Pencil Spinning 101

What?


Pencil spinning?
Pencil spinning is the act of spinning your pencil in your hand. Although called Pencil Spinning, pencils are not the only writing instrument that can be spun. Pens, Erasers, Glue sticks, remotes, chocolate bars, and much anything that has a certain length and thickness (totally depending upon the size of your hand) can be spun.

Why?
I don't know why I'm writing this section, but this is something I'd like to share. I started spinning my pencil in grade 8 during math class and eventually all my classes. It became a 'hobby' I guess you can call it and has become something I do involuntarily to pass the time and keep my brain thinking. No matter what reason you have for wanting to learn how to spin your pencil (be it to pass the time, show off for your friends, impress no-names on the public transit, or just to distract your mind when you find out you just don't know the answer on a really hard final exam) it's still something to do. I don't think I'm an expert at this, as I still am learning how to do more and more spins, but I feel that I have something to say about this.

Who this is for:
This article was written with the intention of informing people who want to learn how to spin a pencil in their hand. Readers who already know how to Pencil Spin may also want to read further on to find out more ways and tricks to spin pencils. Perhaps there is a spin that you haven't seen, have trouble performing, or don't know how to do. All in all, anybody who has nothing better to do other than read boring articles on mundane topics may want to spend their time here as well. At least it's more fun than trying not to think about llamas.

Instruments of Spinnage


What do I need?
To perform basic pencil spinning, the only instruments needed are a hand (hopefully your own), and a pencil. Other instruments may be used (though your hand is usually one of the set requirements). The pencil you choose to spin usually depends on personal taste, how comfortable you feel holding the pencil, the weight of the pencil, the length, and whether there's any gum stuck on it. Try to choose a pencil that isn't too thick, nor too short. Longer pencils are easier to spin than shorter ones and heavier well balanced pencils better than feather light end weighted ones. If you don't have a pencil, here are some possible substitutions:

Things I advise against using for Pencil Spinning:

In any case, try to use your own judgment in whether or not you will be able to safely spin an object before you do. Safety of yourself (above all), others around you (above all but your own safety), and the safety of physical objects around you (above the rest not listed here) should be your primary concerns. Don't say I didn't warn you, because I did.

Setup


Location:
It is best to learn how to spin your pencil when you don't have anything else to think about. Distractions such as (but not limited to) your boss at work, professors, parents, sexy people of the opposite sex, large carnivorous animals, cars or any other vehicles coming straight at you, raving lunatics wielding flaming chain saws, dangerous limb chopping machinery, flammable or corrosive chemical spills, and pesky insects should be kept away from. Again, use your own good judgment as to whether the environments is a calm one where you can concentrate on spinning your pencil or not. Good environments include in bed (depending on how clean the object is that you're spinning), while watching TV, in class when the teacher doesn't care what you're doing, or isn't there, outside on a sunny day, and/or while in public transit (although when/if you drop your pencil it'll be difficult to retrieve it without big movements).

State of mind:
The first thing to do (after you've acquired your instrument of spinnage) is to put yourself into a state of mind. Nobody ever saw a person spin their pencil while shouting "I can't do this! I can't do this!". It is best to learn how to spin your pencil when you are in a calm state of mind. Small things such as music or TV may be nice to have at the same time for 2 reasons: When you're fingers get tired of spinning your pencil, you can rest and catch a show or something, and 2, when people see you sitting there, they'll think you're watching TV or listening to music, and not think that you're an idiot for practicing such ludicrous actions (not that it's ludicrous to do so).
The old saying "I think I can I think I can" works well with this, although you might come up with your own. Various mentalities have been witnessed, such as "Jean can do this! So why can't I?!?!" (replace Jean with any other name) or "I can't be respected if I don't spin this pencil!!!". Whatever mentality you come up with to try to conquer pencil spinning, make sure it's a good one.

Which hand to use?
Hopefully you have two hands. My regrets to those out there who have one or none as I wish you weren't/hadn't been struck with this tragic impediment. For those of us who have 3 or more hands, WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?!?
Usually it is best to try to learn how to spin your pencil with your writing hand. As that hand has had more practice at being controlled precisely than your other hand. Later on, if you want, you can try to conquer the savage that is your other hand, and train it to be more useful. For me, I learnt to spin on my pencil with my right hand (as I am right handed), and now I'm trying to learn with my left.

