Juggling balls.

[juggle508]

Hello all. Its me again. With another question bout juggling equipment.

What type of balls do you juggle with? Im looking for a set of good juggling balls but CHEAP. The cheapest I found are like 9 apiece. Thats alot cause i want a set of 5 or 6. Any suggestions on what to get? What do yall juggle with? All help would be nice.

KH.

[Spudman]

I use klutz juggling bags, but they came with a book. They work really well, they don't bounce (they are cind of cube shaped bean bags) so they are really easy to catch.

Try klutz.com and I'm pretty sure you can order the bean bags seperately for cheap. I can't go there, because flash is required and that's against my religion.

[tomblackwood]

Im looking for a set of good juggling balls but CHEAP.
If you want good juggling balls, you generally won't find them CHEAP.

I prefer the 4-panel, standard size "Squosh" beanbags by Dube. They are extremely uniform in size, shape, and filling, and very high quality manufacturing. At $8.50 each, they're slightly less than the $9 you mention. There are plenty of knock-offs that look the same and are cheaper, but when you're ordering 5 or 6 of them, you'll find lots of variation in stuffing or sewing, or worse yet, they'll be consistent but consistently BAD.

Go to the website below, click Online Store, click Beanbags, click Squash (page bottom), then shop for color combos.

http://www.dube.com

There are definitely some even higher quality bags out there, but generally small company made and very pricey. I think the Dube's have the best price/performance for a quality bag.

[juggle508]

Well i guess this idea is down the tubes lol. Ok heres another question....What balls are good for juggling that aren't juggling balls? Im using raquetballs right now and they are WAY too light. Any thoughts?

[Spudman]

Water baloons?

[tomblackwood]

Well i guess this idea is down the tubes lol. Ok heres another question....What balls are good for juggling that aren't juggling balls?
Not sure I can help much there...I fall into the "if you're gonna do it, do it with the right equipment" school of thought.

You might get some tennis balls, make a small slice in each, fill with some sand or pebbles, then stretch a balloon or something over it to keep it sealed.

Or you could throw down a nod to Demosthenes, and learn to juggle with rocks. That way when you move to real balls, you'll already have an edge.

[Seager]

Here is how you make cheap, good, juggling balls. We make these for our club to hand out to learners, and we used them for numbers and other such things. They can be VERY good if made with care.

You need:
Birdseed (wild or thistle - never done thistle though)
a bag of balloons
plastic baggies (normal, not ziplock)

For one ball:
Cut the neck off of three balloons.
Fill plastic baggie with bird seed to about the correct size. (handful)
wrap baggie around but don't tie it.
Stretch the balloons around the bag of seed one after another, making sure the holes don't all line up.

That's it. You don't get any cheaper.

[john_childs]

I like the tennis ball thing that Tom describes. I have a set of tennis balls like that for juggling and they work well. I filled mine with sand which makes them on the heavy side. You could use dried beans or sunflower seeds or whatever else you can get to adjust the weight.

Cut a small slit. Fill them up. Tape them up with good tape. Then juggle. I haven't tried the idea of stretching a balloon over them. I think that would be mostly for looks because once they're taped up with good tape they hold up well.

[Chrashing]

Borders book store had a beginners juggling set: 3 scarfs, 3 bean balls and book for about $9 at the local store recently.

[MERCYME]

www.gballz.com they are good ultrasuede you will love. They will last you forever, so its a better deal to get these for 10 dollars, then getting balls for 5 a piece that you will have to replace in a year. (if you do buy them tell him danny sent ya)

If you want non-beanbag balls go with pinkies they are good, thats what Anthony Gatto uses and he goes out flashing 10 balls.

But I think you will be a lot more happy with beanbags in the long run.

[Wheel Rider]

Well i guess this idea is down the tubes lol. Ok heres another question....What balls are good for juggling that aren't juggling balls? Im using raquetballs right now and they are WAY too light. Any thoughts?
Lacrosse balls. They are about the size of tennis balls but are heavier and not as bouncy as racquetballs. I think I paid about $5 each for lacrosse balls. (Don't take that quote to the bank though. They were not too expensive or would not have bought them.)

