School reminiscences, hypnotizing a cotton spool?

Question

thank you! Our teacher once showed us the following trick;

Set up:

♠a common cotton spool on its side can be rolling freely on the desk;

♣the teacher is holding one end of soft cotton wound around the spool;

♦just pulling at the cotton he could ‘talk’ the spool into push- or pull-rolling on his own will;

we tried to repeat this trick and kept failing, unless he was holding your hand in his, transmitting mesmerizing energy;

♥ has anyone here similar mesmerizing abilities? Can you prove them?

Answer 1

Rest assured it was not any "mesmerizing" ability, just pure physics. It has a lot to do with the angle at which you are pulling on the thread. See the link.

Answer 2

Seems 2 me that T R gave u the right answer :D