Tricks - Pen Spinning
If you have ever sat in a class or
been bored at work and started turning the pencil
between your fingers, then you have been pen spinning!
There are many tricks and combos (combinations) that
can be learned. This is a form of contact juggling,
as the object stays in contact with your body at all
times.
What do I need to do this?
PROPS: I recommend
a long unsharpened pencil (rather than a pen)! No
ink to spill out, no cap needing placed on top, no
horrible pen marks over your hands and no clip to
get in the way! A long pen/pencil is best for beginners,
as long objects are easier to manipulate.
If you use a pen, then choose one without
a clip. If you have a clip on your pen, the best way
to remove it is to bend the clip as far back as it
will go, then bend it the opposite way, and then bend
it back and forth till it breaks. You would then use
a nail file or something similar to smooth down the
edges.
You may want to experiment with different
weights of pen. If your pen begins to break as you
do any tricks, then be wary that the ink may go everywhere!
"Handy" Things to Know!
Each finger has a different name. If
you look at this picture, you will see that from
left-right, we have
 |
• THUMB
• INDEX FINGER (also known as a pointing
finger)
•
MIDDLE FINGER
• RING FINGER
•
PINKY |
Before starting any of the tricks mentioned
below, it is important to exercise your hand a little.
Just try flexing your hands from a fist to as far
a spread as you can manage a few times. This just
lets your fingers become a little more flexible!
So what other tricks are there?
| THUMB
AROUND |
The pen will do a complete
spin around the thumb.
1) The pen is held between
your middle finger and thumb (your index
finger just tries to stay out of the way
at the moment).
2) Push forward with your middle finger
and the pen should spin around your thumb.
3) Catch the pencil in the position you
started with.
Don’t try moving your
hand to try and get the spin working properly,
as it will take far longer to break out
of this bad habit! A common problem that
beginners have is that they instinctively
bend their thumb as soon as the pen leaves
the middle finger. It is important to keep
the thumb still.
|
| 23-charge |
This trick is so called because
it uses your second and third fingers (the
middle and ring finger). Pen spins around
the middle finger and ends up between the
middle and the index finger.
1) Begin with the pen between
your ring and middle fingers. Hold the end
of the pen with your thumb.
2) Push your middle finger forward and your
middle finger backwards at the same time.
This applies some pressure.
3) Release your thumb and try to get the
pen to do a full 360 degree spin.
|
| 23-12 Sonic |
A sonic starts the same way as the 23-charge
trick above, but as it gets half way around,
you pinch the index finger and ring finger together
while pushing the middle finger forward. This
causes the pen to remain in the same alignment,
but it jumps from in between the ring and middle
fingers to in between the index and middle fingers.
This is called a 23-12 sonic. |
Thanks to Tyson for his help
with the above tricks. Much appreciated!
What Next?
If you have learned/mastered all these
first two tricks, then there are still countless other
moves and combos to try out!
• balancing the pen on your hands
and other parts of your body,
• try throwing the pen in the air and then performing
a trick as you catch it.
• try spinning pens in both hands!
Pen Spinning is a form of Contact Juggling,
so why not try this other form of juggling? Please
note that if you throw the pen around during your
routine, then that is not considered contact juggling
though, as the pen would have to stay in contact with
a part of you at all times!
Please drop me an e-mail and let me
know if this page has helped you in your quest to
pen spin!
Further Information
For further information on pen spinning,
the best place to visit is the following link:
PSConclave (the Pen Spinning Wikipedia!)
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