Fingercross

Fingercross (FC) describes a position where 2 or more fingers are crossed or overlapping. While a subcategory of FC involving the thumb is often referred to as Thumbcross (TC), the article will use the term “Fingercross” to serve as the umbrella term for all the variations.

Crossing the fingers allows for more possibilities by creating new slots and positions to be used. Basic tricks done in these will result in unusual mechanical variations, interactions and visual effects. However, FC remains unpopular due to the flexibility requirement for its tricks, making the advanced variations unviable for a large portion of the community.

Variations

Fingercrossings forming an ‘X’

One finger is above another. As these are the most common, the broad term "fingercross" usually refers to these types.

Notation:

The usual way to notate crossed fingers is with a square bracket after the fingerslots. The crossed fingers are written inside the bracket where the fingers above are written first followed by those below. For example, crossing the index over the middle finger is written as [fc 12].

There are 3 subcategories under this type:-

Crossing based mechanics

Tricks or mechanics that has the fingers start from a neutral/uncrossed state and then followed by a motion that crosses those fingers. These are the mechanics discovered as of writing: -

Cross push

Pen is pushed around the finger as the fingers overlap each other. This is one of the more basic mechanics which is mainly used in a good portion of FC tricks. Due to the simplicity of the mechanic, it is a lot more approachable to most people and widely used.

The mechanics are used in the following fingercross tricks listed below.

FC AroundFC Twisted SonicFC Triangle PassFC Square PassThumbcross PassFC Backaround

Cross Stalls/Holds

Pen is being stalled while or after the fingers overlapped each other. There are various ways to hold the pen as seen in the notation section previously.

Cross Charges

The pen is being held in the slot of a fingercross position and then followed by a conical charge while still maintaining that cross. This can be also be hybridised with uncross as well.

Normal FC ChargeFC and Uncross Charge

https://youtu.be/HD5vklcz9nw

Cross Aerials

The pen is launched into an aerial at the same time as the fingers are being crossed. This is usually done with a normal cross push but can also be done from other means as well such as releases. Examples will be FC around aerials, FC square pass aerials, FC Fxxk/Palm-up shadow, etc

Cross Seasick

A seasick motion is performed in a crossed position. Can be applied with various holds and slots.

Cross tipped charge

A tipped charge motion is performed in a crossed position. The motion can also be done while transitioning from an neutral/uncrossed position to a crossed one.

Cross fingerswitches

A fingerswitch performed in a crossed position. The motion can also be done while transitioning from a neutral/uncrossed position to a crossed one.

Cross wipers

A wiper done in a crossed position. There are a lot of interpretations that can be made with this mechanic.

Cross Rolls

A pen is first held in a neutral/uncrossed position, followed by a rolling motion that crosses the fingers involved.

Uncrossing based mechanics

Tricks and mechanics that has the fingers start in a crossed state followed by a motion that uncrosses those fingers. This motion is inevitable if the linkage goes from crossed state to a neutral/uncrossed state . A person can choose to uncross the fingers normally or to fully capitalize on the motion by adding a mechanic on top of the uncross. These are the discovered mechanics as of writing: -

Uncross push

The pen is pushed around the finger as the fingers uncross each other. The motion is a complete reverse of a normal cross push.

Base Uncross PushUncross Triangle PassUncross Square PassUncross Basketballspin

PU and PD Version respectively

Uncross pinch

The pen is first gripped in the palm sections of the 2 crossed fingers. The finger that is being wrapped around is then pushed inwards until the fingers fully uncrosses. In the case of FC 12, the wrapped finger refers to the index finger. This mechanic is similar to a pinching motion. The pinching motion is usually followed by a spin as a result of that push but the motion can also be adjusted in a way that makes the pen merely launch off the fingers without any spin.

FC 21 PinchFC 34 Pinch + Spin

Uncross aerials

Similar to an uncross push, however the hand moves upwards slightly so the pen is launched into the air.

Uncross flick

Similar to an uncross aerial, however the pen is held very tightly before releasing the pressure causing it to launch into the air. An example would be in a FC T1 position where the pen is held between thumb and index. The index pushes down the thumb, creating pressure before moving the thumb slightly outwards to release the pen, causing it to launch upwards.

