A Beginner’s Guide to Juggling (3, 4, or 5 Balls at Once)

Juggling is a fun and rewarding hobby that’s even more entertaining to perform than it is to watch. Plus, studies show that people who learn to juggle can increase their brains' gray matter!^{[1]
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Research source} If you’ve always wanted to juggle but struggled to master the right technique, you’ve come to the right place. While juggling may seem difficult at first, it’s easy once you know what to practice. This article will walk you through the basics of juggling so you’re comfortable tossing and catching at least 2 balls. Then, we’ll show you how to add a 3rd…a 4th…even a 5th. Keep reading and you’ll be able to juggle almost half a dozen balls in no time!

Things You Should Know

Start by tossing 1 ball from 1 hand to the other, attempting to get it about eye-level near your opposite shoulder with every toss.
Try and aim your ball so it falls right into the opposite hand. The less you have to reach to catch each ball, the easier juggling will be.
Add 2 or more balls by tossing each ball at the exact moment the 1st ball reaches its peak from your opposite hand.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Juggling Basics

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Choose non-bouncy balls to practice with. Don’t waste your precious practice time running back and forth to get rollaway balls. Find objects that have the same weight and shape as a ball, but won’t bounce or travel easily if they're dropped. Consider buying some beanbags or making tennis balls easier to juggle by filling them with sand and coins, then covering them with a round balloon.^{[2]
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- You can also stand in front of a wall to stop balls from going too far forward.
- Try to not add too much weight to your practice balls. Dropping heavy objects may damage your floor or hurt your toes.
- Also, choose a suitable place to work in. At the beginning of your juggling career, you’ll have balls flying everywhere, so it's best not to stand near granny's precious oil lamp or dad's collection of ceramic cows.
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Toss 1 ball for a while to get the feel of juggling. Pass your ball or bean bag from one hand to the other a few dozen times. Aim to get the ball to about eye-height near the opposite shoulder with every toss. Also practice "selfies" (throws you catch with your throwing hand).^{[3]
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- Keep your elbows at your hips and avoid moving your hands as much as possible. Otherwise, your tosses will be too all over the place to keep a juggling rhythm.
- For extra practice, snap your fingers every time the ball reaches peak height. This will help you get used to the timing of when to toss the next ball.
- Keep your tosses high and narrow, instead of short and wide. The balls are easier to control when they’re thrown higher!
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Practice “scooping.” Make your juggling motions smoother by “scooping,” or dipping your hands right before you release the ball. Keep your dips shallow, so you don’t launch the ball too far, and ensure that the arc of your scoops doesn’t rise above eye level.^{[4]
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- If “scooping” feels unnatural to you, try getting rid of the balls and mimicking just the movements of juggling. When you "air juggle," you’ll often find yourself moving your hands in small circles. This is scooping!
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Start tossing another ball. Once you’ve gotten the hang of scooping and tossing 1 ball between each hand, you’re ready to start juggling 2. Toss your first ball. Then, when it reaches the top of its arc, toss the 2nd ball. Practice until this simple exchange becomes comfortable.^{[5]
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- Tossing at the top is key here. This will give you the most time for your next catch. When you start working with 3, 4, and 5 balls, timing each toss like this becomes especially important.
- Don’t worry about catching both balls at first. It’s okay if they fall; just focus on hand position and timing. Once having 2 balls in the air becomes comfortable, you can focus on catching.
- Try to toss both balls to the exact same height and aim them so they’ll fall comfortably into the opposite hand. The less you have to move your hands to grab them, the easier catching them will be. Once you can catch and throw effectively, juggling 2 balls is just a matter of repeating this process over and over.
- If you're having trouble throwing a ball the other hand accurately or with consistent height, try to visualize a box from your elbow height to about a foot above your head. Aim for the corner of that box.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Juggling 3–5 Balls

