Parker Adey | Why Do You Suck at Juggling?

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Why Do You Suck at Juggling?

This is an anecodote that I often think about.<br>It comes up for me a few times a week, whenever I feel really dumb or inept.<br>The story is about juggling but it is really about much more than juggling.

Before the Pandemic,<br>I would practice juggling at a gym.<br>There was a large room with a high ceiling and a mirrored wall.<br>It was a great spot to practice.<br>Sometimes, I&rsquo;d even film myself.

Often, when I was in, a fellow named Sebastian would drop off his two young sons there while he went to lift weights and swim.<br>The kids would goof around and build forts with foam mats.<br>I would casually do my own thing and juggle.<br>I was working on three ball stuff and mostly staying within my comfort zone.<br>There were drops, but not a lot, and I definitely looked like a juggler.

When the Pandemic hit, I decided to push myself.<br>I got interested in siteswaps and wanted to learn the five ball cascade1.<br>I started practicing outside on the lawn outside my place.<br>One day, Sebastian walks by and asks:<br>&ldquo;Hey? Are you that juggling guy from the gym? Yeah, why do you suck at juggling now?&rdquo;

This is so funny.<br>Of course, I looked like I sucked at juggling.<br>There were so many drops.<br>I spent more time bending over and chasing balls than I did juggling.<br>And so, obviously, I sucked at juggling now.<br>And yet, really, I was pushing my skill horizon harder than I had in years.<br>My juggling in the gym was well within my comfort zone.<br>It looked easy, even effortless.<br>The hard, skill-building, effortful juggling looked like it sucked.

So, maybe, if you&rsquo;re comfortable doing something.<br>Consider pushing yourself onwards.<br>Do another newer harder thing.<br>It&rsquo;ll look like you suck, there will be tonnes of drops, but you&rsquo;ll be making progress.

For the sake of context, I should note: The five ball cascade is<br>much harder than the standard patterns for three and four ball juggling.<br>It can take people years to get there. Check out these comments on<br>/r/juggling for a sense of how long it takes. ↩︎

Published: May 5, 2026 @ 16:31.

Last Modified: May 6, 2026 @ 16:36.

Tags

#juggle

#story

#advice

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