Uncross fingerswitches

A pen is held in a crossed position which is then followed by a fingerswitch while simultaneously uncrossing those fingers.

Uncross rolls

A pen is held in a crossed position which is then followed by a roll motion that uncrosses the fingers. Usually the motion is done at the center or the barrel of the pen but it is also possible for the motion to be done at the end of the pen.

Uncross Wiper Roll

Ineffective/Passive Fingercross

Tricks and mechanics that are done with already crossed fingers that aren’t uncross mechanics.

The most basic application of fingercross in this category include the fingers already being crossed but the tricks that's performed doesn't touch or utilize that cross directly. An example being FL TA Palmspin (FC 12).

Around tricks that do use those crossed fingers but the motion wasn't caused by a fingercross motion itself can also be considered to be in this category. An example being a RingMiddle Around (FC 23) or a Hai Tua (FC 43).

Since these tricks and mechanics doesn’t add much in terms of difficulty nor in depth, they usually serve as a way to show alternative/different visuals of the tricks instead.

Fingercrossings forming an ‘O’

One finger is outside another. O-fingercrosses have a peculiar shape to them, which can also be used to create displays and show off interesting structures.

Notation:

As one finger is outside another, a new symbol ("outside off") is used, and the locators for the back (b) and palm (p) sides of the finger also have to be specified to distinguish all types.

For example, an O-type FC involving T and 1 in which the thumb is outside the index finger is [fc Tp>1b]

We can also mix both X-fingercross and O-fingercross together to create more weird positions

As of writing, O-fingercrosses only has 3 main mechanics: -

Mechanics involving a static O-fingercross position

Tricks under this subcategory utilize the O-fingercross shape without making any changes to the O shape itself. Motions derived from a static O-fingercross are pretty straightforward and have the least amount of depth to them.

O-fingercross charges

The pen is placed inside the circle, before moving the hand in a circular motion that causes the pen to rotate inside that circle. These can also be referred to as Blaze Ring, popularized by Freeman, Neoknux_009, Ponkotu, and Lindor. A wiper version of the charge was also popularized recently by Fukrou in WC20

O-fingercross stalls/holds

Stalls involve having the pen being placed inside or outside the circle. On the other hand, holds often require the gripping of the pen using the fingers that are forming the circle.

O-fingercross seasick

A seasick motion is performed while the pen is inside the circle.

O-fingercross aerials

The pen is held inside the circle which is then followed by an aerial motion (usually done by jerking the hand up) that releases the pen outside of the circle.

Mechanics involving the movement of the O-fingercross

Collapse of the O-fingercross

The fingers are first made into an O shape, followed by closing or collapsing the circle. Examples of tricks under this category are taps which utilizes the push resulting from the O-fingercross collapse to rotate the pen

Formation of the O-fingercross

The fingers starts from a straight/neutral position before pushing inwards to make a circle. Examples of tricks under this category are a reverse version of taps mentioned in the Collapse tricks previously.

Merging O-fingercross

The fingers start in a double O-fingercross position. The 2 circles are then merged or combined so that it becomes or atleast be close enough to 1 circle.

FC 2p>4p + 3p>Tp

Threads

Application of the I-O concept together with O-Fingercross.

Applications of Fingercross in other areas

2 handed spinning

As 2h allows for more fingers to be used, more interesting interactions can be made. There are multiple interpretations and approach when integrating fingercross together with 2h spinning.

The most basic and straightforward ones are simply performing fingercross tricks with the non-dominant hand or using transfers that utilizes those tricks.

Another approach is called the 2H Fingercross Fingerstuck, popularised by Sirapob in WT17 R6. This concept involves sticking 1 or more fingers inside the 'hole' made by the cross.

If taken to another step further, 2 or more O-crosses can be joined together forming a 'link'. This can also be combined with threads to add more complexity as shown in Saltient's WT21 R5

FC transfers/Unlinked FCFingerstuck/Linked FCO-Cross Linked and Threads

Isolations

Application of isolation with fingercross can also be interpreted in multiple ways. One common application is using a fingercross trick together with hand motion to isolate one end of the pen. However, isolating the entire pen is also possible by using Uncross Rolls.