 3 or a 4".
@AkaCakeMaster No problem, thanks for watching! They are 2.75 inches, the cloest in mm would be a 70mm with 75mm (closer to 3") being a standard that many CJers start with.
@TheElement04 Unless you have a juggling supply or magic store in your town, you may have to settle for sporting goods stores. Try picking up a lacrosse ball (standardized size and weight), a mini soccer ball for bodyrolls or even better if you can find it a rhythmic gymnastics ball.
Thanks for the video, off to buy my first ball! (Small hands, Sil-x 2.75) at renegade. If you need some help with preventing RSI, I can highly recommend Sharon Butler's "Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (and other RSI)". I love it because it has a section on exercises to PREVENT injury, listed by profession. It's kept me working for the past 16 years! Thanks again for wonderful vids!
@aslyter45 the ball inside is not placed exactly inside, and since im pretty sure the 2 balls have different weights, that means a center of gravtiy not in the middle, therefore when you spin fast, you can tell that it is spinning. The ball inside was a really stupid idea. The material is okay though
onions can be nice as they are round and rather heavy, but once the skin starts breaking, you have to peel it off. add to that a few hard drops and it (and your hands) will start to smell oniony.
@Dracomancer3 A lacrosse ball used to be the old standby for starting since they can be foud at sporting goods stores, they are a little small tho and with the ubiquity of stage balls at online jugglig stores it is usually better to shop online. As far as filled tennis balls go: much much worse than an empty. It alters the roll too much.
@jajuggler14 Aside from that, Play is a prop company from Italy that is now producing a stage ball that has more heft to it. It clocks in at about 260grams and can be found at jugglingstore and neonhusky as a Contact Stage Ball.
@SnaipaSpottage Should be fine, my pink one feels pretty light and is only 160 grams and yet it's one of my favorite balls. Just remember to practice each move as slow as possible. Lighter balls can be difficult to control at high speeds.
i have had sil-x and the mb 125mm body rolling ball my self. mb was a far better ball but if you like the size of a 100 mm ball and dont want a liquid inside the you might try a dube extera thick contact ball. man i love mine and will never go back to sil x. i got ink on it and it washed off. the waight is great to. this is a extra heavy stage ball . loving it :) have fun and dont stop playing it keeps you young :)
@jajuggler14 The sloshing motion of the silicone lubricant can actually hinder a stall. However, it does help with catches (say, from outer elbow to the other outer elbow).
Nice breakdown of the ball types man. I like the sil-x but just ordered a play stage ball. I've heard some folks say they don't want onlookers accusing them of having some gimmick in the ball that makes the "tricks" possible. So they don't use the sil-x for street performances.
Good review. Maybe in a future video you'll cover stainless steel balls, for practice and performance. They can be polished so that there are few tell marks from a distance, they're inexpensive, and light enough to play for extended periods.
Hey, I think I will get the Sil-X ball - thanks for the informative video! I actually found out about contact juggling just today, the Fushigi looked interesting so I looked it up and to my dismay, it doesn't float. Good thing I didn't buy it. But I'm interested in poi/skill toy things in general so it'll be fun. :)
@jajuggler14 don't pay any attention to what people tell you. if you're performing with a ball, and you perform well, then what does it matter if you "cheat" or not? look at illusionists! they couldn't do much without their specialised props. I've got a silicone core ball, around 3", and it's great. it's not a sil-x, but it's the same kind of ball. I wouldn't use it in performance because the seam is too showing, but it's a lovely ball to play with. get what feels nicest for you.
@silverback7734 Right, I definitely agree with you on these points. I just meant they aren't absolutely terrible for toss juggling compared to their usage in contact juggling. Like, I can do The Box with tennis balls. A can not, however, do a bridge roll (outer elbow stall, roll up the arms over the head, transfer across, roll back down to an outer elbow stall on the other arm...) with a tennis ball. :D So, they are -definitely- worst for CJ than they are for toss juggling. Worst toss? Scarves.
