Two-in-one-hand

Quick Look:

• Prerequisites: Lift Bounce Cascade
• Number of Balls: 2
• Last Modified: 10/4/20

This page covers:

• Fountain Juggling
• Columns Juggling

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Juggling two balls in one hand the key to juggling four balls, so it’s a really worthwhile trick to learn. You can either juggle two balls in a Fountain or in Columns. A Fountain means that the balls move in a tight circle. Columns mean that the balls travel in two distinct lines (or “columns”) that never cross. With toss juggling, I enjoy juggling two-in-one-hand in fountains and columns. However, with bounce juggling, columns feel awkward because it’s hard to keep the balls from colliding. To make this guide complete, I’ll include both patterns. Whether you decide to learn Fountain, Columns, or both, make sure to learn it with both hands so that you can juggle four balls!

Let’s start with the Fountain. The bounce juggling version is similar to the toss juggling version, but it’s a bit different. Here’s the breakdown of how the bounce version works:

1. Hold two balls in your RH in an overhand grip.
2. Lift the ball that’s closer to your fingertips (we’ll call it Ball 1) and drop it to the ground.
3. When Ball 1 hits the ground, flip your palm upwards, lift Ball 2 a few inches, and let go of Ball 2. Make sure to lift it high enough! Ball 2 should fall directly above Ball 1.
4. As Ball 2 falls, quickly grab Ball 1 out of the path of Ball 2. Your hand should curve inwards.
5. As your hand is curving inward, use your momentum and flip your palm upwards. Lift Ball 1 a few inches, and let go of Ball 1.
6. Etc.

First, start by doing the exchange described in Steps 1-5 and catch Ball 1 after your last throw in Step 5. Once that feels comfortable, try to keep the pattern going.

When I was learning this trick, it was hard to make sure that both balls consistently hit the same spot on the ground. If the balls land in different places, then the pattern looks worse and it’s harder to control. Another issue was that the top of my hand occasionally hit the higher ball when I was grabbing the lower ball out of the path of the higher ball (e.g., Ball 1 is the lower ball and Ball 2 is the higher ball in #4). Make sure to lift the higher ball several inches before dropping it so that you have enough room to quickly grab the lower ball.

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Columns with bounce juggling is kind of annoying, but if you want to try it out, here’s how it works:

1. Hold two balls in your right hand in an overhand grip.
2. Lift the ball that’s closer to your fingertips (we’ll call it Ball 1) and drop it to the ground.
3. Move your RH to the left. Lift Ball 2 and drop it to the ground.
4. Move your RH to the right. Catch Ball 1, lift it, and drop it to the ground as close as possible to the place where it hit the first time.
5. Move your RH to the left. Catch Ball 2, lift it, and drop it to the ground as close as possible to the place where it hit the first time.
6. Etc.

To practice this trick, just try to run the pattern for as long as you can. It’s not very difficult to get it started. The hard part is keeping the balls from colliding. Make sure to keep the balls in two distinct columns as much as possible; this will help prevent collisions.