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Try to make 3 passes in a row. Once you’re able to toss and catch 2 balls 15-20 times in a row, try juggling a 3rd. Start out slowly to see how the 3 balls work together in the air during each rotation. Juggling 3 balls is often a matter of understanding the balls' trajectories and how they intertwine. For the majority of the time, 1 ball will be in the air while you hold the other 2 in each hand:^{[6]
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- First, hold 2 balls in your right hand and 1 in your left hand (vice versa if you’re left handed).
- Begin by tossing a ball from your right hand (again, vice versa if you’re left-handed).
- Throw the ball to your left hand and when ball 1 is at the peak, throw ball 2 (the only one in your left hand) under ball 1 to your right hand.
- Catch ball 1 before ball 2 reaches its peak.
- When ball 2 is at the highest point, throw ball 3 under ball 2.
- Catch ball 2 before ball 3 reaches its peak. Then, toss ball 1 when ball 3 reaches its highest point and repeat. This technique is called the “3 Ball Cascade.”
- If you can't seem to get the hang of it, try working with light, small scarves instead of balls. They'll spend more time in the air which will help you understand how it all comes together.
- Juggling can be frustrating. Remember to relax, breathe, and take a break if needed. It may take days before you're able to juggle 3 balls multiple times in a row.
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Work on the over-the-top method. Once you’ve got the simple 3 Ball Cascade down, start juggling "over the top" to add some style and flair to your throws. To juggle over-the-top:^{[7]
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- Select a ball you wish to toss over the other 2 (hence the name over-the-top). Ideally, this ball will be a different color so it’s easy to identify.
- Then, each time your selected ball is caught in your dominant hand, scoop that dominant hand in the opposite direction (away from you) and hook the selected ball over the other 2.
- Once you’ve hooked the ball over with your dominant hand a few times, repeat the same motions with your other hand.
- Tossing 2 balls in a normal 3 Ball Cascade pattern with 1 ball over-the-top is called a "Slow Shower." If every ball you juggle is an over-the-top-throw, it’s called a “Reverse 3 Ball Cascade.”^{[8]
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- Once you’ve mastered the over-the-top method, you can advance to more complex juggling techniques like cross-hand juggling, columns (1 in the middle, 2 on the sides), and "Mills' Mess" (crossing your arms and throwing the same ball underarm each time).
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Add a 4th and 5th ball to your rotation. Once you’ve mastered multiple methods for 3 balls, start juggling 4 by learning to juggle 2 balls in 1 hand. Toss a new ball at the previous ball’s peak, scoop before each throw, and keep your hand in constant motion so you can catch both balls and they don’t collide in mid-air. Once you can juggle one-handed with both hands, simply alternate hands to juggle 4 balls simultaneously.^{[9]
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- Once you’ve mastered a 4-ball pattern, try adding a 5th ball. Juggling 5 balls is just like juggling 3, but you have to move your hands a lot faster and you need to throw the balls higher. Keep practicing and don’t give up –– juggling takes time and patience to master.
- You can also use the 3 Ball Cascade pattern to juggle 4 balls. Incorporate a horizontal pass into this technique to make adding a 5th ball easier.

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How do I contact juggle?

Barry McDonough
Professional Magician
Barry McDonough is a Professional Magician based in Boston, Massachusetts. He is an experienced magician and entertainer, bringing excitement and fun to audiences of all ages. Barry performs for children's birthday parties, corporate gatherings, and a variety of other types of events. His work has been recognized by The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.). Barry now runs a Magic School and Workshop to teach tricks and techniques to those eager to learn the art of magic from a professional. He received a BS in Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He also received a JD from Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

Barry McDonough

Professional Magician

Expert Answer

So contact juggling involves mastering the art of manipulating a ball, often a big glass one. Start by holding the ball in your hand and rolling it across your fingers and palms without letting it fall. Practice controlling the ball's movements using subtle shifts in pressure and angle. As you become more confident, experiment with different tricks like rolls, isolations, and transfers between your hands and arms. Practice until your movements are fluid and graceful. Just remember that mastering contact juggling requires practice and repetition. Start with simple maneuvers and gradually work your way up to more complex tricks.

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Can I juggle easier when standing or sitting?

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It is much easier to juggle while standing. You have more control of the ball and can be eye level with the peak of the balls once thrown.

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Can juggling make my mind sharper?

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Juggling makes you more focused, which in turn increases concentration, so in this sense you could say it does help make your mind sharper.

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Tips

It helps to think of juggling as being less about catching and more about learning to accurately throw a ball so it will land in the catching hand.

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Try putting on some music with a good beat to help you find a natural juggling rhythm.

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Juggle inside to prevent balls from straying too far or having wind interference.

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Warnings

Juggling is an exercise; try to "warm up" with stretching exercises before a juggling session.

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Do not attempt to juggle any sharp or dangerous objects. Only professionals know how to do this.

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