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.