So I am kind of new to the kendama world as I have tried to get into kendama before and I just have been able to do it. So I am looking for tips on getting the basic spike down.
Thanks!
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Imagine when you’re pulling up the ball for a spike, that it’s going straight up an elevator shaft. There should be no lateral movement; pull straight up. You can also use the string as a guideline.
Pull smoothly. You’re not looking to jerk or swing it up. Once you’ve given the ball enough upward momentum, you’ll notice if you stop pulling up with the ken, the ball will continue traveling upwards. Use your knees to get extra height out of the pull if you need to, or just want to practice incorporating squats into your play (they WILL come in handy later!).
At this point, you can bring the spike underneath the tama and let it fall onto the spike. You can hold the spike pretty close to the hole before it lands, and you can even follow it down a bit to help with your aim, or if the ball is rotating.
As always with toys like this, practice is key. Even with the right tips, it’s really up to doing it over and over until you get it. There’ll be tiny nuances to your play that I can’t predict, so in order to get it perfect, just observe and adjust your technique.
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