How to Practice Rifle Spinning for a Drill Team

Rifle spinning originated in military drill team practice. Replicas are used at the high school and college level to simulate the routines of the military. Rifle throwing can include elaborate tosses and throws of a heavy rifle, sometimes up to 10 or 14 pounds in weight. Regular practice and careful consideration are necessary when training for rifle spinning.

Things You'll Need

  • Wooden object
  • Videos
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Instructions

  1. Practice Rifle Spinning

    • 1

      Begin regular workouts first. To practice on a drill team, you need large amounts of strength, dexterity and flexibility in order to spin heavy rifles.

    • 2

      Work with wood or other similarly weighted objects. Never use the real thing first as it's likely to be too hard. Start with a piece of wood of the same size, thickness and weight as the rifle and work with this until you feel ready to move further.

    • 3

      Move on to replica rifles, such as parade rifles. For example, the Springfield rifle comes in two different weights: 3.5 and 8.5 pounds. The heavier version is reserved for more senior drill team members.

    • 4

      Work more complicated maneuvers as you make progress. Over-the-head (OTH) throws are viewed as more challenging because they take great upper body strength to perform.

    • 5

      Start rifle spinning on grassy surfaces first. When you feel adept and can spin the rifle without dropping it, move on to concrete and other hard surfaces. Some rifle replicas will break if dropped on concrete.

    • 6

      Use a drill routine video. You can buy videos through Soldier City, an online resource for the military (see Resources below). Rifle spinning derives from the military and is often a requisite skill for servicemen, as well as military drill team members.

    Use Rifle Spinning to Build an Impressive Drill Routine

    • 7

      Make use of a creative marching routine. The complicated hand tosses, throws and maneuvers are complemented by elaborate marching routines, whether done solo or as part of a drill team.

    • 8

      Work with music. Music accompaniment is ideal for drill routines conducted during live performances or showcases. Music can change the mood of the audience and add dramatic effects.

    • 9

      Choreograph your own routine. Drill routines are often custom designed with intricate alignment and sequencing in mind.

    • 10

      Work on rifle spinning with classic drill team maneuvers. For example, the military favorite--Queen Anne Salute--is highly recognizable in its original form, but can also be adapted to your own routine.