Balls for Beginners

From JuggleWiki

[edit] sizes, types, making, buying

Trying various balls helps you understand size and weight and feel, before you buy.
This page shows various balls that you can find, with notes about making juggling balls.
Links to online catalogues follow.

[edit] Small Balls

Left is 2" or 50 mm party favor made with two vinyl panels filled with plastic pellets:
common as school supply, cheap, too small and light even for kids.
See much better 4-segment 4-color vinyl at Higgins linked at bottom.
Middle is 6" round balloons filled with 1/3 cup millet (not just "bird seed", see below),
about 2 1/8" or 55 mm weighing 2.5 oz. or 70 gm: good for younger kids.
Adding another Tablespoon makes one 2 1/4" and 3 oz.
Notice smoothness compared to one on right which is filled with rice (not good feel or roundness).
Flax seed is another suggestion, if you can find it.

Any filled bag does not bounce, because it deforms, and will not be exactly round ever.
Balloon balls allow you to make something your size (see following) and almost free.
Not shown: small cloth pyramid, see below.

[edit] Tennis Balls

Tennis balls are 2 1/2" or 63.5 mm, and about 2 oz. or 60 gm:
free or cheap, too big for kids or too light for adults,
but most common "starter" ball and the standard for size comparison.

To the right is a tennis ball with balloon cover (see below).
The ball at left is a dense neoprene sponge play ball about the same size that weighs about 3 oz. or 85 gm:
can be cheap, made in other sizes, good feel, too much bounce.
Behind is another balloon ball made with 1/2 cup millet weighing 4 oz. and measuring 2 3/8" or 60 mm.
There are also tennis balls for pets with very strong colors, filled solid for no bounce, but same roll.

Not shown: lacrosse ball, same size as tennis but 5.5 oz. or 155 gm (more than baseball) and super bounce.
Also not shown are plastic street hockey balls, same size but no advantages.

[edit] Weighted Tennis Balls

Fill tennis balls to be the weight you like.
If partly filled, they will not bounce or roll much, but will wobble some if tossed high.
Use box cutter to slice for funnel, be careful: it is much easier to slice yourself than the ball.
Add 3 Tbl. dry sand to be 4 oz. or 112 gm.
Round tiny "play sand" is least roll and wobble and worst leaking, masonry sand is good, sharp builder's sand is shown.
The slit will leak: "super glue" or "hot glue" or builder's "contact cement" is advised, but may not last for long
and balloon covers do help (see below); tape is often used but is bad for your hands.
Similar to small Beard DX or Play MMX or other Filled Stage ball.
Millet (the fill for Beard DX) makes more bounce and roll than sand (the fill for Vladik's Russian balls).
Rice will jam in the funnel, rattle, and will leak; beans will rattle, be hard to get in but do not leak.
Twenty US pennies will make 4 oz. with low bounce, half the roll of sand, and no leak, but loud rattle and odd wobbles.
Fishing weights, gravel, BB's (~ 150 will be 4 oz., large box is cheap), other things may be tried.

Water injection has been popular, and some adults like the weight;
but they roll farther than empty balls, and bounce as much (good for learning Wall Bounce).
A single sharpened pump needle will let you squeeze out the air under water and then let it take in water, until filled.
The tiny puncture does not leak.
Partial water filling is not advised (except for comedy).

Russian-style balls have been popular lately, see illustrated how-to.

[edit] Other Balls

Front is pompom Koosh Ball: superb learning aid, very soft and safe, with zero bounce even in collision and almost no roll,
"one size fits all"; but not commonly found, and most are too coarse: see very fine filaments.
Can also be made with yarn, but too lightweight and so for kids only.
Center is peeled baseball 2 3/4" or 70 mm, 4.5 oz. or 128 gm with low bounce and nice feel.
Big one behind is peeled softball with 14" balloon cover at 3 3/4" or 94 mm, and almost 6 oz. or 170 gm.
Upper right is cue ball: very dangerous collisions, do not toss (excellent for learning Contact).
Not shown: footbags (hacky sacks) can be very good, but are as costly as commercial juggling balls and cover can wear poorly.

[edit] Making Balloon Balls

Balloons should be round and "Helium quality".
Use 6" for smaller balls; use 9" for up to 2 5/8" or 65 mm; making larger is not advised.
Funnel for millet is one way, but you will have to force it through the tube and into the balloon.
Better method is to put measured millet into small bottle and pull slightly inflated balloon (pinch neck high while spreading lip)
over top, dump in, and slowly release balloon.
You can also use piece of PVC pipe with balloon over one end, fill other end with funnel,
grip balloon firmly to blow into balloon through pipe as needed, again slowly release balloon.
Cut off lip only, push fill down out of neck, and take out all air, neatly fold (do not twist) neck to seal filling, and cover as in Next.
Results are so similar to commercial vinyl "beanbags" that they can be mixed.
Quite durable over suitable surfaces if outer covers are maintained.

