Time it. Squash it. Give it weight.

The bouncing ball, one principle at a time. Pose the rigged ball in the 3D Viewport, key it, and shape its curves in the Graph Editor; move keys in time in the Timeline or the Dope Sheet, as in Blender.

STAGE

3D ViewportPose Mode

Controls Motion Path Ghosts Reference

LMB select control · G move · R rotate · I key · MMB orbit

Graph EditorF-CURVES

Wheel zoom · MMB pan · Home frame all

Frame Start End 24 fps · 0.00 s

LMBSelect / moveG IPose and key (3D)GMoveIInsert keyTInterpolationVHandle typeSpacePlayCtrlZUndo

SAME KEYS AS BLENDER

Shortcuts you can use here

Keys work in the editor under the mouse, just like in Blender: the same G moves a control in the 3D Viewport, keys in the Graph Editor and keys in time in the Timeline.

LMB · 3D: Select a rig control (Root, SS_Top, SS_Bottom). G moves it: the Root in X and Z (X / Z lock an axis), the squash & stretch controls up or down. Type a number for an exact value. I inserts a keyframe, AltG clears it
LMB · Timeline / Dope Sheet: Drag the numbers to change frame · click a keyframe to select it (Shift adds; on the Summary or a bone row it takes every channel) · drag it or press G to move it in time · ShiftD duplicates · drag on empty space to box-select · X deletes. Switch the editor with its Editor Type menu.
LMB · Graph: Select a keyframe or handle · Shift to add · drag to move · drag on empty space to box-select
G · X / Y: Move the selected keys; X only in time, Y only in value. Click or Enter to confirm, Esc to cancel.
A · AltA: Select all / none
I: Insert a keyframe on the active channel at the current frame
X · Delete: Delete the selected keyframes
T: Interpolation Mode: Constant, Linear, Bezier
V: Handle Type: Free, Aligned, Vector, Automatic, Auto Clamped
Home · Numpad .: Frame all / frame the selected keys
Space: Play / pause
← → · ↑ ↓: Previous / next frame · next / previous keyframe
Wheel · MMB: Zoom / pan the Graph Editor
CtrlZ: Undo · CtrlShiftZ redo

BACK IN BLENDER

The same bounce in Blender

This lab shows a simplified Blender: one object, a side camera and a few channels. The curves, handles and keys behave like Blender's F-curves.

Append the ball rig: a Root control at the base and two squash & stretch controls, SS_Top and SS_Bottom. Select it and switch to Pose Mode.
Open the Animation workspace. Pose the Root at frame 1 with G and key it with I; key the contacts and the tops. Move keys in time in the Timeline or the Dope Sheet.
In the Graph Editor, select all and press T › Bezier; select the contacts and press V › Vector.
Make every bounce lower and shorter. Turn on Motion Paths (Object properties) to see the spacing.
Use the rig's squash & stretch controls: the top one at the contacts (pivot at the base), the bottom one to stretch towards the floor. The rig keeps the volume.
Shape weight with the handles: long at the top for light objects, short and sharp for heavy ones.