Rifle Double Time Spins: How to color guard

[@rosemarytan9392]

hey I was running out of stuff to do for my solo so i watched some of your videos. they're really helpful and just wanna say thanks a lot and please do more of these videos to help more people :)

[@SpintronixGuard]

Absolutely! We generally do one video per week in our "on-season" and sporadic videos in our "off-season" so you will be seeing lots more from us! Is there anything you are interested in requesting??

[@rosemarytan9392]

SpintronixGuard just some recommendations, maybe different types/method for doing some of the tricks? or more of stuff that we can do other than spinning or something.. just suggestions from me so yep

[@SpintronixGuard]

Awesome, well we have lots of that kind of stuff on our to-do list so make sure you are subscribed so you don't miss a video!

[@mayonnaise4612]

Thank you so much. I’m on my high schools rifle line, and double time spins are on our star charts (a chart we have to fill out with required skills). I’m not in high school yet, and all of the others on rifle this season are. There’s also a guard class period, where they all learned this (except for me :c) so thank you!

[@SpintronixGuard]

You are welcome, and I hope you get your star chart mastered!!

[@ashtynthelen6065]

Wow! Our guard allowed it's first 8th grade marcher this year and doesn't allow any of us to try out for weapon until our sophomore year! I'm trying out tomorrow for my sophomore year in guard, but I have been spinning since October and can do tosses like a one handed double 45 toss on rifle and etc... I think you are so lucky to have an entire class block dedicated to guard.. we have to take band, orchestra, or chorus for the entire year, every year and don't even have a winter guard..

[@siliki3974]

Same! I’m the only one on the team that’s not in high school

[@TracieWinslow]

Instead of "belly, belly, back, back," I was taught to say "bolt, bolt, strap, strap".

[@katelynnicolee2762]

I was taught “bottom bottom top top”

[@SpintronixGuard]

That works!

[@SpintronixGuard]

I think I was originally taught this at one point but everything kind of adjusts as you go along and keep doing it.

[@yasminclouser]

I didn’t audition for weapon so I was only doing flag and dance for a while and my instructor didn’t have extra time to teach me rifle techniques in indoor season. Now it’s outdoor and I’ve made the rifle team with a bunch of people who know what they’re doing, you’re videos are helping me catch up to them a lot!!

[@SpintronixGuard]

That's awesome!! Thanks for sharing your news with us!! ❤️ Let us know how your season goes!!

[@allenorganist2011]

I learned this year's ago but was taught an easy way to remember was (bottom, bottom, top, top) my school used batons and flags (I was playing tenor sax at the time) but loved to watch our drill team as they did their routines while we marched. I got into rifles when I would watch another school use them in their basket ball games. I enjoy watching your vids and learning the terms of the movements.

[@SpintronixGuard]

I actually originally learned it as bottom bottom top top as well!

[@myles3424]

Ive recently had to somewhat start teaching myself rifle and videos like this help SOSO much- ive been trying to learn double time for like a month and I got it bc of this

[@SpintronixGuard]

YAY!!! I love that this helped you! Can I share your comment on our socials? I can block your name/picture if you want to remain anonymous.

[@dcxbaobao]

this helped so much on my solo, thank you so much!

[@SpintronixGuard]

You are so welcome!!

[@fierysoul1357]

So I was doing this the way you taught it since the whole “Let it roll over your hand” was making it twist into it every time. However the other day my instructor said she noticed it seemed like people were grabbing it, and albeit that this method does look like you’re slightly grabbing it. I’m not sure if this explains it well, but slightly “grabbing” the rifle with a taco hand and lifting it up as it rolls through keeps it from twisting around! Thankfully this isn’t in my audition tomorrow, but I’ll see about explaining what I saw from this video since it legitimately helps to do it that way. Heck, even the DCI kids look like they’re slightly grabbing it, the one girl who can actually do them looks like she’s slightly grabbing it! Haha we’ll see

[@SpintronixGuard]

Yes, the “taco hand” is a common method of teaching students how to spin weapons in general. Personally, I never learned this method until more recently so I never was able to use it in my early videos. If you were to come to camp however, we would definitely discuss the shape of your hand being like that of a taco you are holding. Or of your friend’s taco, which is a little more complicated to explain but it’s 1 million times more funny.

[@katrinakozlosky1030]

This was very helpful! Thank you!

[@elishasummers9517]

Any advice for how to not completely destroy your hands with a rifle? My school doesn't use gloves. IK they're inevitably going to get bruised quite alot, do you have any tricks you've picked up over the years to manage soreness or do you just have to suck it up and get used to it?

[@SpintronixGuard]

Ouch, I would strongly recommend you talk to your director about using gloves. We, and many other guards I know of, are required to wear them. We even have a clause in our insurance that a claim will not be considered if there is evidence of a student not wearing gloves at the time of the injury. Your hands are one of your most valuable parts when it comes to color guard and you need to protect them. That being said, I recommend finding a good healing salve and rubbing your hands with it after practicing if they hurt. Something with tea tree oil maybe? I have one I use on my knee from DoTerra called "Deep Blue" and it works wonders.

[@jasminewang77]

I learned rifle without gloves for my first season before I started wearing gloves and I just took a break everytime my hands hurt which was every 5-10 mins. I just took a sec to shake out my hands

[@brooklynray2004]

How do I keep it rotating on my left hand I have to pause on it and then flip it

[@SpintronixGuard]

Use the momentum of the rifle going around to keep it going!

[@alyssawestphall5611]

thank you this helped me so much!

[@SpintronixGuard]

+Alyssa Westphall you are so welcome!! We are glad to help!!

[@warrenhaden2692]

when you do double time..do you cross your hands when you do it

[@SpintronixGuard]

You can! Or you can do it without crossing as well, which means the gun will get a bit more air time between the hands.

[@UrMom-bz9cd]

I have trouble when I get to the top of the bolt? Any help

[@SpintronixGuard]

It’s a very weird balance point! You have to use the momentum of the gun already moving in the spin to get it to keep going. I can’t really know more about your specific issue without actually seeing you do it but that’s the best I got!

[@UrMom-bz9cd]

SpintronixGuard it just turns but thanks for you help 😊

[@SpintronixGuard]

Ooh if it’s turning then check your thumb press on the back of the gun! It might be pressing too hard or not pressing enough!

[@UrMom-bz9cd]

SpintronixGuard omg thank you 🙏

[@amberkaus4440]

I've been trying to figure out how to not make it rotate and this helped a lot. Thank you!

[@abbyaikin1299]

I am beyond lost on this

[@SpintronixGuard]

Abby Aikin slow it down maybe??? Is there anything I can do to help?

[@natmora7956]

What rifle are you using? My guard is looking for new rifles?

[@SpintronixGuard]

I'm a really big fan of King rifles. The length you spin is going to determine your team's skill level, however I really like to use the larger 39" for outdoor guard and the shorter 36" for indoor guard if that's an option. There are other teams who say that 37.5" is the absolute perfect size for a rifle though.

[@natmora7956]

Thank you for the advice I'll be sure to use it on my upcoming purchase!

[@annabelllast5907]

Is there a double time for the left side?

[@SpintronixGuard]

Yes!!

[@lolxx-db2bl]

Bruh ur so helpful thank u😇

[@SpintronixGuard]

Happy to help! 🥰

[@lakelynkass6835]

I feel like I just learned how to juggle 🥺

[@SpintronixGuard]

That’s fun! I can’t juggle unfortunately… but I can do this!