Even oranges are out of my budget. xP I started a few days ago, and I used a softball and occasionally a croquet ball just because it's a solid color will no tell marks [ You know... after I went over all the chips with black nail polish. xP] I wanna get a clear one though, just 'cause it would look awesome when I -attempt- to perform next year. xD
my friend briught his ball to school lst week and it was a tennis ball, what he did was to open it and put dirt in it then rap it in tape and it worker perfectly and he was telling me about this video but i want to know should i do wat he did or try and buy one of the balls cas i live jamaica
Is there a way to tell what kind of ball I have? I bought one a couple decades ago as a beginner, and I don't remember a thing about it. That would make for an interesting video.
@DeI2anGeD Okay thanks for the help. Im on a tight budget, so I was only able to order myself some 2.5 aka 65mm. I got 4, hopefully I bought the right kind
I think you are missing the point. Most people have access to an orange, which is a nominal size and weight. It's difficult for a new juggler to understand the size of an acrylic they'd need without some sort of analogy.
You didn’t say that the sil-x ball has a hole on it from where they filled it with jell. It really takes away from a lot of illusions. I bought one based on your review and really wish you wouldn’t have left that out
I haven't gotten the chance to use the body rolling ball, sorry. However, I don't feel the silicone lubricant inside the sil-x slows the ball so much as adds weight. It definitely doesn't "slosh" around :P If I had a giant 4 inch clear Sil-X and a very high frame rate high quality camera, I would film this, but alas, I don't. If you get the chance to try a friends though, you'll see what I mean. :D
@aslyter45 it has so many tell marks, and the fact that there is another ball in the ball makes it even worse. It is quite sticky, and as i said before, so many tell marks
OK . now i get it . in the beginning i thought you wanted the orange for performance and that sounded weird . so to start contact juggling you can use even oranges?
I have pretty small hands being a woman. does that matter in the size I should pick for contact juggling? I am a total newb. you answered my question further into the video. thanks!
Thanks dude! This was the exact video that I needed! So much curtail information for a beginner, it's super appreciated that you took the time to make this video!
Now I have to learn contact juggling.... Great...
Exactly what I was thinking magician in crime.
Very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to film this.
Finally! None of the other tutorials cover this. you rock!
This fellow reminds me of actor Montana Jordan who plays Georgie on the Young Sheldon sitcom. Excellent video on what works best in the beginning stages of contact juggling.👍
I wish I saw your tutorial before my hubs and I picked up some balls. I really appreciate the way you get into detail and next payday, I'm going to take a look at the larger stage balls. I'm a tiny woman with small hands so I made a wild guess.
I never took into account Mr. over here needing a larger ball. He hasn't had much of a chance to actually practice because of my mistake. Thanks again for your tutorials. :)
Just to help anyone else out, I got a 100mm acrylic ball, I'm a 5'11 man but have pretty small hands, I found 100mm way too large so I bought an 80mm and it feels a million times better.
I am the same height, I must have big hands! :D
A 100mm is large, but not overly large. I found that working your way up through the size of ball helps your performance. So starting off with a small one and gaining a little proficiency with it, then moving on to a slightly larger ball; practicing with the smaller ball will help to gain stability and fluidity with the larger ball. The 100mm ball, when sat in the centre of my palm, sticks out a little over the edges or my hand; it was not possible to palm spin nor isolate with, when I first started CJ with acrylics!
Now the 100mm ball is not a problem, and actually one of my favourites to work with :)
I did what Floyd said, except all this information wasn't available to me whist I was starting out. I had to piece all this together from what I had read and with also an element of trial and error.
Start out with a large weighty stage ball, like Floyd's silicone one, then move up to acrylics when you're not dropping it as much.
I found that starting with an average multi-ball sized acrylic ball (60-70mm), after gaining a little proficiency with the rubber balls, was a lot easier than jumping straight in with a 100mm clear acrylic. Wow those big clear acrylics, everyone gawks at, weigh a ton!
Great video!!
I'm just getting started, this was very helpful. Thank you!
The best weight is the one you feel comfortable with. It depends on where you go with your juggling. A 4 inch acrylic ball can weigh about 1.5 pounds, which can be heavy for small hands or thin fingers like mine. After much practice, I can comfortably use a 4 inch acrylic. However, I feel more comfortable using a 2.75-3.5 inch ball. If I'm working with a single ball, the 3.5 inch acrylic is my favorite to play with. However, for multiball work and palm spinning, 2.75 (about half a pound)
Definitely gonna pick up some Sil-X stage balls. Would love to practice contact juggling along with my 3 ball juggling.