Where to Start


Where to Start:
Of all the people that I've spin to about pencil spinning, no particular spin has become apparent as the best beginner's spin. However, certain spins are obviously more complicated than otherse. Because of this, I cannot tell you which spin is best to learn first and so on, but here are some suggestions anyway.
The three main spins that seem to be the most popular starters are the Simple Thumb Spin, the Four Finger Loop, and the Gyrating Twirl. These three spins are usually the starters due to their simplicity, not only in balance, but in speed. The faster your fingers have to move to perform a spin, the more difficult it is to learn/master that spin (I was going to say something here but I forgot what). The balance, on the other hand (no not 'your' hand) depends on multiple factors. Each and every pencil spin relies on the balance of the pencil, but different spins require more or less precision where you hold or touch the pencil to maintain that balance. Some spins such as the Simple Thumb Spin allow you to hold the pencil almost anywhere in a range close to half the pencil, while others like the Infinity Loop require that you hold the pencil withing 1 centimeter of the tip.

Order?
For order's sake, I'm going to go through the spins in the order that I learnt them in. The order is just a suggestion but if you feel that the spin is too difficult, try another one and maybe it'll be easier for you. Then again, maybe it won't and you'll end up missing an eye, but who's to say eh?

Note: I'm giving the spins names because I have to be able to refer to them somehow. In fact, I have never heard of a pencil spin being named at all so this could be a first hehe.

The Four Finger Loop
 

Description:
This loop involves using your index, middle, fourth, and pinkie fingers. The thumb can be used to help start eh spin and later on to maintain a steady rate, but usually after learning this spin well enough, the use of the thumb becomes minimal at most.

Uses:
This spin can be used to strengthen the control of your four fingers. Usually the pinkie is the weakest and the fourth finger has little to no precise control. This spin can help you gain control for future spins (as you will surely need it). It's also quite simple and a good place to start.

Crowd effect:
With practice, this spin (with the use of a shiny pencil) can yield dazzling shiny reflecting whir’s of light around your fingers with minimal effort. Hey, they even used a 3 finger variant of this spin in James Bond: Goldeneye (remember the computer guy who spun the exploding pencil?).

Note: The three finger variant of this spin yields less effect and results in the place where you hold your pencil to move upwards or downwards on along the shaft of the pencil until you run out of pencil (eek!). Not good for long continuos spins. No. Not good at all.

How:
To start the spin, put the pencil (doesn't really matter which end for this spin) in between your thumb and your semi-curled up index finger so that the thumb is pointed along the shaft of the pencil and the index finger's middle bone is supplying the support on the other side. The other three fingers (middle finger, fourth, and pinkie) should be extended because shortly after the start of the spin you'll be needing these.

Slowly allow your index finger to curl a bit more towards the palm of your hand and your thumb to push the pencil so that it wraps around the index finger. The longer end of the pencil should be pointed towards the bottom of your hand by now.

At this moment, use your middle finger to wrap around the pencil. Your thumb should let go of the pencil causing the pencil to arrive in a state between the index and middle fingers.

Your index finger should now start to extend while your middle finger still curls up causing the pencil to rotate with its center of rotation being a point in between the index and middle fingers.

The pencil should now be in a position where it's resting on the top of your middle finger. Your fourth finger should now curl up wrapping over the pencil causing it to wrap around the middle finger and become pinned between your middle and fourth fingers (the pencil, not your finger). Meanwhile, your index finger should extend (allowing the pencil to move) and then slightly curl up into the palm of your hand (not too much). The reason for this will become apparent after the next part.

For some, this next part will be the most difficult of this spin because of the general weakness of your pinkie finger. The pinkie finger should now curl over the pencil while your middle finger lets go, causing the pencil to wrap around your fourth finger and become pinned between your fourth and pinkie fingers. Without stopping, your pinkie finger should curl and move slightly towards your thumb while your fourth finger rises above the pinkie finger and moves downwards. This will cause the pencil to wrap around the fourth finger and stick upwards in the palm of your hand.

Your index finger (which should now be under the pencil because you curled it up before) should now extend locking the pencil in a position with the index an pinkie fingers under, and the middle and fourth fingers on top. This part of the spin is usually the longest (in time) to perform because the pinkie usually doesn't have enough power to move the pencil in a large swoop at a fast enough speed.

