Tutorial - The Flat Loop, where it begins
Video Tutorial now included below!
If I remember anything from first learning the flat spin, it is just a faint recollection. I was in the back yard by the pool just spinning that rope over and over. I remember enjoying it, and I don't think it took very long to get. It was over 30 years ago though. I knew how to get into the starting position and I had seen others do the spin, once you have that much it just takes a single dedicated session before you can get your loop to open. Then a few more sessions to smooth it out and get your finger twists going.
You should start with a rope about 10 to 15 feet in total length, but go ahead and try with whatever you've got handy. Adjust the spoke to be about 2 feet long, maybe a tad longer but keep it less than 3 feet. The starting position looks like this for a right handed counter clockwise spin:
Drawing1: Roping Starting Position
As you look down at your hands this is how the rope should be held:
Drawing2: How the rope is held in hands
The spoke is between the right thumb and index finger and the loop is held with the remaining fingers of the right hand. The honda is hanging down towards your right leg and your left hand is opening the loop on the left side with the rest of the rope hanging down to the floor.
Drawing3: The honda as it hangs down on your right side
Smooth floors are easiest for this and many other tricks. Dirt, carpet, and especially grass will slow a rope down and possibly kill the spin when the rope is allowed to drag. In these environments you will need to either speed the rope up so the momentum of it outweighs the drag, raise up your arm so it doesn't touch the ground or both. Speeding up your spin will also naturally cause the loop to rise up a bit.
First motions 1. Swing your right hand out in front of you in a counter clockwise direction. Your left hand doesn't need to do much moving, it just holds the loop open to start with and lets the loop drop free just as your right hand starts the first spin. 2. When your right hand is extended out to about a 9 o'clock position you release the loop with your fingers but keep holding the spoke. With this starting spin the force should open the loop horizontally in front of you. 3. Your right arm should be extended out so the rope doesn't get too close to your body (and start to hit your legs). The arm makes a small counter clockwise circle smoothly continuing from your initial throw and without bending the elbow too much. As the loop gets established it will take less motion from your right arm to keep it going and ideally just wrist motion in small and steady counter clockwise circles to maintain the flat spin.
Pitfalls 1. Jerky motions are generally bad for the loop, try to keep it smooth. If your initial throw causes the rope to spring out away from you rather than down in front of you then you need to readjust your aim, the center of the loop should stay in the same position and not be moving around. 2. Irregular spinning speed will cause distortions in the loop and possible failure. You need to maintain a rather brisk tempo at least at first, but if you speed up too quickly the rope won't react well, likewise if you stall or hesitate then the loop will close up and fall.
As with all new tricks, the primary problem areas are usually in speed and timing. Try small alterations in these parameters to find a spot that gets you the result you want. If the loop is closing up then usually you will need to make larger motions to correct it, a larger circular spin with your arm and maybe at a little faster pace to open it up again. Then when established, try to scale it back slowly to a small steady motion.
At some point the rope can be beyond saving, if it closes up and is very twisted then it's best to just stop and untwist the rope before another attempt. The rope will get twisted as you spin, it is best to first learn to get the loop spinning and get a feel for the basic arm, wrist, and hand motions before trying to learn the next step of continuously untwisting the rope in your fingers. Your first attempts will have to go like this: get into starting position, throw rope out and spin for a while, the rope gets twisted or closes up so you must stop and untwist the rope before repeating. It can be a little tedious untwisting the rope and resetting for each attempt but you will quickly get the hang of it with a little persistence.
After you can repeatedly start a good flat loop and maintain it for a number of turns, you are ready to start thinking about twisting the rope in the fingers as you spin, or rather - untwisting it. Your spinning actions twist the rope so your fingers must therefore untwist it to keep it free of kinks. This is accomplished in 2 ways simultaneously, you must let up on your grip so the rope can twist easier, this makes you more at risk to drop the spoke so you must develop a nimble finesse with your fingers. You can also help the rope along by twisting between your thumb and fingers but if the rope gets enough twisted tension in it you may feel it turning on its own just as you let up on your grip. Waiting for it to turn on its own is not a good enough long term solution though, you generally don't want it to get to that point where force of the twist is enough to spin it in your fingers so please learn to help it along. It just takes some time to get good at it.
After you have mastered the right handed counter clockwise spin then it doesn't take much imagination to realize there are 3 other combinations of flat spins: right handed clockwise, left handed clockwise, and left handed counter clockwise. If your goal is roping mastery then you should work on all 4 variations. I never thought about this when I was starting, I only did the one variation until recently I wised up and am working my left hand in overtime to catch up. I want an even workout and two handed flexibility for future complex tricks so my goal is to learn most everything on both sides, both directions. It can be frustrating to do but it's humbling and when mastered, it sets you apart a step above.
Video includes flat loop, wedding ring, and a few extras.