How to Spin a Basketball

Do you want to know how to spin a basketball on your fingers? If you are a basketball player or if you only watch other people play, then you would have either tried to or have seen other people spin the basketball on their fingers. Surely, it is agreeable that this is a very neat trick.

Ever since we can remember, we have been spinning the basketball on our fingers or have seen others do it. Today we want to help you to be able to do the same. We will be breaking down this trick into understandable parts, and we will be providing you with step by step guidance on how to do it yourself. 

This will be a comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about how to spin a basketball. We will help you to overcome some mistakes that you may be making that are preventing you from perfecting the trick.

Why is Spinning a Basketball Cool?

With all honesty, we will say that spinning the basketball on your fingers will not help you to become a better player. So why is it so cool to spin the basketball on your fingers? 

The answer to this question may vary depending on who you ask; however, some of them may be similar. Spinning the basketball on your finger is like a rite of passage. For you to consider yourself a basketball player, there are some tricks that you needed to know how to do. Spinning the basketball on your fingers just happens to be one of them.

Another reason why spinning the basketball on your finger may be considered cool is how it looks. It simply looks cool! I don’t have to describe how this looks to you in great detail because surely you would have seen it, and that’s why you are here trying to learn how to do it. Another reason why spinning the basketball on your fingers is cool is because it can be personalized, and many tricks can be added to the simple spin.  

The more advanced or skilled you get at spinning the basketball on your fingers, the more things you will be able to do.  There are tricks such as bouncing the ball of a wall while maintaining the spin then catching it back on your fingers, others such as passing it to a player while maintaining the spin and having them catch it on their fingers or spinning it on your forehead and many others. These are just a few reasons why this little trick is so cool.

How Long Does It Take to Learn to Spin a Basketball?

So how long does it take to learn to spin a basketball on your finger? The time that it will take to learn to spin a basketball on your finger will depend on the student and the teacher. There is no set amount of time for this trick to be learned; it all depends on those two factors.

Like most other tricks, spinning the basketball on your finger will require some amount of practice. If you are a dedicated person and you are willing to put in the practice necessary to learn a trick, then you will be able to learn it more quickly than someone who isn’t as indicated to learning. 

If you can learn from clear and correct instructions, this will also make it easier and faster for you to learn that if you weren’t able to receive those instructions. So there is no specific time. It could be one hour. It could be one week. It could be one month, it all depends.

How to Prepare to Spin a Basketball?

In terms of preparation, there isn’t much to do before you start to spin the basketball on your finger.  However, we recommend that you do two important things. The first thing that we recommend is that you cut your nails very low so that it’s easier for you to balance the ball on your fingertips or on top of your nails. 

The second thing that we recommend is that you wear loose-fitting clothing or clothing that allows you to move reasonably comfortably and quickly. The reason why we recommend this is that a lot of balance is required to spin the basketball and even more if you want to do additional tricks. So, it is essential that your clothing allows balance and flexibility. 

How to Spin a Basketball on Your Finger?

Here we are, at last, the meat of the matter. How to spin a basketball on your finger? As previously mentioned, some amount of practice is required for each of the steps before you become a professional ball spinner.  Let’s now take a look at the four steps that you need to master to spin the ball on your fingers. 

Step 1: Open your strong/dominant hand as wide as you can and raise it roughly to the height of your chest and the point your fingers outwards away from you. After you have done this, use your less dominant hand to place the ball into the palm of your strong hand. 

Step 2: Gently turn your wrist down so that the ball rolls onto your fingers from your palm. Use your fingers of your dominant hand to secure the ball in place so that it does not move. 

There should now be some space between your palm and the ball. You can use the pinky of your weaker hand to test if there is enough space there.

Step 3: The ball should now be firmly in place. Turn your wrist outwards to roughly 90 degrees. Your wrist is now cocked for the toss. Toss the ball up in the air and snap your wrist forward as fast and as far as you can.  

At the end of this action, immediately point the finger that you want to spin the ball on at the ball in the air. The upward snap action will propel the ball into the air while making it spin horizontally.

Step 4: Focus your eyes on the ball and then try to coordinate your pointed finger to be directly beneath the downward falling ball. The higher the toss is, from the previous step, the more time you will have to catch the ball; however, it may make it more difficult to catch it from a very high distance.

You can play around with different heights until you find one that works best for you. The ball landing on your finger will still be spinning, and it’s now up to you to maintain the balance necessary for the spin to continue. The faster the ball spins, the easier it is to be balanced. Over time you can practice accelerating the spin by gently smacking the ball on its side.

What’s the Key to the Toss?

The toss of the ball is one of the most critical steps to spinning the basketball on your fingers. The way you toss the ball will determine the speed at which the ball spins and the direction in which the ball spins. These two things are crucial to getting the ball to balance on your fingers properly. We can say that the key to the toss is all in the wrist. Make sure you snap your wrist as fast and as far back towards you as you can so that you get a good spin on the ball.

How Important is the Rotation of the Ball?

The rotation of the ball is quite important. Some would even say it is the most important thing to get right while learning to spin the ball on your fingers. The rotation of the ball should be as fast as possible and horizontal as possible. 

The speed of the rotation will make the ball easier to balance on a very small surface area, such as the tip of your fingers or your fingernails. The horizontal aspect of the rotation makes it easier for you to control the ball. If the ball is not being rotated horizontally, it will try to fall in the direction of the downward spin.

Helpful Videos to Teach You How to Spin a Basketball

Let’s now look at two useful videos that will aid in the learning process. All of these videos will demonstrate the ball being spun and useful tips to help you to do it.

This video demonstrates how to spin the ball on your fingers from start to finish. It also tells you how to support your fingers and how to build up strength to do it for a long time.

This next video is great for just starting spinners. It is really great because it provides clear correct instructions on how to spin the ball on your fingers.

What’s the World Record for Spinning a Basketball on a Finger?

According to the Guinness World Records, the record for spinning a basketball on a finger is 4 hours and 15 minutes. The record-holder is Joseph Odhiambo from the United States of America. Joseph was able to achieve this record in Houston, Texas, on the 19th of February 2006.

Wrapping Things Up: How to Spin a Basketball?

Sometimes we try to spin the basketball on our fingers, but we are unsuccessful. There are a few things that we could be doing wrong that would be attributed to our unsuccessful attempts. So, make sure that you follow the steps above carefully in order to get the trick done properly.

If you are unable to spin the ball on your finger, ensure that you are not doing a weak toss. A weak toss will prevent the ball from spinning quickly and horizontally. Make sure that you are not trying to spin the ball while your hand is not balanced. 

These are some common mistakes that prevent us from pulling off the spin. Follow the steps carefully, and you will learn how to spin a basketball on your finger in no time. Until next time ballers, remember, spinning won’t get you victory, but spin for 4 hours and 16 minutes, and you could go down in history.  

If you enjoyed this post, you’ll like our other basketball FAQ articles here.

Make sure to also read some of our basketball how-to guides here:

> How to Inflate a Basketball Without a Need or Pump?

> How to Install a Ground Basketball Hoop?