Cardistry move

How to do the spring

Updated October 2026 · Beginner move · Aerial

What the spring looks like

The spring is the move most people picture when they hear “cardistry.” A tightly bent deck releases its cards one at a time in a fast, curved stream that flies from one hand to the other. It is an aerial move, because the cards travel through the air. Wikipedia's article on cardistry names it as a famous aerial move but does not describe how to do it, so the steps on this page come from beginner guides and the video lessons.

Before you start

• The deck. The spring bends the cards over and over, which is what wears a deck out. Use a deck you do not mind wearing out and keep any special deck for filming. A brand-new, stiff deck is harder, and a deck that has had some handling springs more easily. Our guide to practice decks and gear covers cheap decks to learn on, and our beginner guide says how to break one in.
• The grip. The spring starts in the Biddle grip: the deck held from above by its two short ends, with your thumb on one end and your first three fingers on the other. Hold it for a few minutes, relaxed, before you try the move.
• Left-handed? Everything on this page is for a right-handed person. Mirror it: swap left and right in every step.
• Small hands? Try 10 or 15 cards while you find the movement. No guide we read treats small hands as a barrier.
• Where to practice. Over a bed or a sofa. Cards will fly everywhere on your first tries, and a soft surface keeps them from getting dented.

The steps

Read the five steps, then look at the diagram. It shows the deck from the side, drawn thicker than a real one so you can see it. The letter T marks the thumb on one end, and a dashed outline shows where the fingers go on the other end. In the last panel, the dashed outline straight below the deck is the hand that catches the cards.

1. Hold the deck by its short ends with your thumb on one end and your fingers on the other.
2. Squeeze the ends together so the deck bows tightly.
3. Hold your other hand open a few inches away, where the cards should land.
4. Keep squeezing, then ease your thumb gradually so the cards shoot out one at a time into the other hand.
5. Catch them in a wide, open hand.

Which way the deck bows, and how far the hands sit apart, are not given in the guides we read. The diagram shows one arch, and the video lessons show the hands.

Common mistakes

• Cards flying everywhere on the first tries. This is normal. Start with your hands close together.
• A jerky squeeze. One guide says to squeeze with steady, gradual pressure, as if pressing a gas pedal.
• A poor catch. Hold the catching hand wide open, a few inches from the deck.
• Hand cramp. Take short breaks. If it hurts, stop. This is hobby advice, not medical advice.

Practice tips

• Start with your hands close together and move them apart as it gets easier.
• Some guides suggest catching with the fingers spread like a claw and the little finger pointing up as a stopper.
• Flip the deck over every few tries so it is not bent one way only.
• Practice over a bed or sofa.
• Short sessions are enough. Our two-week plan has first tries on day 9 with your hands only a few inches apart, then 15 minutes on day 10. One shop's rough guide, for 20 minutes a day, is about a month for a smooth spring. That is one shop's estimate, not a measurement.
• The waterfall teaches card tension and release speed, which one shop says carries over to the spring.

What the spring does to your deck

Springs and fans bend the cards over and over, and the beginner guides say a worn deck clumps together, loses its snap and gets dingy edges. That is normal wear, and it is why beginners are told to learn on an inexpensive deck. Flipping the deck over every few tries spreads the bending around. If a deck stops working, retire it and keep a second copy of the same deck handy, as the guides suggest. See our practice decks and gear guide for where to start.

Where guides differ

Grip details vary between sources, so we kept the steps general. A brand-new, stiff deck is harder, and a deck that has had some handling springs more easily. Wikipedia names the spring but does not describe it, so the steps rest on the beginner guides and the video lessons. Our confidence in these steps: medium. The outline (squeeze to bow the deck, ease off, catch the cards in the other hand) is the same in the sources we read, but the details of the grip and the distance between the hands are not.

Questions people ask

Does the spring ruin cards?

It wears them out, and that is normal. Springs and fans bend the cards over and over, oil and sweat from your hands soak in, and dropped cards pick up dirt and dented corners. A worn deck clumps together and loses its snap. Learn on an inexpensive deck.

Why do my cards fly everywhere?

On the first tries, that is normal. Guides give two common causes: a jerky squeeze and a poor catch. Squeeze steadily, ease your thumb off gradually, and keep your hands close together until it works.

Is the spring hard on the hands?

It can be if you force it. One forum thread says the spring and the riffle shuffle tire a beginner's hand muscles. Take short breaks, do not clench, and if it hurts, stop. This is hobby advice, not medical advice.

Is a new deck or a worn one better for the spring?

The guides we read say a brand-new, stiff deck is harder and a deck that has had some handling springs more easily. Decks made for cardistry exist, and our deck guide covers them, but they are an optional upgrade.

Where can I learn the spring for free?

The two lessons below. Both are free videos from the sources the beginner guides point to, and they show the hand positions that words and diagrams cannot.

Watch it done

These are free. We have not watched them ourselves. We opened each page and confirmed what it covers from its title and description. The links go to other sites and open there, and nothing from them loads on this page.

• Spring, with training tips, from the New Deck Order's School of Cardistry beginner series (about 1 minute)
• Spring, from Fontaine's “Learn the Classics” lessons