Have you ever seen someone in the classroom or office so skilled that they spin a pen in their fingers? Have you ever wondered how you could do this simple game too? The steps are simple, but it takes some practice. With practice, you too will be able to swing a pen between your fingers and leave people impressed! Start now, don't waste time.
Steps
Step 1. Hold the pen between your index, middle and thumb
Use the hand you feel most confident with - your index and middle fingers should be a little apart, roughly the width of your thumb. In other words, if the pen wasn't there, your thumb should be able to fit between the other two fingers.
There are several interpretations as to which part of the pen should be grabbed. Some prefer the central part (near the center of gravity), others prefer the final part. It's up to you, you can pick the spot by experimenting a little
Step 2. With your middle finger, press as if you were pulling a trigger
The middle finger generates the greatest rotational force. Grasping the pen as in the previous point (between index, middle finger and thumb), give your middle finger a flick inward, just as if you were pulling the trigger on a gun. Ideally, this action should cause the pen to start spinning around the thumb. If you fail, start over, trying to better study your grip and how to improve it. Keep in mind that if your middle finger and thumb are too close together, your effect is inwards and not around the thumb.
It is difficult to calibrate well the force to be applied with the middle finger: if you put too much, the pen will fly away; but if you give little, the pen will not even make a full circle around the thumb. It takes practice. You will see that over time you will understand how much intensity you need to use
Step 3. Move your wrist to help you give a trajectory that is around the thumb
Beginners usually have problems right from the start. Often, the greatest difficulty is just doing a full circle around the thumb. To facilitate this, try turning your wrist as soon as you push with your middle finger; slowly, as if you were turning the doorknob. It is a movement that gives a greater motion to the pen and, moreover, allows to avoid that the fingers hinder the rotation of the pen itself.
Step 4. Do not leave your fingers in the middle of the movement of the pen
Already during the first tests, immediately learn to control the position of your fingers during the rotation, just after giving the tap that originates it. It is quite common not to notice it, but then it becomes inevitable to hinder the trajectory of the pen, with the index or middle finger. There are several techniques to prevent this from happening; we report two:
- After the initial push, bring your index and middle fingers in so they are under the thumb joint. The pen should rotate around the thumb while resting on top of the other two fingers.
- Fold your middle finger inwards and, at the same time, stretch your index finger outwards. In practice, the phalanx of the middle finger should rest on the base of the thumb, and the index finger should be out of the way.
Step 5. Pick up the pen
The most striking part of this rotation is not so much the fact that the pen turns on itself, but that you are able to grab it in the same point and give it a subsequent push, and then another and so on. Since you have learned how to control the first vault, then practice how to pick up the pen by "catching" even the viewer. After the first turn, tilt the rotation slightly towards the middle finger; as soon as there is contact with this finger, use your thumb and index finger to support the pen.
Step 6. Practice a lot
When you start you will feel clumsy and clumsy without a shadow of a doubt, but as with many other activities that require manual dexterity (such as riding a bicycle or doing a sleight of hand), over time, the movements to be done will be absolutely natural and you will have difficulty … make a mistake! Try different types of grips, techniques and angles, only then will you find the perfect combination.
As soon as you can master this game with the most comfortable and safest hand, try the other
Advice
- Remember not to apply too much force to keep the pen from flying off.
- During the turn, the center of gravity point of the pen should correspond to the center of the thumb.
- If the weight of the pen is not distributed over its entire length, grab it where it is heaviest.
- The pen should be in constant contact with the thumb, between the nail and the joint. If it touches the joint, it means you are not bending your middle finger fast enough; if it touches the nail, you are not holding the pen correctly (it should start in the center of the thumb, with the bottom of the pen at the base of the nail, then as it turns it will lose its position a bit).
- It helps to think that the push is a ROTATION around the base of the thumb.
- Start practicing with a long pen or pencil and then try a shorter one.
- If you just can't learn, make sure your thumb is flat and check its tilt well.
- When you start the rotation, after giving the tap, try to move your thumb, so that it comes off the hand. The pen will thus have more space to fall when it finishes its round.
- The longer the pen, or pencil, the better.
- When you get the hang of this trick, try spinning the pen the other way! Find the instructions here [1]
Warnings
- Be careful not to hit anyone's eyes.
- A pencil without a lead is ideal for not getting hurt.
- When you bend your middle finger, don't put too much force into it. It only takes a moment to make the pen fly through the air.
- Make sure you don't use a sharp pencil!