The pinkie should now curl all the way while the index finger extends outwards causing the pencil to spin and become locked between the index and middle fingers (back where we started after the thumb thing).

At this moment, the entire loop can be started all over again. Some tricks to keep in mind are that not all fingers are made the same. As such, try to find the best place on your fingers where you can control the pencil and it won't fly out of your hand. Most people who find this trick difficult hold the pencil a bit too close to the inside of their hand, or too far out (near the tips of their fingers). Try to keep the pencil just under the last knuckle of your finger.

Variations:
There aren't any variations really to this spin other than doing it backwards (rolling on top of your fingers from the pinkie to the index).

The Simple Thumb Spin


Description:
This spin involves using the thumb as a pivot for the pencil to wrap around 360 degrees and arrive in between your thumb and your index finger. In all cases, the thumb must be used as the pivot while any other finger can be used to initiate the spin and or catch the pencil. Most people use the index finger with the third finger to initiate the spin, and then catch the pencil with the thumb and the index finger. Many variations are available and will be discussed later.

Uses:
This spin is the first part of the Back Forth Thumb Spin and is also a very easy spin to learn to get used to balance and timing. This spin is also very easy to incorporate into combinations of spins as the pencil starts and stops in a simple position.

Crowd effect:
This spin being quite possibly the most common of them all usually generates very little effect. As it isn't continuos and most everybody with little practice can get this spin to work for them. Later on, however, when this spin is incorporated into the Back Forth Thumb Spin, the effect it has (that spin being a continuos one) becomes more apparent. Complexity isn't very high for this one.

How:
To start the spin, hold the pencil with your thumb on one side, and your index and middle fingers on the other. Use the tips of your fingers to hold the pencil. This spin is more dependent on the weight of the pencil than the last spin as you need the heavier end of the pencil to pull the rest of the pencil around your thumb. For most pencils, hold the pencil about 1/4th of the way down from the top. With the longer end pointing down your hand.

Using your middle finger, push the pencil towards you while extending your index finger. The motion for the middle finger is almost exactly the same as that for snapping your fingers, except that your middle finger should stop moving once the tip of the finger reaches the middle joint of your thumb. There it should stop as it makes catching the pencil easier see.

It is important that you do not move your thumb as doing so in a frantic manner could send your pencil (or whatever you're spinning) into the air and possibly poke an eye out). The speed that you spin the pencil at doesn't really make a difference other than the fact that it looks a bit better when faster. People learning this spin should start out slowly (just not too slow that the pencil falls before it wraps around your thumb). Also, the index finger doesn't have to be used to create the velocity in the pencil. The middle finger should be able to give it the speed needed by itself.

The longer part of the pencil should have enough velocity to keep turning around your thumb. At this moment, timing is quite important as your index finger, which should be fully extended should come back and connect with the thumb (the tips of your thumb and index finger should touch). The timing should be so that the pencil will have enough time to make a turn around the thumb and rest on your middle finger (which becomes a small temporary support for the penci) just as the the index and thumb connect together to hold the pencil in place.

Tips and tricks to make this spin a bit easier:
Finding a well balanced pencil will make your life a lot easier. A long stick is also very good for learning as it will spin slower and allow you to position your fingers and thumb a lot easier. As stated earlier, the main focus of your thumb is to act as the pivot. Very little movement on the part of the thumb is needed. The index finger should be used only to hold the pencil in place at the beginning and to catch the pencil after the spin. Basically the ONLY moving parts in the spin are the middle and index fingers. Moving your hand (in an attempt to make the pencil move better) will just cause the pencil to fall.

Variations:
Many variations to this spin exist. Here are some and their descriptions:

·  Single Finger Thumb Spin: This spin uses only one finger (index, middle, fourth, or pinky), along with the thumb, to hold the pencil in place in the beginning. To catch the pencil, the same finger (and only that finger) that held it in place is used again along with the thumb. The easiest finger to use for this trick is the index finger.

·  Thumb Spins with more than one turn: Many people claim to be able to spin the pencil so that it will turn multiple times before being caught with the index and thumb. These spins reduce control and accuracy for speed in the hope for the pencil to spin more than once and land in the same place. In the end, these variations lose so much control that the ability to perform it reliably and on cue becomes close to null. Many an eye have been lost to this one folks.

