Bounce juggling.

peterbone - 2015-02-06 10:15:35 UTC - Parent #

Yes, a sheet of stone of some kind is common. Max oddball has one in his Brighton shop for demonstrations. Anything that won't absorb energy so that all energy is returned to the ball. Something flat and hard that won't bend. The slate normally used for pool/snooker tables might be good.

ejwysz - 2015-02-06 10:24:14 UTC - Parent #

So, Home Depot will fix me up? And am I on the right track with the balls?

peterbone - 2015-02-06 10:27:16 UTC - Parent #

I've not used lacrosse balls. All I know is that Bobby May used them, so they're probably ok. In the UK we have cheap bounce balls made of rubber. Like these.
https://www.oddballs.co.uk/oddballs-bouncing-ball-p-3123.html

Cedric Lackpot - 2015-02-06 13:23:59 UTC - Parent #

You'll find much greater amounts of seconds at kitchen worktop suppliers. Unfortunately it will still be eye-wateringly expensive. Marble, granite, and the like are just plain expensive, especially for the rather large pieces that are ideal for bouncing. And synthetic alternatives aren't cheap either.

For a beginner you will need :-

1.  Mass - the heavier the better is a good rule of thumb.
2. Mechanical coupling - even a heavy, solid object needs to rest against something heavy and solid. Do *not* place your bounce slab on a water bed.
3. Flatness - as a beginner, you will find a perfectly flat, true surface more useful than one with better bounce, because your bounces will be true.
4. Solidity - how bloody hard and obdurate the thing is - the harder the surface, the greater the percentage of kinetic energy it returns to the ball, and therefore the better the bounce.
5. Smoothness - old paving slabs are ideal ... except they eat sillies for breakfast because they are so abrasive.

So, for someone who already said they can't afford sillies and is willing to compromise (and is prepared to have a practice slab which will never, ever move) you could try finding an old 3'x2' council paving slab and coating it with something - Hammerite, a thin layer of self-levelling compound, whatever, just so long as it is really well bonded to the slab, and remains flat. Some of those bastards weigh 70kg or more though.

Little Paul - 2015-02-06 18:50:24 UTC - Parent #

For not a huge amount of money, you can now buy very large ceramic tiles (18" square) On their own they're not much use as they're too thin, however they would be fine if bonded to a concrete paving slab

jamesfrancis - 2015-02-06 19:02:07 UTC - Parent #

I managed to find a pretty cheap patio slab that was pretty good from my local B&Q hardware shop. Most of them were rubbish as the surface wasn't smooth and some of them were a bit too soft to get any decent bounce, but eventually I got one that was pretty good (if a little noisy) so long as you could find a flat surface to place it on.

The looks from the staff as I got the slabs out one by one and bounced rubber balls on them was rather interesting!

Anonymous - 2015-02-07 19:45:56 UTC - Parent #

I would recommend lacrosse balls on concrete sidewalk to get started quick and cheap.  If there is grass or sand around, it will catch errant balls.  Moving up from there, Play G-Force balls from Renegade have better rebound to facilitate bounce juggling.  Medium density fiber board or porcelain are not too expensive.  Polished concrete garage floors are nice too.  Bouncing inside never worked for me.  It is loud and carpets wreck rebound.  For top quality and price there is silicone and marble.  Play around with it, let us know how it goes.

ejwysz - 2015-02-07 07:12:12 UTC - Parent #

Thanks for the help everyone - this is a wealth of information. I much appreciate it you guys!