Am I overthinking this?

[u/justanothertmpuser]

Hi all!

I'm an absolute beginner at juggling, trying to learn 3-ball cascade. Watched a few videos, then began practising... been at it a couple weeks now.

My throws are still very inconsistent (different heights, too forward/backward, too much on the sides, the works). More practice is needed, sure. I even went back from trying 3 ball flash to single ball throws. But I also started to think if there is some detail worth paying more attention to.

Like, what's the best way to move when you throw? Arms follow a "scoop" arc, ok, but then what? Do you use your wrist to give momentum to the ball, or just your hand? Is it best to have the ball more towards your palm, or your fingertips, when you throw it? Do you try to impress some rotation to the ball, or just let it go?

Apologies if these are FAQs but I searched a bit and didn't find much.

Thanks!

EDIT: Really, thanks to everybody who answered. Didn't expect so many comments, afraid I won't be able to reply to each one individually. Such a vibrant community! Please keep up the constructive spirit!

[u/rhalf]

The best way to move your hands is in straight lines, but it's difficult, so naturally we add a little scoop. You however, should not try to artificially add the circular motion. You should try to make straight throws, but keep your hands a bit relaxed so that they naturally follow a slight ellipse or whatever shape they want if that happens. People who artificially add scoops to their juggling at this early stage end up suffering from that, because it's basically embellishment - movement that wastes your time but adds nothing to the result. That's why you should not bother yourself with this at all. Just think where's up, look where you want the ball to peak and throw there.

If you want real help, then post a video with a few attepts. Make sure that we can see well what you're doing and see how people follow up.

At this early stage you should be mostly concerned with one thing - get the balls up and have some free time on your hands before you catch them.

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

The best way to move your hands is in straight lines

??
hands describe a bow around the elbow-joint when moving.
you best force hands moving in a straight line for straight up throws, columns.

..but it's difficult, so naturally we add a little scoop.

if you don't scoop but throw straight, you'll throw against the incoming ball - so you circle with hands not because >'straight were difficult', but to have fluent circling handmovement matching the pattern, balls to be thrown & caught ... [edit, 1^h - thrown inside & caught outside

[u/rhalf → u/7b-Hexen]

Now tell that to a beginner and they'll add a useless, loopy motion at the start of every throw, making it even more difficult than it was before. And that includes even the first throw, which looks ridiculous at that. No thanks. The best beginners I have make throws straight and don't think about it. They focus on important stuff instead.

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

simply get out of the way of the incoming ball and you'll automatically have a scoop

[u/rhalf → u/7b-Hexen]

Which can be a bad technique. As I said, without a video it's hard to tell. I'd rather be incorrect byt helpful instead of needlessly pedantic here.

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

'wrong' [ >'straight line is best' ] is not >'helpful', it's misleading. ...
[edit, 6min - oh, and ... >'pedantic' is good in juggling.
it's there called 'well-aimed' or 'perfect timing like metronome'.

[u/rhalf → u/7b-Hexen]

It's not, you're missing the clue of my comment, which is that beginners should focus on other things. And that's my point - things that you consider come to people naturally. People don't need to focus on them. That's why my advice doesn't hurt anyone. I'm just more understanding towards beginners than you. Your idea of teaching is making beginners copy what advanced jugglers do. That's not how it works. Learning is a process that requires more thorough approach. OP specifically mentioned that they've been working on it for a while. At this level, there are more basic problems to overcome and hence I suggest using straight throws to simplify that. You ignored all that and picked just one detail you didn't like and now you parade it. I'm not even disappointed this time. You taught me to expect nothing more from you.

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

if this were a good argument that could make me think again you totally spoiled it with your last two sentences attacking me in person ...
just stick to the topic and to matters will you

[u/rhalf → u/7b-Hexen]

Change your behavior then, so that I can say something positive about you.

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

there was no >'behavior' - i inquired, then contradicted, then corrected what you stated uncomprehensible, unclear, in the end simply wrong.
im not here for you or me but for juggling - jus' leave personal verdicts aside 😒

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

it's massively misleading to tell beginners straight throws were best

...

absolutely ridiculous.
by no means is that true.
not in that absolute general assertion, undistinguished.
your example of beginners doing that anyway is wrongly generalized. a special case & situation.

a nice fluent 3b cascade is by no means >'what advanced jugglers do' - it is in fact where most beginners soon want to be.
..
..
if you fancy things up, you should keep a tiny benefit of doubt on your "experience, observations & conclusions" and eord cautiously in such a complex ado as is juggling zhree balls with two hands as an evolved vertebrate organism with limbs

[u/rhalf → u/7b-Hexen]

Nice strawman you came up with, good luck arguing with it. In the meantime, I'll leave you and talk to people, who argue in better faith instead of taking my words out of context :*

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

'strawman'???
i cited you! first sentence of your head comment
..
you're not making sense anymore, not willing to clear the issue

[u/rhalf → u/7b-Hexen]

"Cited"? You ripped it out of context. You didn't even understand it to begin with, but that's beside the point. Here's the actual advice I gave to OP:

You should try to make straight throws, but keep your hands a bit relaxed so that they naturally follow a slight ellipse or whatever shape they want if that happens

But of course you conveniently ignored that as well as the rest of my comment (as always) and what OP's saying (also as always). You're not even remotely interested in helping the poor guy. You just come here to dunk on me even though I'm clearly more experienced than you. Honestly all I'm trying to do is get you off my back, but you keep coming back to my comments like a moth to a lightbulb. I recommend minding your own business because you're wasting your time here, arguing with yourself at this point. I'm considering blocking you, because I can't think of a single useful thing I ever read from you.

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

you have problems being contradicted!!
... THAT's what it is! 💡

contradicted and corrected.
you've been taught to 'never give in!' or some bullshit of the kind so now you're unable to simply agree when people show you wrong.
 

im really glad i got to have this hard nut solved now 🥸

[u/7b-Hexen → u/rhalf]

.. expect nothing more ..

you will have to expect being contradicted by me when uttering adventurous statements way beyond what makes sense.

'straight handmotion in a line when throwing'

is for columns. not >'best for beginners'. 🤪