[Wheel Rider]

Well i guess this idea is down the tubes lol. Ok heres another question....What balls are good for juggling that aren't juggling balls? Im using raquetballs right now and they are WAY too light. Any thoughts?
This is a follow-up. You can order lacrosse balls at Stickhead Lacrosse.
http://store.stickheadlacrosse.com/balls.html
They come in a variety of colors at about $2 to $3 per ball. I like to juggle with lacrosse balls because they are a bit heavy.

[phlegm]

I also have old tennis balls for juggling. I filled each with about 50 pennies. I cut a single slit just big enough to force a penny through, and I don't have to tape anything.

[juggle508]

I think I might go with the lacrosse balls. I could probably find some at a sports store. Then again i might just buy them online. Anyone else use them?

[tomblackwood]

I think I might go with the lacrosse balls. Anyone else use them?
What will your main focus be? If it is not either bounce juggling or trying to combine bounce and standard juggling, then DON'T get lacrosse balls. If, for example, you're wanting to learn a standard 5 or 6 ball pattern, you will be all about drops for quite some time. Combine that with lacrosse balls, and you'll also be all about chasing your drops. Better to have them stay where they fall until you're so good they rarely fall.

And I know you're on a price thing here, but consider this as well: if you're getting into bounce juggling, you'll get a better bounce from Oddballs than you will from lacross balls. They're a bit more, but have a noticeably higher return. I had a chance to drop these side-by-side at Portland a couple weeks ago, and it was confirmed.

You can see both types...lacrosse and Oddballs...at this link:
http://www.seriousjuggling.com/Balls_Bounce.htm

[Wheel Rider]

... Combine that with lacrosse balls, and you'll also be all about chasing your drops...
But isn't that where you get the exercise? Chasing the balls around the room after you drop them? :rolleyes:

[forrestunifreak]

I'm in the same situation. I wish I had beanbags or somthing simalar, but dont want them to be expensive, just basic beanbags the right size and weght.

I did the tennis ball thing, I put split peas in mine, and cotton balls to keep the beans from 'jiggling' too much. I never even sealed the slits in the balls back up.

[cathwood]

There are instructions regarding making your own beanbags somewhere on the web but I'm too lazy to look for them and do a nice hyperlink. Sorry.

Cathy

[forrestunifreak]

There are instructions regarding making your own beanbags somewhere on the web but I'm too lazy to look for them and do a nice hyperlink. Sorry.

Cathy


Here:http://www.twjc.co.uk/doc007.html

[juggle508]

I just want to learn 5 ball cascade and other 3 ball tricks.....I will be practicing on grass so that would help slow down them rolling away. Are they still okay to go with or should i use something else?

[markf]

you can make really really cheap beanbags with balloons and bird seed. just cut the neck of the balloons. here's soem instructions:

for each (1) juggling ball:

1. put 1/2 cup bird seed into non-ziplock plastic baggie
2. cut the "neck" part off 3 balloons
3. stuff baggie into one balloon. this will leave some kinda squishing out the end.
4. wrap another balloon around this one so the holes DON'T line up.
5. repeat step 4.
6. repeat steps 1-5 until you have the desired number of beanbags.

depending on the size of your balloons and how big you want your beanbags to be you'll need to adjust your amount of birdseed. also, the bird seed with the least sunflower seeds will probably work best. the kind that's mostly those tiny round seeds works awesome and is super cheap. hell, ask somewhere if they have any partial bags that got ripped or damaged or something so they can't be sold. they might be free...

[tomblackwood]

I just want to learn 5 ball cascade and other 3 ball tricks.....I will be practicing on grass so that would help slow down them rolling away. Are they still okay to go with or should i use something else?
Well if you ONLY practice on grass, it might be okay and then you'd have the benefit of versatility in your balls. If you wanted to practice bounce juggling, you wouldn't need a separate set, just a different surface underfoot.

[juggle508]

What bout these? Go to www.dube.com>online store>beanbags>airflight.....I would get 2 solid reds, 2 blue, and 2 yellows.(not shown but in color select)

[Spudman]

I think they'd be to light and slippery. I have some similar to that, and they always bounce out of my hands.

