Pen spinning is the recreational activity of using one's fingers to manipulate a pen in aesthetically pleasing ways. This is done through the (hopefully seamless) combination of various tricks.
Sometimes pen spinning is classified as a sub-discipline of the contact juggling field. However, pen spinning may also include actions that are outside of the scope of contact juggling, such as toss of the pen. Although this discipline is still a growing field in the juggling world, its fast growing popularity can be attributed to the fact that pen spinning can be performed conveniently in virtually any location, as long as a pen is available. What used to be thought as a 'shameful' activity enjoyed by students is now a global phenomenon. It is particularly popular among American high-school and college students involved in forensic activities such as debate or speech.
A single trick in pen spinning might be balancing the pen on one's thumb as it spins several times, or weaving it between one's fingers in a circular motion. A combination of tricks is generally defined to be the linkage of 2 or more tricks in any sequence. Currently, pen spinning tricks number no fewer than 100. Single tricks are usually short in length. The easiest tricks can usually be learned within several hours, but it's not abnormal to hear that some of the most advanced tricks require several months to learn. The linkage of various individual tricks into longer sequences is considered to be more aesthetically pleasing, and its mastery is something most pen spinners would strive for.
History
This pastime is also supposedly referred to as "rōnin mawashi" in Japan, allegedly because pen spinning is more prevalent among "rounins", or high-school graduates who take a year off in order to study by him/herself in preparation for university exams.
Presently, there is no documentation to show who started the pen spinning phenomenon. It is though, understood that a Japanese pen spinner named Hideaki Kondoh is one of the earliest pen spinners who started a pen spinning website.
Good pens
To start pen spinning, it is good to find a good pen first and modify it so that it will suit you for spinning. Here are some good pens.
- RSVP/Razzle Dazzle
Company: Pentel of America My rating for spinning: (Normal) 75% (V1 modification) 80% (V2 modification) 85% (MX modification) 87% (Science modification) 80%
- Com-ssa
Company: Dong-a My rating for spinning: (Normal)50% (Double cap + grip modification) 95%
Utility tricks
Utility tricks are tricks that helps do fundamental tricks and any other tricks. They are quite simple to do.
- Pass: A utility trick that helps do fingerpass. Generally it is passing from index finger and middle finger to middle finger and the 4th finger creating a 180 degree turn without leaving the fingers. It does not matter which way it spins. Try to do this trick starting and ending in different position and it will enhance your fingerpass!!
- Wiper: A utility trick that helps do infinity.
The pen starts at a writing position. Then, with the index and thumb holding the grip of the pen the pen points down then it is pushed back to original position by a push from the middle finger.
Fundamental Tricks
A seasoned pen spinner usually has mastery/significant competence in what are considered the 4 fundamental pen tricks - by no coincidence, these are probably also the most well-known tricks.
ThumbAround
As the name suggests, the ThumbAround is performed by pushing a pen by one's middle finger so to initiate the pen to spin around one's thumb a single time, then catching it in between the thumb and index finger. This trick is often popular among high school students due to how simply it can be performed. ThumbAround was previously known as 360 Degrees.
Variations
- The ThumbAround Reverse is not nearly as easy to perform, and does not look much more impressive. It can often be caught between any two fingers to allow more varied combos and can also spin multiple times.
- Fingerless for both ThumbAround Normal and Reverse are commonly used in combos.
- The ThumbSpin 1.0 is identical to the ThumbAround, but a trick of extra rotations spinning on top of the fingers before it is caught is only called ThumbSpin X.X.
- The ThumbAround Double is a combo of a ThumbAround to a Fingerless ThumbAround. Note this is very differently performed from a ThumbSpin 2.0.
FingerPass
The FingerPass involves spinning the pen through the four fingers of the hand, ideally without the use of the thumb for balancing. When executed properly, the pen should move in a single direction, either clockwise or counter-clockwise, without stoppage in between. This trick is probably the flashiest of the four fundamentals when performed at high speed.
To see an example of the FingerPass, one can watch the James Bond film GoldenEye to see Boris perform the FingerPass with the pen. However, it is to be noted that the FingerPass Boris performs is a variation which involves only three fingers instead of the usual four.
There is also a different FingerPass Combo.
Sonic
The Sonic is a very common trick. The idea behind this trick is to move the pen from one finger position to another finger position in as little time as possible. In this trick, the pen is normally held between the middle and ring fingers and is moved so that it is between the middle and index fingers. As this trick can be executed in very short time, its name is derived from the famous video game character, Sonic the Hedgehog, who is known for his speed.
The trick starts when the pen is moved in the same fashion as the Charge (as described below). When about one-half of a revolution of the Charge is performed, the middle finger is bent out of the way, and the index finger replaces the middle finger in holding the pen. Finally, the index and ring fingers are bent inwards as the middle finger replaces the ring finger.
It is a common error for first time learners who do not fully understand the motion of the Sonic to not catch the pen with the index finger. The pen may fly out of the hand or spin around the middle incorrectly and return to its original position. This mistake trick is known as the Neo Sonic, so named because it is the neophyte's Sonic. The best way to ensure performing the Sonic instead of the Neo Sonic is to touch the index finger to the ring finger as the pen passes the middle finger.
Variations
- Sonic can also have more spins per trick, by spinning the pen on the knuckles before catching it. These are named Sonic X.X for how many revoluntions the pen makes, or for whole number revolutions, also Sonic Double etc.
- Variations in which the pen jumps more than one finger are named Sonic 2x, etc. where 2 is the number of fingers jumped.
- Sonic Reverse is moving downward in the reverse spin but same path of a sonic.
- In Inverse Sonic and its reverse, the jumped finger moves back, instead of toward the palm, so the pen spins in front of the jumped fingers.
- One of the most popular Sonic variations has its own name, Shadow. The simplest makes 1.5 revolutions and does not jump any fingers. Shadows are any Sonic 1.5 or higher that either clips (lands in the same fingers as it starts) or falls (lands closer to the pinky).
Charge
The Charge does not involve spinning the pen around any fingers or any body parts, rather, the pen is manipulated in such a way with two fingers, that it seems to spin in a very fast motion, in a conic-shaped path. Its conic path and its speed thus create an illusion of the charging motion of the pen. This trick is often performed by drummers using drumsticks instead of pens.
Note
Sorry to say, but to whomever uses the IP address 219.74.17.133 and lives in Singapore, yes, Thumbspin is not a Fundamental trick, but INFINITY IS!!!
If I were 219.74.17.133, I would visit the Pentrix website, click on Articles, then click on Learning Order, to see WHAT FUNDAMENTAL TRICKS ARE THERE!!!
Note 2
Whoever wrote "NOTE" it is just rude! Well anyways: here is my opinion I am not the one who wrote the article up there, but i am a pro spinner. It may say in Kam's website (pentrix) that thumspin is not a fundamental trick but in other countries, such as korea for example consider thumbspin AND infinity as fundamental tricks. Maybe it is because Korea is a #1 spinning country, but it is so.
External links
- Pentrix - Pen Spinning Revolution
- Pentrix - Learning Order
- PenstudioZ - The largest Pen Spinning database
- The Troposphere Pen Spinning Site
- Hantricks - Watch, Learn, Master
- TurtleSpin
- Pen Spinning History compiled by Pen Spinning History Committee (PSHC)
- PSConclave - The Pen Spinning Wiki