1. Hold top with the ball of your thumb against the point and the tips of your middle fingers against the crown.

2. Throw top straight down and release with the axis horizontal and the tip pointing towards your body.

1. Hold top with the ball of your thumb against the point and the tips of your middle fingers against the crown.

2. Throw top straight down and release with the axis horizontal and the tip pointing towards your body.

3. Start pulling back with right hand.

4-5. When top is near end of the string pull right hand sharply up with enough force to place the top over your head.

6. Bring hands together so the left hand can grab a segment of string from the right hand.

7. Hold string loosely but keep it taut.

8. Once the falling top hits the string, allow for some slack on the string.

9. By hold the string loosely it can easily slide through your left hand.

10-11. Allow the string to slide through your left hand as the top falls.

12-13. The spinning top will be rotating on the string (precession).

14. Allow top to rotate on the string.

15. Wait until the tip of the top is pointing to your left.

16. Then swing the top to the left by pullijng in the direction the tip is pointing.

17. The top is now starting to turn upright.

18. The top will continue to precess (i.e. rotate on the string). Therefore, to maneuver the top into a fully vertical position, continue pulling in the direction the tip is pointing as shown in Step 17 (where the tip is pointing into the plane of the paper) to follow the changing direction of the tip.

19. Throw top straight down and release with the axis horizontal and the tip pointing towards your body.

20-21. Give a slight tug to return the top to your hand.