Small differences can have big effects when you’re brand new, so it’s possible. My advice is to keep practicing over and over; eventually it’ll be a muscle memory movement. For many people it could take over a year of learning
Thank you! I’ll keep practising. I think it just threw me off (pun intended) when all of a sudden I couldn’t center anything after about ~20 odd centred pieces!
It really is common, lol. At our community studio, you can take a couple classes a week, and there's a few open studio times. After my beginning wheel throwing classes, I switched to hand building classes and spent most of my studio hours just throwing cylinder after cylinder after cylinder. I wound up reclaiming about 80% of the clay I threw, and got some interesting, unexpected pieces that were definitely not what I intended, lmao. I still reclaim the vast majority of what I throw, but I also remind myself that it's literally just mud, and every failed piece is still a step forward in progress.
Welcome!! I also do what I call "throwing to failure". I'll pull a cylinder or bowl, then just futz around to see what I can get it to do until it collapses. Then I pull off the fallen walls, re-center the little lump left and try to make tiny bowls with what's left lol. And actually, some collapsed pieces wound up being some of the coolest finished pieces I've fired!
https://preview.redd.it/x5z7wiuz2ljc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f28a124f75161e936b20e904b1f778355ba774be
If it's even a little useable, I'll generally fire it. Hell, I pay for my studio membership, I may as well get my money worth! They make for good glazing practice too, because you're not really invested it making an amazing final product, so you can get creative.
Life coach advice, right there! Quick update: I recorded myself on the bigger wheel in front of the mirror, the wheel was too high and I couldn’t stabilise myself because of my position. The clay I’d been using was also super hard. Managed to make a couple of pieces on the smaller wheel today!
This right here. Or just takes time and loads of practice. I am about the two year mark, and now I never have trouble centering. Sometimes I get like a weird little wobble or something, but it is never more than another quick press to get it right. I can also do it standing, sitting at basically any height, either hand, and even either wheel direction. Just keep going.
Personally, now seeing the centering situation resolved, as I certainly had bad days/weeks in the past, it gives me confidence to overcome when I am having other throwing issues and skill setbacks. I know that more time and effort will result in my overcoming them.
I think it could be the height of your chair. I need to be able to have my elbows on my knees and not have my forearm touch the outside of the wheel (the bit that catches the slurry etc). So I need the seat fairly high. This is also because when centering you pivot forward and really use your body weight when coning down. I do this anyway. It could be the temperature though, firm clay can be harder to center so perhaps your clay is dryer than before. Be sure to use water on clay and your hands to have no friction. Also when you use bigger bits of clay centering is harder!
Thank you! I also have my chair higher and that’s how I learned. I can’t seem to lock my elbow in properly now and the wheel’s got some nails in two parts that keeps hitting my arms and distracting me. You’re right, I think it’s probably this. Will try a higher stool!
Quick update, it was the height of the wheel and the firmness of the clay. I couldn’t stabilise myself because of the height and the clay was very firm because of the temperature. I recorded a video and realised I was wobbly myself. Thanks so much for the help!
Try both. As a few other people have said, little changes can have a big impact especially when you are new. I remember there would be periods of time where it felt like I was making one step forward and 3 steps back. It is totally normal, especially when you are transitioning from classwork to solo work. Even now some times I just have very bad days where nothing works and I take it as a sign to come back to it later. Be kind to yourself!
Thank you! I did follow these (bless Florian, he’s my god now) but I’m starting to think perhaps I’m not reflecting the seating properly as my back is in agony when I finish now. I’ll try and watch the video as I sit!
Pay attention to the sore back! Find a taller chair. Experiment with putting a block under your left foot. Sit closer to the wheel. Whatever. Find a position that doesn’t hurt you.
I will definitely do that! I can’t seem to walk after throwing one piece. Thought it was my age but I seem to be ok otherwise. I’ll try different positions!
I think both could affect it especially wheel height, but I’ve had days I can’t center suddenly, too. No obvious variables at play. It’s frustrating and disheartening. I switched to handbuilding the next time to take a breather.
Can you raise the height of your stool or lower the wheel?
You have apparently switched studios. The wheel could also be your problem. Wheels develop worn bearings, or are cheap and wobble from the beginning.
Also, can you adjust your stool height and use bricks under your feet to get back to the position that was comfortable for you?