[Seager]

you can make really really cheap beanbags with balloons and bird seed. just cut the neck of the balloons. here's soem instructions:

for each (1) juggling ball:

1. put 1/2 cup bird seed into non-ziplock plastic baggie
2. cut the "neck" part off 3 balloons
3. stuff baggie into one balloon. this will leave some kinda squishing out the end.
4. wrap another balloon around this one so the holes DON'T line up.
5. repeat step 4.
6. repeat steps 1-5 until you have the desired number of beanbags.

depending on the size of your balloons and how big you want your beanbags to be you'll need to adjust your amount of birdseed. also, the bird seed with the least sunflower seeds will probably work best. the kind that's mostly those tiny round seeds works awesome and is super cheap. hell, ask somewhere if they have any partial bags that got ripped or damaged or something so they can't be sold. they might be free...


Mark.... I know great mind think alike and all, but you really should read the entire first page of this thread...

[ThisGuyIKnow]

I am big fan of the soft, filled balls. I have soem Beard ones that i bought many years ago from Serious Juggling, they were $8 a piece, well worth it except one now has a soft spot though.

My Tennis balls I filled with buckshot to make them 1lb each, then I covered them with that plasitc coating stuff you use for like tool handles and stuff, so they have a smooth plastic surface. They ended up costing about $10 for all the materials.

[Seager]

Tennis balls are a bit on the big side for learning numbers (4,5+).

[darchibald]

you can make really really cheap beanbags with balloons and bird seed. just cut the neck of the balloons. here's soem instructions:

for each (1) juggling ball:

1. put 1/2 cup bird seed into non-ziplock plastic baggie
2. cut the "neck" part off 3 balloons
3. stuff baggie into one balloon. this will leave some kinda squishing out the end.
4. wrap another balloon around this one so the holes DON'T line up.
5. repeat step 4.
6. repeat steps 1-5 until you have the desired number of beanbags.

depending on the size of your balloons and how big you want your beanbags to be you'll need to adjust your amount of birdseed. also, the bird seed with the least sunflower seeds will probably work best. the kind that's mostly those tiny round seeds works awesome and is super cheap. hell, ask somewhere if they have any partial bags that got ripped or damaged or something so they can't be sold. they might be free...


I used flour in he balloons and they worked really well. My good ones are from Higgins Brothers, I'm guessing they are just like the Dube's above. I don't juggle much but those balls are great.

David

[tomblackwood]

What bout these? Go to www.dube.com>online store>beanbags>airflight.....I would get 2 solid reds, 2 blue, and 2 yellows.(not shown but in color select)
Compared to the Squosh, they stinketh. Slippery, irregular, inconsistent. But definitely cheaper...

If numbers juggling is a goal, you may want to consider getting all the balls the same color/pattern, versus 2 of each. Just my lil opinion, but consistency of color/pattern just eliminates one more factor that can interfere with your brain being able to process what's going on in the air in front of it. I used to be a "balls and clubs of different colors" kind of guy, but have converted to the "all the same, and all red" school of thought. There are other schools out there.

But regardless of all that, you are definitely over-thinking this. Re-read the thread, give yourself a maximum of two minutes to process and decide, then either follow my advice, or someone else's, or what your own heart tells you. But get yourself some balls in a hurry! :)

[steveyo]

I ordered some custom balls from John Nord, at
http://www.jugglingthingies.homestead.com/files/index.htm

You can custom order any size and weight.

I got 7 yellow suede numbers bean bags and they're beautiful. He made them to order and got me the set within a week and a half. They were $8 each but they compare to commercial balls costing $12 to $15 each.

[arcane]

One word EBAY! :D

(ps I haven't looked so if nothings cheap don't get mad)

[person]

i learned with rocks

[tomblackwood]

It's a sad day in the juggling world:

Fergie Closes (http://www.fergieprops.com/)

I've tried these bags before and they were awesome...then made the mistake of putting off the buying of them. :(

[forrestunifreak]

I thought they were already closed down...?

[onelesscar]

perhaps this is unusual, but what i use for juggling are the soft solid rubber baseballs in the toy isle of any walgreens/rite-aid (maybe also walmart) but these wouldn't be good for numbers cause i can only hold three in my hand at once

[steveyo]

perhaps this is unusual, but what i use for juggling are the soft solid rubber baseballs in the toy isle of any walgreens/rite-aid (maybe also walmart) but these wouldn't be good for numbers cause i can only hold three in my hand at once
Gatto (see new thread about him) uses "pinkies", those cheap, solid pink rubber balls from the drug store.

[onelesscar]

i like them because they have weight to them, and i find that makes them easier to throw predictably and consistently.