They are fantastic. I love mine to bits, but they definitely are different handling wise than balls.
They aren't going to hold on to you very much, so they are a 2 hander animal from the time they are juvies to full adulthood. Mine is still very small, and I lay her across my arm close to my body when carrying her.
Very terrestrial, I find that mine doesn't know the meaning of being 'up'. Great lap snakes, not great walking around with them holding on snakes.