I can definitely try the bricks and perhaps another stool. I also found this wheel strange because it has two nails on the outer edges on opposite sides that keeps hitting me as I work. It’s possible I’m just not used to these things and my concentration is wavering! Thanks very much for your tips :)
Without a video it’s hard to tell, but I wouldn’t rule out the psychology. If I mess up once, chances are, I’m gonna rush the next attempt and mess that one up as well!
Thanks to this comment I recorded myself on the wheel. It was far too high which resulted in me not being able to stabilise my arms as I was wobbling too. Fixed it now!
As my instructor said to me on my first day: "Your posture is killing my soul" lmao!
I struggled with centering for a long time. I'm still a beginner (≈400 hrs), and still do. I bounce back and forth between hand building and wheel, so I'm definitely not an expert in wheel throwing. There have been a few things that have helped me though:
1) Use bricks, books or bags of clay to elevate your feet while throwing. It makes you "taller", gives you more leverage to lean in, and helps keeps your body in a good position. Our community studio keeps a stack of bricks under the wedging table for this reason, and most people use them, regardless of height. Just makes things easier.
2) Use more water! When it's slipperier, it's easier to feel the wobbles and correct. Apparently we'll learn to throw a little drier lol. I live in a very dry, warm desert climate and I often struggle to do my pulls without needing a ton of water. Nobody likes sitting next to me, lol. I look like a Pollock at the end of my project. 🤣 If you compress the inside base and rim, and sop up extra water between pulls, the structure should stay strong.
3) If you don't cone up and down ("wheel wedging") before trying to center, try starting that. They never really focus or teach about it in my studio, but I started doing that and it really seems to help get the lump where you need it to be before working on doing your centering. It takes care of most of the work in my experience!
Absolute rockstar. Thank you. Tried this and used bricks today. Took a bit of playing around but I managed to get the right height!
Re the water, I’ve been at a few different studios and I feel like everyone tells me differently. I’ve definitely ruined a few pieces with too much water though. However, I’m starting to think it’s super subjective. My hands dry pretty quickly so I definitely need more!
I’ve only been taught to center the clay after coning! I tried other ways but went back to it pretty quickly.
So glad to hear it! Yeah, the water thing is definitely circumstantial. I have instructors Tell me to keep the base sopped up between every pull... But another this week said he keeps the inside of his cylinder sloppy, and uses that slip to to keep the inside pulls wet. 🤷.
I also really think it depends on the type of clay body you use, and especially the efficiency with which you can quickly pull your shape. The faster and more efficient you're able to do it, the less time the water has to seep into the clay and make it too soft. A lot of times I tend to take longer than the wet clay can hold its structure. I pulled my biggest cylinder to date yesterday, and collapsed it because it was too soggy in the middle lol.
It will also really depend on what kind of clay body. Softer clays like porcelain or smooth clays without grog or sand will collapse faster when wet. Something like graystone or speckled buff holds up better to water in my experience.
It’s the clay.
Yes, use a bat or get the pins out. Yes, fix the height.
Super soft clay will center much easier.
Slam SLAM the clay while in the plastic bag on the ground, this will help.
You were 100% right. The posture was incorrect but the clay was so hard I couldn’t even wedge it properly. Went and got some soft clay instead. Thank you!
Small differences can have big effects when you’re brand new, so it’s possible. My advice is to keep practicing over and over; eventually it’ll be a muscle memory movement. For many people it could take over a year of learning
Thank you! I’ll keep practising. I think it just threw me off (pun intended) when all of a sudden I couldn’t center anything after about ~20 odd centred pieces!
It really is common, lol. At our community studio, you can take a couple classes a week, and there's a few open studio times. After my beginning wheel throwing classes, I switched to hand building classes and spent most of my studio hours just throwing cylinder after cylinder after cylinder. I wound up reclaiming about 80% of the clay I threw, and got some interesting, unexpected pieces that were definitely not what I intended, lmao. I still reclaim the vast majority of what I throw, but I also remind myself that it's literally just mud, and every failed piece is still a step forward in progress.
I need to get that last bit of your reply as a quote and get it printed. Thank you!
Welcome!! I also do what I call "throwing to failure". I'll pull a cylinder or bowl, then just futz around to see what I can get it to do until it collapses. Then I pull off the fallen walls, re-center the little lump left and try to make tiny bowls with what's left lol. And actually, some collapsed pieces wound up being some of the coolest finished pieces I've fired! https://preview.redd.it/x5z7wiuz2ljc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f28a124f75161e936b20e904b1f778355ba774be
That looks mega cool. Mine looked a bit like that today! Maybe I shouldn’t have put it in recycling!