The Three-Two Jump

 

Description:
This is probably one of the most satisfying spin to conquer. The control needed for this spin incorporates a great deal of balance, position, and timing. The pencil starts out in between the middle and fourth fingers, and then spins around the middle finger to land in between the middle and index fingers.

Uses:
Other than increasing balance, control, and timing, this spin only serves to allow the creation of many combinations as it virtually is the opposite of the Four Finger Loop (This one makes the pencil go up over the fingers while the Four Finger Loop makes the pencil go down over the fingers).

Crowd effect:
This spin is easily the spin with the most effect as it also is probably the second hardest spin to master. The spin is easy to set up (once you're used to it), and easy to recover from to make another go at it (after you're done) making multiple repetitions not that difficult to accomplish. Later on, I'll show you how to incorporate it with other spins to get rid of the setup/recovery delay.

How:
Start out with the pencil resting between the middle bones of the third and fourth fingers pinned just a bit below the middle of the pencil with the slightly longer end sticking up out of the top of your hand (resting on the flesh in between your thumb and index fingers. The third fourth (and fifth?) fingers should be curled slightly to bring the pencil a bit closer to your palm and it also gives a bit more control/space to move around.

It is best to leave your index finger a bit straight as it will also direct the pencil in the first half of the spin and make it easier to catch the pencil at the end of the spin.

Slowly, extend and move your fourth finger above the third finger. The pencil should move from it's resting position in between the thumb and index, and the tip of the pencil should wrap around the middle finger and up to where it should hit your index finger, causing the direction of rotation to shift 90 degrees to be parallel with the face of your hand. The tip of the pencil should hit the index which was slightly raised, and follow the index down towards your knuckle. At the same time, the other end of the pencil should be above the middle finger by now and it should all rotate with a pivot above the middle joint of the middle finger.

The pencil should keep on spinning and the top of the pencil should come into place where your index finger rises above the middle finger as was described in figure 7.2. Your index finger should come down locking the pencil in place in its final position.

This entire spin basically relies on how well you set it up and start it going. Once moving, the pencil should guide itself to be caught by your index finger.

Variations:

·  The Four-Three Jump: The spin, with practice, can also be successfully performed from between the pinkie and fourth fingers, jumping up to the position between the fourth and third fingers. This variation is a bit harder as usually the pencil isn't long enough to reach up to rest on the base of the thumb so the entire pencil must be held by the fourth and pinky fingers. Interestingly enough, the final position of the pencil is also the initial position for the Three-Two Jump making a Four-Three to Three-Two Jump Combination easy.

·  The Two-Thumb Jump: This spin is probably the most difficult variation of the Three-Two Jump as the only finger left to catch the pencil at the end is the thumb which usually doesn't have enough leverage to catch it. The pencil usually ends up resting in the well of your hand supported by the side of your thumb and the side of your index finger. The most difficult aspect of this variation is the fact that the pencil's speed must be kept at a certain level or the pencil will pop out of your hand/control.

The Thumb Snap

 
Description:
This spin causes the pencil to be snapped into the air straight up, and then land on your unmoved hand in the same place as where it started. This is probably the most difficult spin to master/accomplish as it relies heavily on where you apply pressure, how much you apply this pressure, and on the type/make of pencil you are using. Wooden pencils (pencil crayons and regular wood barreled pencils) make for the best control as they have a high flexibility and won't spin as fast as would a plastic or metal pencil.

Warning:
This trick should be performed only with full one piece bodied pencils. Pencils made from two pieces (plastic or otherwise) joined in the middle should be avoided at all times. I have lost two Staedler Retro 1st Gen Retractable Tip Mechanical pencils (one 0.7 mm the other 0.5mm), 1 Fisher Metal Barreled Twist Top Pen, and a Generic Plastic Multicolor Pen to this trick. If your pencil doesn't seem sturdy, then don't use it.

Uses:
None really. This trick at most is only a practice exercise at thumb control in applying pressure and position. The limitation on the types of pencils that you can use for this trick also makes it difficult to perform this trick most of the time.