If you wanna end up looking like this guy you better start contact juggling.
True :D
Thank you! I have a stage ball & fushigi ball, was looking to buy a sil-x... glad i'm making the right choice!!
This was super helpful to a complete newbie!! Thank you!
Great advice here this is exactly what i was after, I'm a fire twirler with 20+ years in the biz but new to contact work and was unsure about the sil-x its what ill go for for my practice ball now though after hearing that you recommend it thanks for the video !
I started trying to learn contact juggling today...I now have the most bruised orange I've seen in my life.
Very awesome overview. I found a beginners guide to contact ball juggling in a used book store except it says nothing about the ball itself. Thank you!
Informative! Just starting out, thanks for the direction!
this is really helpful in deciding what to use. im only just starting i hope with enough practice that i can get really good at it.
Those chops just don't quit.
Ordered a 4” acrylic for my 7.5” hands thinking it’ll be perfect for a beginner. It’s pretty heavy. Going to practice with a Sil-X and a 3” acrylic instead.
I love the fact that you use so much time on trashing the tennis ball :)
You don't have to at all, it's all up to personal style. Most people begin with single ball, if for only the reason that multiball still requires at least that first ball :D
This is simplified if you make your first ball a 3" acrylic. It's convenient for 1 ball CJ and you will still be able to multiball with a set of 3" balls.
I actually started out with Chinese zen balls when I was little (about 7 or 8 years old) They're great weight wise and size wise for beginners in my opinion, but they do have incredibly noticeable tell marks. They also make a lot of noise since there are bells inside them. I've since moved on to the fushigee acrylic balls, for better or worse, and I will often practice with fruits when available.
Just the video I was looking for. I was looking for some starter tips and you gave me all I needed. Thanks! :D
thanks man, this was very helpful
I'm sure it's fine to work with. It's not so much a problem as it takes some time for your hands to build up the muscle strength and be comfortable with using that ball. I remember my first 4" ball felt like I had a bowling ball on my hand :(
for tennis balls, you cazn cut a hole in it (small one) and fill it with lead shot. then wrap it up in electrical tape. works great and lasts long great for practice
i'm so glad i watched your vid before hurting myself. I'm prone to rsi's already and bought these beautiful 4 inch glitter and water (i think it's water) filled balls from a dollar store. they probably weigh about 2-4 pds. kind of heavy. i'm a beginning hooper and was interested in learning some simple juggling tricks. i won't continue with these. i will probably knock myself out or bring back the tendonitis monsters or worse. lol you probably saved me, lol thanks so much.
Thank you so much you answered all of my questions :]
I have really tiny hands, but I'd still recommend a 4" for stage ball and a 3" for single ball acrylic with a 4" once you build up some hand strength
Thanks I have been using an orange for a few years now but now I realize that there are others, I never would have know thanks
@FOREVERxSWIFT hah, I actually preferred and bought both! :D Anyways, choose a color that you like, they all look amazing (every color I've seen has always looked 10 times better than what they show in a picture online)
Like I mention in the video, a good 4" stage ball is something you'll probably end up buying anyways, and it's pretty cheap. If you want to jump into acrylic straight away, I'd get a 3 or a 4".
You know what they say about guys with small hands..
They have smaller balls.
AHAHAHA
Thank you for this, I've just bought myself that white one. I'll see how I do. Great help.
@AkaCakeMaster No problem, thanks for watching! They are 2.75 inches, the cloest in mm would be a 70mm with 75mm (closer to 3") being a standard that many CJers start with.
I like the part where he talked about "ball work."
awesome tutorials keep them coming
@TheElement04 Unless you have a juggling supply or magic store in your town, you may have to settle for sporting goods stores. Try picking up a lacrosse ball (standardized size and weight), a mini soccer ball for bodyrolls or even better if you can find it a rhythmic gymnastics ball.
wow, thanks for the info....very helpful with some of the jargon and with picking a ball just starting out
Thanks for the video, off to buy my first ball! (Small hands, Sil-x 2.75) at renegade.