[edit] Balloon Covers

Use only "Helium quality", 6" for small balls, 9" for up to 2 5/8" or 65 mm.
Two different colors will leave a dot which will be confusing for beginners.
Note where to cut neck -- you want the smallest, tightest hole. Scissors must be both sharp and tight.
The cut is best made curved, so that it meets the edges square with no tip to stick out or angle to tear.
You should be pulling the neck firm along the cut to keep it from gathering in the scissors and making knicks which will tear.
Use thumbs to open hole and invert over three fingers of both hands, spread until size of ball,
push quickly over anchored ball as far over as you can, get thumbs under ball to continue working rolled edge around ball.
Getting a finger under the balloon after it is started may tear it, but you do need to spread the balloon evenly.
The first time you pull one over, there will be extra neck sticking up.
That is not because you did not cut enough off; and if you try to trim it on the ball, you will make knicks that will tear.
Pull it back from the hole until smooth, and next time don't pull it over the ball so far.

Next balloon starts over the previous hole;
try to avoid rolling the edge of the hole by spreading past it before pulling.
Two on a solid ball is enough, and more over a filled balloon would squeeze the filling too tightly.
When replacing a worn outer cover, do not expose the same spot under it, which will be ok if not torn.
Balloons can be wiped clean, but do not get water between layers; some talc powder will restore surface if sticky.
They will scuff and tear, and will rot with time and use: expect to change them.

So many instructions make it sound impossible, but it gets easier after a few tries.
Latex is not as slippery as the vinyl of commercial balls;
covering them will also smooth and protect the stitches to last longer and save your hands some chafing.
Some find Stage/DX balls too slippery, and prefer them with balloon covers too.
Covering a good fabric ball would spoil part of the wonderful feel,
will make them more firm and more round, stay dry and clean and last forever.
A common complaint is that the balloon covers will stick together -- only with more than two in a hand to start.

[edit] Filling 2-Panel Balls

The least sewing you can do is to simply close a 2-panel bag that is already made.
You can buy these as pet toys or pool toys, filled with a foam sponge.
Find their closing stitching as the puckered zig-zag part (note: that is Ladder Stitch),
slice it and remove the threads, and pull the bag inside-out as you pull out the foam.
With double thread, start closing the gap over the end of the machine stitching to lock (see needle in photo),
leave enough opening to pull the bag outside-out (about an inch),
and put the needle through only one side.
After turning the bag, fill tightly, and close with Ladder Stitch
(in-out along one side, straight across to in-out along other side), pulling tight as you go.
Use Poly-pellets as shown (polypropylene, larger than millet, look in crafts store) for a lighter and washable fill.
Stitch length should be diameter of fill material.
Knot at beginning of machine stitching, put needle into bag at knot and out along your seam,
try to jerk knot inside, knot exposed end, and trim.

Shown is "Water Bomb Ball" with 3" or 76 mm diameter, and weighs 6 oz. or 170 gm, good for "stage ball".
Closing stitching is at ball center in photo.
Cloth is slippery and ball will be sloppy, use balloon covers for firmer ball and grip, and for solid colors.
The 2-panel pattern has one continuous seam, which seems attractive.
Hand-made 2-panel balls tend to be oval-shaped, small ones are very difficult to sew neatly: not recommended.

[edit] Making Pyramid Balls

There is nothing better for first learning than cloth pyramids, certainly for kids and others with less "ball handling skills".
They feel wonderful, land still in the hand, do not bounce or roll,
and you can make them the size you want: all learners should try them.
Sets for beginners should be of three definitely different colors.
The cloth should be sturdy cotton, good shirt flannel is shown.
Heavier material, and cloth with iron-on backing, will last longer and be much harder to make.
The smallest size will be a strip 2 5/8" or 67 mm wide, and 5 1/2" or 14 mm on a long side,
the largest 3 1/2" or 89 mm wide, and 7 1/2" or 190 mm on the long side, which includes 1/4" or 6 mm seams as shown.
The narrow corner angle is 60 degrees, like common drafting triangle.
Pattern shown is glued to cereal box cardboard for marking cloth to cut.
Marking the folds is not necessary, they will be made as you fit the seams at the corners.
Cutting darts, as shown, may help align the folds for your first one, but is not necessary.
The first fold is at an obtuse corner, bottom right as shown.