Crowd effect:
This trick is up there on the list of spins generating the most effect as people usually don't expect a pencil to pop in the air a few feet while rotating, and then land straight back in your hand in the initial (or quite possibly reversed) direction. I guess it generates big effect also due to its difficulty to perform.

How:
Place the pencil so that the tip of the pencil rests on the side of your middle finger, and the other end on the well of your hand. Your second finger should be extended (as this will facilitate the catching of the pencil), and your thumb on top of the pencil pinning it in place. This position is also usually very comfortable in holding the pencil as it is very close to the same way you hold a pencil to write (well not really but it's close to how -I- write hehe).

With the utmost of care, apply pressure on the top of the pencil with your thumb. DON'T CRACK THE PENCIL as that would be bad (since you not only lose a pencil, but look stupid). If you think you're going to break the pencil, let go and try again in a different place. Experimentation should be used to figure out how much pressure you want to apply to that type of pencil. (Quick hops by apply a little pressure with your thumb and then rolling it off the pencil are a great way to find out how much pressure you want to apply for the real trick). When you're ready, roll your thumb off the pencil to the side so that nothing is holding the pencil down anymore.

Your middle finger should have remained stiff during all of this, and the pencil should now pop up into the air (spinning of course). The amount of pressure you applied determines the height at which the pencil will achieve and how many times it will spin before landing back in your hand.

Your hand should remain in the same position (with the well of your hand on top) and the pencil SHOULD come down straight into it. With practice, this could happen, but usually a little adjustment in the whereabouts of your hand will have to be made to make sure the pencil doesn't miss the landing pad and hit the ground.

Variations:
None really. The only variations that you can do on this trick are usually how high and how many spins you can do in the air while maintaining 100% control (yes it can be done). I've seen this trick be performed with the pencil flying several feet into the air without any hand adjustments.

The Reverse Thumb Spin
 

Description:
As the name implies, this trick is basically the reverse of the Simple Thumb Spin causing the pencil to spin around the thumb again to be caught by the second and third fingers. This spin however is a bit more difficult as the catch isn't done by a finger wrapping around the top of the pencil but by a finger positioned to let the pencil rest on it. It's also a bit more difficult to get the pencil to wrap around the thumb this way because the force applied to the pencil doesn't naturally make the pencil wrap around the pencil unless you do it in a certain way.

Uses:
This trick is useful for making a combination with the Simple Thumb Spin. Doing so allows you to get rid of the setup/recovery time for both spins.

Crowd effect:
This spin alone creates little effect but added with the Simple Thumb Spin, this spin can create a nice continuous movement which will impress viewers with its seemingly impossible movement (wrapping around the thumb by itself).

How:
Position your hand such that the middle, fourth, and pinkie finger tips touch each other, along with the tip of your thumb on top of the middle finger. You should have a sort of circle now. Curl your index finger such that the tip of your finger rests on top of the middle knuckle of your middle finger. Make sure your thumb is pretty much straight (as a crooked thumb makes for more difficult spinning). Place the pencil such that the tip of the pencil is 1 centimeter down from the tip of your thumb and the body rests against the tip of your index and on top of the first bone of your index. A little adjustment on your part must be made so that the pencil fits nicely and correctly as balance will play a part in this spin.

This part can be done in two ways (as there are two ways to do it). The first way (and the way I usually do it) is to push the pencil by moving the index finger so that the tip moves perpendicular to the pencil. The second way, is to sort of scratch the pencil with your index finger. This is done by curling your index finger even more (more so than it is now) and allowing the tip of your finger to move along the pencil pushing it away from the resting position on your index finger's first bone.

The pencil SHOULD wrap around the thumb (considering that your thumb was positioned correctly). To catch the pencil, your three fingers (middle, fourth, and pinkie) should extend slightly (rise to the occasion) and then as the pencil hits them, give way a bit (absorb the force of the pencil being stopped). You can get away with not absorbing the force if you want to but doing so gives you more control in stopping the pencil.

Your pinkie actually doesn’t really give any support to the pencil (unless the pencil is moving slow enough that it's going to fall) but gives support to the fourth finger. In fact, you can perform this trick successfully using only the thumb, index, and middle finger, but more fingers isn't necessarily bad :-).

The pencil should now be in the resting spot, held there by the thumb, middle finger, and gravity. Because of this gravity bit, you can't really perform this trick upside down :-).

