Well, you are starting to get into the hard stuff now. In my eyes, 5 Balls is the gateway to numbers juggling. It is the first time where you can get truly frustrated. Usually it can take anywhere from 2 months (if you get really lucky) to about 1 year to get solid. Just to give you an idea, It took me about 3 months to get solid. Now lets get started on 5 balls so we don't waste any time.

When you get to 5 balls, there are many problems that you encounter. First of all, when you do get 5 balls solid, it is the first number where endurance becomes a problem. If you want to increase your 5 ball endurance time, then i only have one piece of advice for you: practice 5 ball endurance, YOU GET GOOD AT WHAT YOU PRACTICE. The accuracy requirements for 5 are much grater than 3. If one throw goes too high low low, your whold pattern will probably collapse. Before you try to flash 5 balls. (if you dont knwo what FLASH means, it is in the definitions on my home page) , you should work on some exercises that will improve your accuracy in a less "harsh" and more rewarding way. For example, say i want to learn 9 balls, but i cant get my 5 ball cascade past 50 catches. I can try to flash 9 for 100 years, and i probably wont get it. If I try to perfect 7 instead, then goto 9, i will probably have better results. Anyway, here are the exercises tha tyou want to do.

1. The 3 Ball Cascade- Before you try 5, your 3 ball cascade should probably last 2 minutes or so, but if you really cant wait, then you might as well start on 5, since I cant stop you, but keep in mind, you will make progress the quickest if you follow my advice.

2. High 3 Ball Cascade. Now your 3 ball cascade should be pretty low, try juggling and sustaining it at the 5 ball height, which is about how heigh you juggled 3 when you were learning it, maybe just a bit higher, but it should definitely be above your head.

3. 4 Ball Async Fountain- make sure it is Async, so your brain will get used to faster throws. Most people say you should get 200 catches with 4 before working on 5, but I dont think that is needed. About 50-100 catches are all you need. DONT be like me, and try to learn 5 at the same time you are learning 4, it doesn't work.

4. 5 Ball flash- Don't try to run a 5 ball flash from the beginning, try a flash, so you will get good at catching and realeasing 5 balls. If you want a good run, the release is the key, when doing any trick. If the release is good, you will have a good run.

5. 3 Ball Hand Clap- Try to throw 3 balls up high, clap your hands, then start juggling 3 normally. I couldnt do this until after i could juggle 5 balls, S]so, if this doesnt work for you, forget it, but concentrate on the first 4.

NOTE: If you know about site swaps, dont use them for practice, I think they are harder than the actuall number. For instance, 55550, Which is 5 balls with a hole in it, I couldnt go more than 10 cathces with it until i got 5 solid, and even now, I dont think I have gotten it above 50.

There is not much more advice that I can give exept for problem solving. Try to analyze your pattern, and you will see your mistakes. Exaggerate the correction, and it will come eventually, with practice. The more you want it, The faster it will come.

1. How the hell do I hold 3 balls in one hand?

First, hold 2 like you normally do in your right hand, then put the 3rd directly on top of the ball that would normally be thrown first. put your thumb on top of the 3rd ball, you will have to stretch. When you realease, lift your thumb up, and throw the 3rd ball, then the one under it, and then the last, simple, huh?

2. I know we have been through this before, but when I try to flash, none of the balls go to the same height, how can I fix this?

Well, you just have to practice more if none of the balls go to the desired height, but if just one is off, i can halp you a little bit. Concentrate on the ball that is going off, forget about catching the others, just make sure that ball goes up. If you can throw it that high when it is alone, than you can do it in a 5 ball pattern. Also, take the pattern higher, it will give your hand more time. There is a small chance that your hand isn't fast enough to throw the ball. This will happen more with 7. Usually all I can say is practice, so don't get mad at me.

3. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get to 100 catches with 5, also, my runs are rather inconsistent, my average run is only about 1/3 to 1/4 of my record. What should I do?

This happens to about everone that learns 5 balls. The problem is that you dont have a good enough base. Try this: Flash 5 balls in a good pattern. then flash it agian. Do this 10 times in a row, perfectly, with no drops in between. If you drop you have to start over, so don't drop on the 10th try or you will be pretty pissed off. After you flash it 10 times in a row, add 2 throws . So then try for 7 catches 10 times in a row...etc then 9 catches... This will make the foundation of your pattern stronger. After a while try to run 5 balls, your average runs should be way more consistent. Make sure you do this everyday and make sure it is a normal part of your practice. This technique can by applied to all types of objects, numbers, and tricks.