Bouncy balls in
juggling:
Ah, the bouncing ball. Loved and hated in equal measure. While being one of the most pleasing things to juggle with, their tendancy to hit one another and go flying off in opposite directions is... well... rather annoying.
Your common-or-garden high-bounce ball is fine for juggling with, so long as it isn't too small. The balls will last longer if you refrain from bouncing them against rough surfaces such as stucco or pebbled floors. Oh... and don't give them to your dog.
There are two types of bounce you can experiment with;
Free bounce: You throw the ball upwards. It drops to the floor, bounces, rises above hand level, and then drops into the opposite hand.
Forced bounce: You throw the ball directly at the floor. You catch it in the opposite hand right after the bounce.
Free bounce is slower and gives you far more time, however forced bounce gives you more control. (And makes a nicer beat). Either one can be used in a three ball cascade - both regular and reverse cascade patterns seem equally easy to juggle. For more experienced jugglers, I suggest the three ball shower, boston mess and four ball synch fountain.
Of course, the good thing about bouncy balls is that you can bounce them several times before catching them again. This is used in this little game... start off with one ball in your left hand and about three in your right. Drop one from your right hand. As it falls for the second time, drop another alongside it. They should hit the floor together... now drop another. When you run out of balls, transfer the ball from your left to your right, and catch the first ball in your left hand. (This is a shower pattern.) Continue...
I've kept this going with six balls... and more than this is perfectly possible.
Oh, and the reason bouncy balls tend to spin off in wierd directions is because their high coefficient of friction causes massive spin. This can be demonstrated as follows: Find a heavy, flat-bottomed table. Stand a metre or so away, and throw a ball down under it so that it hits the underside. Tada! It bounces right back into your hand. This property of bouncy balls makes a performance using them very interesting to watch.