Variations:
There are no variations to this spin. Only combo's but they will be described in the combo section.

The Half Spin
 

Description:
This spin uses the thumb as the pivot for rotation, but, unlike the Simple Thumb Spin, it doesn't rotate around the thumb, but on top of the joint. Difficult for some, easy for others.

Uses:
Not really useful at all unless you're using a regular wooden pencil and want to erase something (then it becomes really useful because the starting and ending positions are the same, and very close to the position where you hold your pencil.

Crowd effect:
You won't really impress the masses with this spin. It looks kind of weak against the full Simple Thumb Spin, but it IS pretty funny to watch. Don't expect a standing ovation for pulling this one off in the bus though :-).

How:
Start out by holding the pencil with one end resting on the side just above the last joint of your middle finger and the other end on the well of your hand. This position is much like that from the Thumb Snap (if you read that part first).

Lower your thumb so that the top of your thumb is a bit lower than half of the pencil. Using your index finger, push the tip of the pencil (the part resting on the middle finger towards you. The pencil SHOULD go onto the thumb and then spin around, eventually landing in the well again (just half turned). Speed isn't everything in this spin as you can do it slowly if you wanted. Also, the shape of your thumb may affect your ability to spin the pencil in this way. Experimentation again plays a big part in finding out what the best way for you to spin your pencil is.

While the pencil is spinning, it is safer to widen the gap between your index finger and thumb. This will give more stability to the pencil and as you close the gap after the pencil is perpendicular to your arm, the pencil will fall back into place more naturally.

Variations:
There aren't many variations for this spin actually... in fact.. I don't think there are any. Hmm... ok... well uhh I guess that's it for this one... (kind of a let down isn't it?)

The Straight Up Flip

 
Description:
This spin looks somewhat like the Three-Two jump but is performed differently. I think this one is actually harder to do really (your mileage may vary). This is due to the lack of space available in the palm of your hand. Pencils that are too large won't have enough room to flip, while pencils that are too small won't have enough contact with your hand to flip correclty (and could wind up spinning madly out of control into the air a few feet in front of you).

Uses:
None really unless you find yourself in the position of holding your pencil in between your third and fourth fingers and want to move it to between your third and second fingers.

Crowd effect:
This trick generates a bit less crowd effect than the Three-Two Jump but mostly because the Three-Two jump moves a bit more than this one and generates more of a blur.

How:
Start out holding your pencil such that the tip is pointed down wards and is held in place between your third and fourth fingers on the middle bone. The third and fourth fingers should be curled up so that their middle bones are perpendicular to the pencil shaft. Your index finger should be extended straight out (well not REALLY straight, just pretty straight) so as not to accidently touch the pencil in mid flight (did I say flight? I meant flip...) The other end (eraser side) should be resting on the well of your hand.

Pull your third finger towards you (curl it up more), and extend your fourth finger. The end of the pencil with the tip should come up over your third finger pulling the end with it. The tip should miss hitting your hand (at all) and as the end comes up over your middle finger, your index and thumb should catch it. Timing isn't THAT important (it still is) for the catch as you can catch the pencil in two different positions (kind of lenient isn't it?). The first being with the thumb and the index catching the end of the pencil by closing up. This catch happens if you catch the pencil quickly (well quicker than the second option). The second option (and sometimes a lot easier) is to catch the pencil as it hits the well of your hand. You just have to move your thumb to make the well of your hand close up. However, sometimes the pencil doesn't make it to the well and you MUST catch it with your thumb and index, so basically try and hope either case works :-).

Variations:
The only working variant that I have been exposed to is flipping the pencil up from between the second and third finger. This flip is quite a bit more challenging for two reasons; The natural tendency for the pencil to NOT flip straight over your index finger (as your index finger doesn't line up with your middle due to its length), and the inability to use your index finger to help catch the pencil (you have to use the well of your hand and your thumb). I'm not saying it's impossible (because I've seen it done and can do it myself) but it is difficult. Flipping from between the fourth and pinkie is usually too difficult to perform as the pinkie doesn't have the strength and leverage to actually apply the force correctly and efficiently to the pencil resulting the inability to control the spin. As with all cases, use caution when experimenting or trying new tricks out.

