Devil sticks are based on an ancient Chinese prop. They consist of two sticks, one held in each hand, and a larger stick that’s manipulated by the two handsticks. They were brought to Europe from China and became a popular pastime.

Flower sticks are just like devil sticks, but have tassels on each end. These tend to be more popular among new users, since they move more slowly. I personally prefer the faster moving devil sticks, but the slow movement of flower sticks can also be used to great effect.

The spinning motion of devil sticks makes them a great looking prop. And they can be a lot of fun to learn and experiment with. You may see people in parks using devil sticks for recreation, and sometimes you may see them being used at Renaissance festivals.

Some people use more than one devil stick at a time for a new challenge, but this is very difficult and not for the casual devil-sticker. One very popular trick is the propeller, where the center stick is spun rapidly using one handstick. This is especially cool with two at a time, resembling a dual prop airplane.

If you’re looking for a set of devil sticks, you should make sure you get a decent set. Many are available as cheap toys, and they aren’t weighted properly. Instead of resting nicely on the handstick, the center stick will bounce on it, and it won’t spin properly. If you have one of these sets, you’ll get discouraged quickly without realizing how much fun devil sticks can be with a good set.

You may have seen contact juggling if you’ve seen the movie Labyrinth. David Bowie seems to roll a clear ball over his hands like magic. Actually, it wasn’t David Bowie who was doing the manipulation, it was Michael Moschen. Although the idea of rolling a ball around a person’s body has been around for ages, it was Michael Moschen who began what is modern day contact juggling.

Contact juggling, as opposed to toss juggling, involves manipulating a ball without the ball leaving the body of the juggler. One of the most basic tricks, the butterfly, is done by rolling the ball over the fingertips of an open hand onto the other side of the hand (from the palm to the back of the hand, and vice versa). Then the ball is typically transferred to the other hand, where the process is repeated.

Contact juggling also includes rolling the ball up and down the arms. Another popular trick is the isolation, where the juggler moves himself while the ball stays in the same place. This can look very cool if done well.

Palm rolling is also popular with contact jugglers. The juggler will take two or more balls and roll them around each other in their palm, similar to the way Chinese iron balls are manipulated. However, the contact juggling balls used are typically bigger than Chinese iron balls. And many tricks can be done by rolling the balls in different ways.

One of the most popular contact juggling ball is the acrylic ball. Acrylic balls are clear and look like crystal balls. It is interesting to see them, because you don’t see much of the ball itself, you see how the scene behind it changes. It looks almost like a bubble floating around the juggler.

If you are looking for a ball for contact juggling, consider an acrylic ball or other ball specifically designed for contact juggling. It can be difficult to learn with any old ball.

Juggling rings are somewhere between balls and clubs. They can’t be just thrown with any kind of spin like balls, but they don’t have a designated handle like clubs. A ring has to be spun when thrown, and caught in a certain way.

Rings tend to look best when seen from the side. When seen from the front, they look practically invisible. Not very interesting to see. But when seen from the side, you can see the circles, that all work together in a great looking pattern. This is one of the reasons jugglers like juggling rings.

One popular and very difficult trick is called “pancakes”. Instead of spinning the ring, the juggler flips the ring like a pancake. Pancakes look very cool when seen from the front.

Some jugglers use color changing rings. These have a different color on each side of the ring, so when you turn the ring around in the middle of a pattern, it seems to change color. Many viewers won’t notice the switch and may see it as a cool magic trick. Whether the viewer knows how its done or not, it still has great visual appeal.

Juggling rings tend to be more limited as far as tricks go. With balls and clubs, jugglers can go on and on with different tricks. A lot of ring jugglers go for higher numbers and fewer tricks. Some jugglers do like to come up with different tricks for rings, however. And the shape and size of the rings make the tricks look very interesting.

Some of the best numbers jugglers prefer rings, since they don’t take too much space and are less likely to collide in mid air. However, their thin design makes them vulnerable to even the slightest wind, so juggling rings outside isn’t a good idea.

If you are looking to get a set of juggling rings, you may consider getting a set of wide rings. Rings can hurt your hands if you catch them wrong, and they won’t hurt nearly as much if they are wider. They can also be bounced off the floor for additional tricks.

Juggling balls are the most simple and easy of juggling props. When you throw a ball, it doesn’t matter what direction it’s facing when it lands. You just throw it up and catch it, unlike clubs or rings. This doesn’t in any way limit the potential for new ball juggling tricks.

Ball juggling tricks can involve throwing them under the leg or behind the back. It’s also popular to hit the ball like a hacky sack in the middle of a pattern. Complex patterns called siteswaps can be done by throwing balls different heights.

Several different kinds of balls are used by jugglers. Beanbags are the most popular. They’re easy to catch and will reshape themselves to fit your hand every time you catch them. And one of the best things about them is they don’t bounce and they don’t roll very far.

Stage balls are often used by professionals. They keep their shape, unlike beanbags. This makes them slightly more difficult to juggle but better looking. They are designed to not bounce, so if they’re dropped on stage, they won’t go all over they place. However, they still roll when they land.

Another kind of juggling ball is used specifically because it bounces. This includes lacrosse balls, which used to be the most popular ball for juggling. Another bouncing ball commonly used by jugglers is the silicone ball. Silicone juggling balls are very high quality and are very popular nowadays. Bouncing balls can be bounced off the floor, which allows tons of new opportunities for tricks, and a whole different kind of juggling: bounce juggling. The drawback is that when they collide, they go crazy. And as any juggler can tell you, they have a tendency to find their way to the worst possible places :-).

For the beginner, I’d recommend using beanbags. They’re much easier to catch than something like tennis balls, and they don’t bounce away. When you’re learning, you’ll drop a lot and having to run after stray balls can be very annoying, even if it is good exercise.