Tips

Get in "The Zone"

There is one area of your mind when juggling that is the most productive, and unfortunatly, not many people get there. It's called "The zone". You'll know when you get there, because it will just be you and the ball, 1 on 1, or 1 on 8, depending on your style, but nothing else will matter, and time will fly like rocket.

Make a Ball-Stand with a simple piece of rope.

place a ball on the ground, and arrange six others of the same size around it in a circle so they are all touching. now tie a rope circle so when it is laid on the balls, it encompasses the tops of all the balls, but is not so loose it can be pushed down over the group. Now place that loop somewhere and arrange the seven balls into it so they are still. Now you can place three on top of those seven, and another one on top

Get out there and do it!

The best cure for stage fright, is to just Contact Juggle anyplace you are. A mall, a park, walkin down the street. This is a great way to overcome fear of performing in front of crowds.

Brush your teeth with the other hand-- no really.

As you go through your daily routine of life, challenge yourself to do mundane tasks with the other hand. You'd be surprised how hard it is to brush your teeth for example or comb your hair or shave (not recommended for beginners). Use this exercise to build new connections with your "weak" hand and essentially balance your body from square one. I believe everyone's ambidextrous, we've all just been conditioned to hold the remote control with one hand.

videotape your contact juggling routines.

When preparing a performance it is important to remember that contact juggling is about audience perception. Essentially the contact juggler is trying to create an illusion, a weighless ball with a life of it's own that seems to float around the performers body. One of the best ways to evaluate how successful you are in creating this illusion is to videotape yourself.

Practice with different sizes and different weights of balls

I believe that it is important to vary the size and weight of the balls you practice with. For instance, if you are trying to put together a routine with a 3" acrylic, try the same routine with a 2.5" ball. You should find that the 2.5" ball is somewhat harder to manipulate. If you continue to practice diligently however, you will improve with the 2.5" ball. Once you have done this for a while, a few weeks, switch back and try the same routine with the 3" ball, and it should be much smoother.

Want to spin 2? Practice 3.

If you want to smooth out your palmspins, try moving them up a level. You'll find that if you practice harder tricks, your easier ones will smooth out naturally.

If you can Hold 3 you can spin 3

Palmspinning tip... I have heard so many people say to me "Oh I could never do that" or "My hands are too small for that" The most simple, basic, easiest rule to remember is this tip.

Warm Up

Make Sure to warm up before you start to CJ it will protect your body for the long term.

Acrylics Can be microwaved

Hands cold?? This tip is Ian's. Place your acrylics in a bowl of water in your microwave and cook them till warm, but not boiling. They will stay warm for awhile.

Do not overdo it.

Only practice as long as your body feels comfortable with it. You can actually hurt yourself if you push too hard. As with any activity, stretch first, and stop when it gets uncomfortable.

Clear Your Mind, let your hands do the thinking.

A Palmspinning tip. Don't think about what you are doing. Allow your hands to work through the trick and learn what the moves feel like. You want to increase your muscle memory, not brain memory. Once it feels good, then esthetics will come shortly

Practice 30-60 minutes a day.....Blindfolded

This tip was given to me by a master of contact juggling, Ferret. The thinking is that Contact juggling isnt only visual, but tactile. You have to feel the ball and know where its going to go. Do this each day and your CJ will become much smoother, and less erratic.

The humble man presents himself with the most skill.

Anyone who sees you Contact Juggling already knows you posess a skill that is very amazing. Take this as a fact that you need not blow your own horn with comments like "I've been doing this for 50 years" Or "I can do this with 1 hand behind my back!" Some people may find that pompus and offensive. Simply saying comments like "This looks relaxing doesnt it" will suffice.

Roll with the punches from a heckler

Lets face it, what are you doing? Thats right, your playin with your balls. And you know there is always going to be that one Mr.funny man. "Hey look at that Kid, I bet his balls are slippery! HA HA HA" Well don't get mad, just join in and keep the comments comin. "Yes sir, My balls are very smooth, I rub them on a cotton wheel everynight.

Bare feet

Try not to practice bearfooted, because a dropped acrylic can be quite unforgiving if it lands on your toes. (-;

Work your weaker arm, twice as much as your strong one.

It never fails, someone always is asking, "How can I get my other hand up to speed?" The answer is simple.... Practice, Practice, Practice

Use an old woollen sock to carry your acrylics in

Using an old woollen sock to carry your acrylics in protects them from scratches caused by knocking about in the usual sacks. If you want to be extra protective, you could wrap each ball individually in a nylon sock, and wrap those balls two at a time in woollen socks.

Never leave an acrylic unattended - it can focus the sun and cause a fire.

While on a short back-garden picnic, I managed to burn three holes right through some cushions

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