The Infinity Loop


Origin:
 

Description:
This spin requires a more tactile approach to spinning. It doesn't rely on speed (as you can do it fast or slow) and it doesn't rely on the pencil shape (as you can do it with almost anything that doesn't weigh too much). It's quite fun to do too as it's simple and yet elegant.

Uses:
Very little to None... minus very little. I can't think of anything that this spin could be used for except for the shear joy of watching a pencil move in an extremely smooth double-circular motion. Quite calming actually.

Crowd effect:
Since this spin isn't very spectacular in terms of speed or flashiness, it won't generate a huge response. It does, however, offer you a calm continuos spin (as opposed to the mad rush the Four Finger Loop gives you). I use it when my hands are cold and unable to move much as it doesn't require very much movement to get it going.

How:
Begin by holding ONLY the pencil tip using your thumb and index finger. The rest of the pencil should be resting on the well of your hand but not pinned down. The tip of your index finger should be slightly above the pencil (you'll need the added leverage to help spin the pencil). Your middle finger should be giving support from the bottom (the pencil tip should be resting on the last joint). This added support also makes it so that the middle finger will be in position when needed.

Start the pencil moving by pushing down with your index finger. The pencil should pivot in between where your index and thumb are holding it (causing the end resting on the well of your hand to come up and over the rest of the pencil). When the entire pencil seems to have turned over and the eraser end is falling down over the outside of your fingers, slightly extend your middle finger to apply pressure just under where your thumb is holding the pencil. Make note not to apply TOO much pressure (you still want the pencil to be able to turn). This is where the difficulty comes in, keeping a tactile grip on the pencil allowing it to pivot, while making sure it won't fall to the ground.

Once the middle finger has applied enough pressure, it can take over for your thumb and you can release your thumb. The pencil should now be pinned between your middle and index fingers see. At this point, your want to slightly turn your hand inwards (your thumb moving down towards you) while keeping your index and middle fingers almost stiff. Make sure your thumb is lower than your third finger (almost touching the tip of your fourth finger would help) because you'll need it to be there later. This will cause the eraser end of the pencil to rise up (and as gravity would have it) start to fall down by pivoting on itself where you're holding it in between your middle and index fingers.

You should allow the pencil to make a 180 degree pivot, or just about. After doing so, the barrel of the pencil should be just above the side of your thumb. Raise your thumb and apply pressure to the bottom of the pencil it  (taking over from your middle finger). Once you've moved your thumb up against the pencil enough, the pencil should have moved sideways and be almost straight up being held (still at the tip) by your thumb and index finger.

We're now at the starting position for the loop again (assuming you did it right). Simplistically, the steps are: 1) Thumb and index 2) turn 3) pencil end falls down 4) Middle and index 5) turn 6) pencil end falls down. And it repeats. Once you've gotten the basic spin done, you can refine the spin so that the pencil seems to move extremely smoothly and not just "down, side, down, side... etc.".

Variations:

·  You can do this trick with the thumb, fourth, and middle finger replacing the index. It's a bit more tricky as your thumb has to reach down lower to get the pencil, but if you can do that a combo can be made using just variants of this trick. Combo's will be discussed later.

·  Again, if your pinkie is long/strong/controllable enough, you can use that too with the fourth and thumb to add yet another variant. In my best judgment, however, the pinkie is lacking in enough control to hold the pencil with just the right amount of force, making it extremely difficult to pull that variant off.

The Gyrating Twirl

 
Description:
This trick has the pencil being pinned in between the second and third fingers at the center of the barrel. By applying pressure to the pencil at certain times one side at a time, the ends of the pencil will then start tracing circles in the air. Doing the spin fast enough will make it look like the pencil is two cones sticking out of your hand (ok I'm exaggerating but that's what you can imagine it to be hehe). Anyway, this spin is less technical (meaning I have less to say about it) as it seems to be different slightly for everybody. Experimentation on how to get it to work for you (especially timing) is vital.

Uses:
None really but it's quite fun to do when you're bored. The pencil just moves continuously with very little effort (leaving those valuable brain cycles free to do actual work like playing free cell).

Crowd effect:
This spin generates an average amount of interest. I think it isn't as flashy because it's seemingly simple for the amount of timing and control you have to put it in. Also, a lot of people can do this spin with no problem so it doesn't seem very great, but to me it's still special.