If you need some help with preventing RSI, I can highly recommend Sharon Butler's "Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (and other RSI)". I love it because it has a section on exercises to PREVENT injury, listed by profession. It's kept me working for the past 16 years! Thanks again for wonderful vids!
@aslyter45 the ball inside is not placed exactly inside, and since im pretty sure the 2 balls have different weights, that means a center of gravtiy not in the middle, therefore when you spin fast, you can tell that it is spinning. The ball inside was a really stupid idea. The material is okay though
Thanx alot. Good Overview for starting this.
Very easy to follow! Wish you could do tutorials on everything
onions can be nice as they are round and rather heavy, but once the skin starts breaking, you have to peel it off. add to that a few hard drops and it (and your hands) will start to smell oniony.
Nice videos! I really want to get into contact juggling.
@illusionists1 , a 2.75 inch will run about $16. I'd go with a 3" though for about $20 and a 4" will cost around $36 usd
excellent video. thanks. renegade juggling has an excellent dvd on contact juggling that I found.
@Dracomancer3 A lacrosse ball used to be the old standby for starting since they can be foud at sporting goods stores, they are a little small tho and with the ubiquity of stage balls at online jugglig stores it is usually better to shop online.
As far as filled tennis balls go: much much worse than an empty. It alters the roll too much.
LOL the acrylics he starts off saying the balls weight is perfect and a few minutes into it he changes his mind and says "the weights not TOO bad"
all i could afford were lacrosse balls and they work pretty well but their surface texture makes multi ball juggling a lil tough
It's a 4 inch rubber stage ball filled with silicone lubricant called a Sil-X.
@jajuggler14 Aside from that, Play is a prop company from Italy that is now producing a stage ball that has more heft to it. It clocks in at about 260grams and can be found at jugglingstore and neonhusky as a Contact Stage Ball.
@DtGrL100 Sil-X balls are produced by Play Juggling, an Italian company. You can purchase them in the US at jugglingstore and neonhusky
@SnaipaSpottage Should be fine, my pink one feels pretty light and is only 160 grams and yet it's one of my favorite balls. Just remember to practice each move as slow as possible. Lighter balls can be difficult to control at high speeds.
I have this foam rubber baseball I use. I think it's good for a beginner like me .
i have had sil-x and the mb 125mm body rolling ball my self. mb was a far better ball but if you like the size of a 100 mm ball and dont want a liquid inside the you might try a dube extera thick contact ball. man i love mine and will never go back to sil x. i got ink on it and it washed off. the waight is great to. this is a extra heavy stage ball . loving it :) have fun and dont stop playing it keeps you young :)
Good video. Also, nice mugs in the background. ;)
yes. i lovfe those. and if your new you can get a giant maybe 4.5" one and its mucgh easier
@jajuggler14 The sloshing motion of the silicone lubricant can actually hinder a stall. However, it does help with catches (say, from outer elbow to the other outer elbow).
Ty, now i know what kind of ball i need to buy to start contact junggling
sure, for practicing, but make sure you don't break anything, since they're kind hard and heavy! :)
Great video, I've wanted to start contact juggling for a while but was unsure what to get for a starter ball
Nice breakdown of the ball types man. I like the sil-x but just ordered a play stage ball. I've heard some folks say they don't want onlookers accusing them of having some gimmick in the ball that makes the "tricks" possible. So they don't use the sil-x for street performances.
what am I doing with my life?
Le'Onto P , You found yourself here for a reason. Commit! it's what the Goblin King would have wanted.
hahahah thank you, very comforting!
Erin Clark goblin king ! Goblin king !
I dig, good video
Thank you for the video. Definitely helpful!
those are some nice balls there man
@TheHaZMaTBand, I have small hands and use 2.75" acrylics. I should have bought 3" though, they look better in the hands
Good review. Maybe in a future video you'll cover stainless steel balls, for practice and performance. They can be polished so that there are few tell marks from a distance, they're inexpensive, and light enough to play for extended periods.
Hey, I think I will get the Sil-X ball - thanks for the informative video!
