Juggling

Juggling as a Skill

Purpose / Importance / Relevance

Juggling creates a familiarity with the ball. It reduces the seeming randomness of the ball hitting your body, and helps you understand how the difference surfaces react to being struck with the ball. It also improves your focus on and responsiveness to the unexpected micro-movements of the ball.

Approach

Small Taps, Repeated

With exactly one surface

Under Control

Creating Back Spin or No Spin

Dynamically Responding with your body to it's flight

Methods

Kick Ups

Below the Knee

Single Foot, Both Feet

Alternating Foot

Single Thing, Both Thighs

Shoulders

Chest

Head Taps

Combinations (Foot, Thigh, Shoulder, Head)

Anti-Patterns

Ball flies away from you - You are likely hitting it too hard.

Ball flies in front of you - you are likely creating topspin (forward-spinning motion)

Ball goes in unexpected direction - You are likely not hitting it with the correct surface, or you are hitting it with more than one surface.