How:
Start with the pencil pinned in between your index and middle finger in the middle. It should be resting between the middle bones of your fingers, pinned in the middle of the pencil (or near there).

Start the spin by moving your index finger inwards slightly pushing down on the pencil. The pencil end should start rotating downwards (the end on the inside of your hand). When it reaches the bottom, start to move your index finger outwards (pushing down on the other side of the pencil). The inner pencil end (i.e. the end of the pencil on the inside of your hand) should rotate upwards while the other end rotates downwards. Again, when the other end is at the bottom, move your index finger inwards again (hence the gyration).

Variations:
This trick seems to be able to be done in between all four of your fingers as long as you have the control and timing. Many people seem to find a preference in which fingers to use to do this trick and stick to it.

Spinning Up Combos


If you've mastered a few of the tricks described in this article, and want to get into the really neat stuff, then this page is for you. Performing a trick well is surely a great way to spend your time, but like all things, it gets boring. Solution? Combine different spins together to make long combinations of tricks. Since there are an infinite number of combo's that can be performed, and surely I don't know ALL of them, I'll describe some of my favorite ones.

These ones have no names and are only described by how many different spins are required.

4 Spin Combo
Spins needed: Three-Two Jump, Simple Thumb Spin (Index Finger Only Variation), The Four Finger Loop, Simple Thumb Spin (Middle Finger Only Variation with Middle Finger Catch)

Description: Start with the Three-Two Jump, then just as you catch it with your thumb and index finger, go into the Simple Thumb Spin (Index Only Variation) to set the pencil into position for the Four Finger Loop. When you're bringing the pencil back up from the Four Finger Loop, instead of pinning the pencil with your pinkie and index finger, use the pinkie and thumb so that you can use your middle finger to start the Simple Thumb Spin (Middle Finger Only Variation). Catch the pencil between your middle and fourth fingers instead and you'll be in position to restart the combo.

2 Spin Combo
Spins needed: Simple Thumb Spin, Reverse Thumb Spin

Description: This combo is very simple in that one spin is the reverse of the other. Just start with the Simple Thumb Spin and then catch the pencil in the position needed to start the Reverse Thumb Spin. When you catch the pencil for the Reverse Thumb Spin, use your middle finger and just do the Simple Thumb Spin (Middle Finger Only Variation) again. This combo loops VERY easily.

3 Spin Combo
Spins needed: The Four Finger Loop, Four-Three Jump (Three-Two Jump Variant), Three-Two Jump

Description: It doesn't matter really which spin you start out with but I usually like to start out at the bottom with the Four-Three Jump. When you catch the pencil from the Four-Three Jump, do the Three-Two Jump right away (bringing the pencil up to between your middle and index fingers. Once there, you can start the Four Finger Loop to bring the pencil back to down between your fourth and pinkie fingers. Once there, you're ready to begin the combo again.

5 Spin Combo
Spins needed: Gyrating Twirl (all three variations), Four-Three Jump (Three-Two Jump variant), Three-Two Jump

Description: Start with the Gyrating Twirl between your pinky and fourth fingers. You can do it for however long you want, but when you're ready, put the Five-Four Jump in there and get the pencil up to between the third and fourth fingers. Once there, keep the momentum going in the pencil by doing the Gyrating Twirl again between the third and fourth fingers. When you're ready, do the Three-Two Jump to get the pencil up to between the Third and Index fingers. Continue the momentum with the Gyrating Twirl again. This combo is limited by the fact that it isn't continuos, but it can be extended to take a long time :-).

2 Spin Combo
Spins needed: Four-Three Jump, The Straight Up Flip
Description: This spin is a really flashy combo that doesn't do much. You start out with the Four-Three Jump and go right into the Straight Up Flip with no pause. It makes the pencil jump up twice quickly while changing directions as well.

Here is list of which spins can be performed after a certain spin:

I'm not sure whether the list has all the possibilities but those are some of the more common ones.

Appendix A: Hand Reference


Here are some pictures describing what I refer to. Nothing much, just in case.

Description of what I mean by "The Outside" of the hand, and "The Inside" of the hand. Also where I call "The Well" of the hand.

Names of the fingers and where the "Middle Bone" is.

That's about it for now. I think that should be sufficient if at all needed.