If you are not experienced, put pins across the seam at both sides of corners and each middle (see below).
In this form, there is only one continuous seam, with a 1" gap left at one end for inverting and filling.
Double stitching is advised. Stitch length for single sewing should be smallest size of filling material.
Sew across all corners to prevent leaking and tearing there. Start closing stitching before turning bag right-side-out,
starting before end of machine stitching to lock, and then put needle through only one side.
Poly-pellets are best for weight and washability. Millet and similar fills will be heavier, and must not get wet.

Firm packing is advised, making sure corners are packed and seams stretched (will settle and loosen with use).
Closing is by Ladder Stitch (in-out along one side, straight across to in-out along other side),
pulling tight as you go; double thread advised, with finish knot at the corner and pulled inside with tail.
You can buy pyramids (see below), but these are too easy and cheap to not make them the size and fill you want.

[edit] Making Round Tetrahedrals

You make the panel pattern by making an equilateral triangle to set a compass at each vertex, and then cut out four panels.
Shown is on 2 5/8" or 67 mm triangle plus 1/4" or 6 mm seam with circle arcs from each vertex, for 4.5+ oz. or 130 gm millet.
There will be six seams, each sewn separately, with bag inside out. Sewing two pairs may be confusing, the sides match in an odd way.
One is shown pinned across all seams, with seam at bottom already stitched:
hard to get a good shape without pinning, which is why they are not available commercially.
Note bottom right corner: gap for inverting bag and for filling is marked to guide closing stitch, see above for common details.
Un-round shape helps with catches -- excellent for learning patterns, site-swap drills, and learning to launch more balls.
Heavier stiffer cloth will make ball more firm; expect to make new ones as they loosen with use.

Note: polar 4-segment balls (common "beanbags") are much easier to make, cloth ones will be rather cubic.
See links to directions below, and printable templates for both types.

[edit] Making Cubic Balls

Cloth cubes, especially from Klutz with a booklet, were how most people learned to juggle until recently.
The soft shape fits still in the hand for easy catching, spins less with tossing, and does not bounce or roll.
People who learn with them do not give them up, using them for learning later tricks.
They are no longer so commonly available, and may be vinyl which does not feel or behave so nice.
The pattern shown allows one continuous seam, starting at an inside angle.
Darts on pattern are for marking cloth for spacing corner folds, not necessary.
Side dimension needs to be about 3/4 desired diameter size.
The one shown has 2 1/2" or 63.5 mm panel length, and weighs 9.5 oz. or 270 gm with millet,
very heavy so good as exercise ball for building juggling strength.
With Poly-pellets, weight for that size would be 6.75 oz. or 190 gm.
See above for common sewing details.

The previous prized "Fergies" were faux-leather cubes using six separate panels with arc sides, similar to above round tetras.
It is the curve of each side that imparts roundness, until you are using twelve or more panels which also rely on fabric stretch.
Each next number of seams also makes the ball more rigid in its resulting shape, along with the fabric stiffness.
More panels means smaller panels, meaning much more tedious and time-consuming to make, and to make well.
Expect price to increase with curves and with number of panels.

Michael, Dave, Uri, Luke, John, Greg -- they all started sewing by not being satisfied, for their uses, with what they could buy.
But plan to buy, as soon as you know what you might like -- and to keep on buying, as your juggling changes.

[edit] Other Instructions and Patterns

The most common sewn form is of four polar segments.
See how David Barnes made them at: http://www.2diabolo.net/index.html%3Fpage=14.html

For printable templates, see: http://www.jugglingdb.com/articles/index.php?id=49

For exciting cubes (and a lot of difficult sewing) see great instructions at: http://juggleballs.amielmartin.com/all

For related explanation and illistration for eight-panel, with diagram and close-up of Ladder Stitch, see: http://www.howardhillshooters.com/dicksballpattern/ballpattern.html

For detail view of Ladder Stitch see: http://mimikirchner.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/311step4.jpg

If you missed the link above at using tennis balls, here is How to make Russian Balls which have become a standard prop. Tape, various glues including glue gun, also caulk is used to close. In the US, Babies R Us and WalMart also carry them, prices vary widely, and quantities start at 100. Colors may be rainbow, select including white like Vladik's, or even clear. Sizes are either 65 mm, slightly larger than tennis and street-hockey balls; or 3.125" like a stage ball.

You would make balls to not have to buy them, or to have them more the way you want them.
You would buy balls to not have to make them, or to have them some way you can't make them.