Fidget spinners aren't just stress relief tools; they're also platforms for impressive manual dexterity and coordination. Learning spinner tricks adds a new dimension to your fidgeting experience and gives you skills to show off. This guide covers tricks from beginner-friendly basics to intermediate manoeuvres that will impress your friends.
Before You Begin
A few considerations will help you learn tricks more effectively and safely. First, practice in an open area where drops won't damage your spinner or injure bystanders. Second, start with a spinner you don't mind dropping, as learning tricks inevitably involves mishaps. Third, be patient with yourself and understand that mastering tricks takes time and practice.
Practice over soft surfaces like carpet or grass to protect your spinner from drops. Start slowly and focus on form before speed. Record yourself on video to identify areas for improvement. Most importantly, have fun and don't get frustrated with slow progress.
Beginner Tricks
These foundational tricks are accessible to most people with a little practice. They build skills and muscle memory that support more advanced techniques.
The Single Hand Spin
The most basic skill is spinning your fidget spinner with one hand, using only your fingers. Hold the centre between your thumb and middle finger, then use your index finger or ring finger to flick one of the arms. This seems simple but perfecting a smooth, powerful single-hand spin is the foundation for all other tricks.
Practice achieving consistent, strong spins from both hands. Being ambidextrous with basic spinning opens up more complex trick possibilities later.
The Finger Transfer
The finger transfer moves a spinning spinner from one finger to another on the same hand. Start with the spinner balanced on your index finger. Carefully slide it to your middle finger, then your ring finger, and back again. The key is smooth, controlled movement that maintains the spinner's balance.
Begin with the spinner stationary to understand the balance points, then attempt the transfer while spinning slowly. Increase speed as you gain confidence.
The Hand Transfer
This trick passes a spinning spinner from one hand to the other without stopping its rotation. Hold the spinner spinning on one finger, position your other hand beneath it, and smoothly lower the spinner onto a finger of the receiving hand. The motion should be fluid, almost like pouring water from one glass to another.
Start with your hands close together and gradually increase the distance as you become more comfortable with the technique.
- Master single-hand spinning with both hands
- Achieve consistent, powerful flicks
- Complete smooth finger transfers
- Execute clean hand-to-hand passes
Intermediate Tricks
Once you've mastered the basics, these intermediate tricks add flair and challenge to your spinner repertoire.
The Convertible
This trick flips the spinner from one side of your hand to the other while maintaining rotation. Start with the spinner on top of your finger, toss it slightly upward while rotating your hand 180 degrees, and catch the spinner on the underside of your finger. The visual effect is impressive, like your hand is passing through the spinning device.
Practice the hand rotation motion without the spinner first, visualising where the catch point will be. Then attempt with a slowly spinning spinner, gradually increasing speed as your timing improves.
The Tap Back
The tap back keeps a spinner spinning by periodically striking its arms to maintain rotation. Let your spinner slow down until it's barely rotating, then use a quick finger tap on one of the arms to boost its speed. With practice, you can maintain indefinite spinning through well-timed taps.
The technique requires understanding your specific spinner's rhythm and weight distribution. Different spinners respond better to taps at different speeds and positions.
The Balance Change
This trick moves a spinning spinner from your finger to the back of your hand and back again. While the spinner rotates on your fingertip, carefully shift it onto the flat area between your knuckles, balance it there briefly, then return it to your finger.
The back of the hand provides less stable balance, making this trick more challenging than finger balancing. Start with slow spins and work up to faster rotations.
The Double Stack
Advanced spinners sometimes stack multiple spinning spinners on top of each other. Start one spinner spinning and balance it on your finger. With your other hand, spin a second spinner and carefully place it on top of the first, aligning their centres.
This trick requires two spinners of similar size and excellent balance control. It's more impressive with clear or LED spinners where you can see both devices rotating.
The Toss and Catch
Toss tricks add an element of aerial dynamics to spinner performance. These require good hand-eye coordination and willingness to accept many drops during learning.
Basic Toss
The simplest toss throws the spinner straight up a short distance and catches it while still spinning. Start with very low tosses, just a few centimetres, catching on the same finger you launched from. The spinner should remain level throughout the toss.
Gradually increase height as your control improves. The key is a straight, vertical toss that doesn't impart tumbling motion to the spinner.
Hand-to-Hand Toss
This variation tosses the spinner from one hand to catch on the other. Start with hands close together, almost touching, and gradually increase the distance. The receiving hand should position itself under the spinner's descent path and absorb the landing smoothly.
The Bounce
This impressive trick tosses the spinner up, lets it contact your forearm or other body part, and catches it as it rebounds. The spinning motion creates a gyroscopic effect that helps the spinner maintain orientation during the bounce.
Practice first with a stationary spinner to find reliable contact points where the spinner naturally bounces back toward your catching hand.
Never practice toss tricks near your face or eyes. Fast-spinning metal spinners can cause injury if they make unexpected contact. Always maintain awareness of where the spinner might go if you miss a catch.
Creating Trick Combinations
Once you've mastered individual tricks, combining them creates fluid performances that are more impressive than any single move.
Building Sequences
Start by connecting two tricks you're comfortable with. For example, perform a finger transfer, then immediately hand-transfer to the other hand, then perform another finger transfer. Practice this sequence until it feels natural, then add additional elements.
Think about transitions between tricks. Some tricks flow naturally into others, while some combinations require awkward pauses. The best sequences feel continuous and rhythmic.
Finding Your Style
As you develop skills, you'll discover tricks that suit your particular dexterity and preferences. Some people excel at delicate balance tricks, while others prefer dynamic tosses. Developing your personal style makes your performances more interesting than simply copying others.
Practice Strategies
Effective practice accelerates skill development and prevents frustration.
Dedicated Sessions
Set aside specific practice time rather than only practicing during random moments. Focused fifteen-minute sessions often yield better results than scattered attempts throughout the day. During dedicated practice, you can work systematically through new techniques.
Breaking Down Movements
When learning a new trick, break it into component movements and master each separately. For the convertible trick, for instance, practice the hand rotation without a spinner, then the toss and catch without the rotation, before combining everything.
Recording Progress
Video recording your practice sessions helps identify issues invisible during the moment. Watching playback reveals timing problems, balance issues, and form errors that feel fine while you're performing but are clearly visible on screen.
Track your development by noting when you first successfully complete each trick, then when you can complete it consistently (8 out of 10 attempts), then when you can incorporate it into combinations. This structured approach to progress keeps practice motivated.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
Understanding common errors helps you troubleshoot your own technique.
Grip Too Tight
Many beginners grip too firmly, which restricts the smooth motion needed for transfers and catches. Practice with progressively lighter grip until you find the minimum pressure needed for control.
Rushing Transitions
Attempting tricks too quickly before mastering the slow version leads to repeated failures and frustration. Slow, controlled practice builds the muscle memory needed for eventually performing tricks at full speed.
Inconsistent Practice
Sporadic practice slows skill development. Regular, even brief, practice sessions maintain progress better than occasional long sessions with gaps between them.
With patience and practice, anyone can develop an impressive repertoire of fidget spinner tricks. The journey from fumbling beginner to smooth performer is rewarding, and the skills transfer to general manual dexterity and coordination.