DSJUGGLING Dawson Juggling Clear Acrylic Contact Juggling Ball - Appx. 2.75" - 70mm

2. Palm to Cradle Over the Edge (transfer)

Hold the ball in your open palm, set on the upper, meaty part between the third and second knuckles.

Now, keeping the fingers together and straight (but not tense), give the ball a very slight lift up and pivot your open hand inwards, still underneath the ball so that it rolls over the outer edge of your index finger and lands in the cradle position on the top of your hand. Hold it a few moments.

Now rotate it back to your palm with the opposite pivoting motion, dropping the plane of your hand back down if you need to. Practice until the ball moves as little as possible while your hand moves under it.

Eventually there will be "sweet spots" where you instinctively feel it and perform the move effortlessly.

4.The Butterfly

This is the previous palm-to-cradle-fingertips transfer done back and forth rhythmically so that the ball travels in a fluid figure-eight or windshield wiper motion as it glides to-and-fro.

The only difference is that your elbow should be free to move around a lot more to support a fluid motion. To get a well-rounded figure-eight, lift the ball in a small, inward curve from your palm as the ball passes over it back to the cradle. Start off slowly and deliberately so you can get used to the move and watch it. The butterfly looks its best, though, when done snug and sleek. Once you've really got it, try reversing the direction of the figure-eight.

• On the outward motion of the butterfly (when the ball rolls on to the palm) be sure not to cup or grasp the ball before you roll it back over to the cradle. Even when in the palm, the ball should be visible.
• Mastery of the butterfly leads to more flashy, intermediate moves such as the top to top butterfly pass.