This is a tutorial on how I spring cards from hand to hand. Most of the tutorials I have found on line spring the cards off the thumb. I prefer to spring the cards off my fingers. Personally I find this easier to control and to catch the cards.
When springing the cards off your fingers the cards are naturally springing away from your body. This seems to make it easier to aim the cards at the catching hand. In addition the cards hit the catching hand into the cage formed by the fingers of that hand.
The following assumes that you are right handed, holding the cards in the right hand and springing them into your left.
Grip the cards with your thumb almost centered on the inner end, and your middle and ring fingers on the outer end. With your left index finger push on the center of the face of the deck as you squeeze the deck with your right middle and ring fingers, and thumb. Note how the outer phalanges of the fingers are slightly bent.
The left hand is held like a cage, ready to catch the cards.
To begin with your should practice springing the cards for a distance of about an inch. You want to practice the smooth release of the cards, and catching the cards. Note where the cards are hitting the in the left hand. They are hitting at the base of the first and ring fingers. The cage formed by the fingers and thumb ensure that the cards don’t go flying all over the place.
The cards will be sprung off of the right fingers. The right thumb only acts as a stop. Look at the outer plalanges of the middle and ring fingers. Note that when you squeeze the cards these joints bend. By slowly straightening these joints the cards are released.
Practice holding the cards and smoothly releasing them with the deck held just in the left hand.
As you get to releasing the cards smoothly and catching them start to move your right hand away from the left as the cards are being release.
Note in the pictures to the right how the right hand fingers are slowing straightened.
New decks are often too stiff to spring well. A broken in deck is best. Note that the smoother the release the easier it will be to get some distance in the spring. My experience is that you don’t need a lot of distance to impress an audience. A foot is good enough. You can create an illusion of greater distance by starting your spring to your left and rotating your torso to the right.
This will take some practice. I suggest practicing over a bed, so that when you drop the cards you don’t have as far to bend over. And, again, focus on a smooth release and catch before you worry about distance.