I actually found out about contact juggling just today, the Fushigi looked interesting so I looked it up and to my dismay, it doesn't float. Good thing I didn't buy it. But I'm interested in poi/skill toy things in general so it'll be fun. :)
This was so helpful! Thank you!
to be honest when he did the weird tricks with the tennis ball it looked better than the ceramic and solid balls
That's what I thought. It doesn't work to well anyways. I'll just try and find something else to use until I can get a proper ball.
some oriental kid in a video got me here.this is some cool shit
Good tips!
@jajuggler14 don't pay any attention to what people tell you. if you're performing with a ball, and you perform well, then what does it matter if you "cheat" or not? look at illusionists! they couldn't do much without their specialised props. I've got a silicone core ball, around 3", and it's great. it's not a sil-x, but it's the same kind of ball. I wouldn't use it in performance because the seam is too showing, but it's a lovely ball to play with. get what feels nicest for you.
Thanks Mr. Zamarripa (love your name), very informative!
I have heard for multiball, its great to go to a craft store and buy some wooden ones. Spraypaint, and a clear gloss paint. Have you heard of that?
That orange killed me xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD i laufer too hard :'D
What is the advantage of starting contact juggling with a stage ball to an acrylic ball?
@survivorman0824 There is a product called Novus fine scratch remover that you can get to remove scratches and abrasions. Costs about $4.
@silverback7734 Right, I definitely agree with you on these points. I just meant they aren't absolutely terrible for toss juggling compared to their usage in contact juggling. Like, I can do The Box with tennis balls. A can not, however, do a bridge roll (outer elbow stall, roll up the arms over the head, transfer across, roll back down to an outer elbow stall on the other arm...) with a tennis ball. :D
So, they are -definitely- worst for CJ than they are for toss juggling.
Worst toss? Scarves.
Even oranges are out of my budget. xP
I started a few days ago, and I used a softball and occasionally a croquet ball just because it's a solid color will no tell marks [ You know... after I went over all the chips with black nail polish. xP]
I wanna get a clear one though, just 'cause it would look awesome when I -attempt- to perform next year. xD
How big ARE your hands (like, length?) and how big hands do you think would be necessary for a 4" ball?
@DeI2anGeD That is true, and it is good for practice for beginners, right?
@JOMIZZO to small and its got numbers on it to show when doing spin levitation!
my friend briught his ball to school lst week and it was a tennis ball, what he did was to open it and put dirt in it then rap it in tape and it worker perfectly and he was telling me about this video but i want to know should i do wat he did or try and buy one of the balls cas i live jamaica
Is there a way to tell what kind of ball I have? I bought one a couple decades ago as a beginner, and I don't remember a thing about it. That would make for an interesting video.
@clarice717 I'm sure that that would be good for practicing, but would not work well for performing, since it has a tell mark.
he knows his balls very well
@DeI2anGeD Okay thanks for the help. Im on a tight budget, so I was only able to order myself some 2.5 aka 65mm. I got 4, hopefully I bought the right kind
I think you are missing the point. Most people have access to an orange, which is a nominal size and weight. It's difficult for a new juggler to understand the size of an acrylic they'd need without some sort of analogy.
@yodak2 The fact that you counted that is slightly disturbing. lol.
You didn’t say that the sil-x ball has a hole on it from where they filled it with jell. It really takes away from a lot of illusions. I bought one based on your review and really wish you wouldn’t have left that out
I haven't gotten the chance to use the body rolling ball, sorry. However, I don't feel the silicone lubricant inside the sil-x slows the ball so much as adds weight. It definitely doesn't "slosh" around :P
If I had a giant 4 inch clear Sil-X and a very high frame rate high quality camera, I would film this, but alas, I don't. If you get the chance to try a friends though, you'll see what I mean. :D
@thepieguy34 , Go with a 4 inch. 3 will be a bit too light
@aslyter45 it has so many tell marks, and the fact that there is another ball in the ball makes it even worse. It is quite sticky, and as i said before, so many tell marks
OK . now i get it . in the beginning i thought you wanted the orange for performance and that sounded weird . so to start contact juggling you can use even oranges?
I have pretty small hands being a woman. does that matter in the size I should pick for contact juggling? I am a total newb. you answered my question further into the video. thanks!