Contact Balls
Contact Balls
Warning: These balls are solid metal, dense, and heavy. They will injure, damage, or break anything they drop on, including feet, pets, flooring, tables etc. Be very careful in using them, especially the larger/ heavier models. These are not a toy, and are not meant for children. They are best played seated and/ or over a cushioned area.
Contact balls have a long history, and have seen many reinventions over the years. You’ll see them marketed online under many different names, each with a different angle on their use, aesthetics, and potential benefits. In our characteristic style, AO2 is taking a clean minimalist approach to this classic item, with uncomplicated solid spheres. After contemplating the alternatives, we've decided to go with the name "contact balls" because it is both generic, and descriptive of their intended use.
The longest historical tradition of contact balls comes from China, where they are commonly referred to as jian shen qiu (translating roughly to exercise/ fitness balls). They can be found in innumerable styles, but always with a connection back to the promotion of health and manual dexterity. Heavier solid metal versions are also commonly found in sporting goods stores, often under the name gong fu qiu (kung fu balls), as they have long been used to develop hand, forearm, and finger strength among practitioners. Our contact balls extend this tradition. They are heavy and solid, and are intended for relatively simple manipulation in the hands and fingers, in the Chinese style, and are NOT meant for free flowing contact "juggling".
Aroundsquare's contact balls are available in five sizes, with options in five materials. The 30mm size is quite tiny in the hand, but still very playable. Note that the titanium 30mm size is quite light and requires some effort to gain momentum, but the heavier metals hold momentum fairly easily. The 35mm and 40mm sizes are quite small in the hand, and are probably best for beginners and those with small hands. The 50mm size is a comfortable size for most adults, and is quite versatile in that the balls are heavy enough to provide some resistance, while still being small enough to control with relative ease. The monstrous 70mm balls are very large and very heavy, and not recommended for beginners. Please understand that the pricing of these balls goes up almost exponentially at each increment, given the dramatic increase in material costs and associated challenges of machining and finishing the larger pieces.
Details as follows:
- 30mm titanium: ~63g per ball
- 30mm stainless steel: ~112g per ball
- 30mm brass: ~116g per ball
- 30mm copper: ~123g per ball
- 35mm zircuti: ~113g per ball
- 35mm titanium: ~100g per ball
- 35mm stainless steel: ~178g per ball
- 35mm brass: ~184g per ball
- 35mm copper: ~198g per ball
- 40mm titanium: ~150g per ball
- 40mm stainless steel: ~250g per ball
- 40mm brass: ~300g per ball (approximate)
- 40mm copper: ~320g per ball (approximate)
- 50mm titanium: ~300g per ball (approximate)
- 50mm stainless steel: ~500g per ball (approximate)
- 70mm stainless steel: ~1400g per ball (approximate)
Note: Please note that due to some unfortunate jostling during the shipping of the 70mm balls, all pieces have some slight but visible flattening on the otherwise smooth spherical surface. This is a cosmetic issue only, and the optical distortion on the polished surface will diminish as the balls are used over time. It does not affect the play, but the balls will be discounted slightly accordingly.