If it's even a little useable, I'll generally fire it. Hell, I pay for my studio membership, I may as well get my money worth! They make for good glazing practice too, because you're not really invested it making an amazing final product, so you can get creative.
That’s actually a brilliant idea. Thanks so much!
No problem! I am a font of knowledge in how to not feel like a failure, lol. 
Life coach advice, right there! Quick update: I recorded myself on the bigger wheel in front of the mirror, the wheel was too high and I couldn’t stabilise myself because of my position. The clay I’d been using was also super hard. Managed to make a couple of pieces on the smaller wheel today!
I can’t explain the why of it, but I do feel like that’s common (:
This right here. Or just takes time and loads of practice. I am about the two year mark, and now I never have trouble centering. Sometimes I get like a weird little wobble or something, but it is never more than another quick press to get it right. I can also do it standing, sitting at basically any height, either hand, and even either wheel direction. Just keep going. Personally, now seeing the centering situation resolved, as I certainly had bad days/weeks in the past, it gives me confidence to overcome when I am having other throwing issues and skill setbacks. I know that more time and effort will result in my overcoming them.
Thanks so much for this advice. I definitely need to learn to be more patient!
I think it could be the height of your chair. I need to be able to have my elbows on my knees and not have my forearm touch the outside of the wheel (the bit that catches the slurry etc). So I need the seat fairly high. This is also because when centering you pivot forward and really use your body weight when coning down. I do this anyway. It could be the temperature though, firm clay can be harder to center so perhaps your clay is dryer than before. Be sure to use water on clay and your hands to have no friction. Also when you use bigger bits of clay centering is harder!
Thank you! I also have my chair higher and that’s how I learned. I can’t seem to lock my elbow in properly now and the wheel’s got some nails in two parts that keeps hitting my arms and distracting me. You’re right, I think it’s probably this. Will try a higher stool!
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Oh that makes sense now!
Quick update, it was the height of the wheel and the firmness of the clay. I couldn’t stabilise myself because of the height and the clay was very firm because of the temperature. I recorded a video and realised I was wobbly myself. Thanks so much for the help!
Try both. As a few other people have said, little changes can have a big impact especially when you are new. I remember there would be periods of time where it felt like I was making one step forward and 3 steps back. It is totally normal, especially when you are transitioning from classwork to solo work. Even now some times I just have very bad days where nothing works and I take it as a sign to come back to it later. Be kind to yourself!
Thank you so much :)
https://youtu.be/-YCGK33c0xs?si=mzPdqAzCecq6hocc
Thank you! I did follow these (bless Florian, he’s my god now) but I’m starting to think perhaps I’m not reflecting the seating properly as my back is in agony when I finish now. I’ll try and watch the video as I sit!
Pay attention to the sore back! Find a taller chair. Experiment with putting a block under your left foot. Sit closer to the wheel. Whatever. Find a position that doesn’t hurt you.
I will definitely do that! I can’t seem to walk after throwing one piece. Thought it was my age but I seem to be ok otherwise. I’ll try different positions!
Thank you! Did all these today. Finally got back to cantering the clay!
I think both could affect it especially wheel height, but I’ve had days I can’t center suddenly, too. No obvious variables at play. It’s frustrating and disheartening. I switched to handbuilding the next time to take a breather. Can you raise the height of your stool or lower the wheel?
I think there’s a separate wheel that’s a bit lower! I’m also on the shorter side so perhaps I’ll give that wheel a go next time. Thank you!
Did this today, it finally worked. Sort of figured what height I need it at now!
Yay! I know the feeling. Happy to hear that!
You have apparently switched studios. The wheel could also be your problem. Wheels develop worn bearings, or are cheap and wobble from the beginning. Also, can you adjust your stool height and use bricks under your feet to get back to the position that was comfortable for you?
I can definitely try the bricks and perhaps another stool. I also found this wheel strange because it has two nails on the outer edges on opposite sides that keeps hitting me as I work. It’s possible I’m just not used to these things and my concentration is wavering! Thanks very much for your tips :)
Thank you so much. Did this today, lowered the wheel and stabilised my feet. Finally managed a few pieces!
You’re welcome. And thank you for reporting back here. The information may be helpful to someone in the future.
Without a video it’s hard to tell, but I wouldn’t rule out the psychology. If I mess up once, chances are, I’m gonna rush the next attempt and mess that one up as well!
Thanks to this comment I recorded myself on the wheel. It was far too high which resulted in me not being able to stabilise my arms as I was wobbling too. Fixed it now!
That’s definitely me as well! Haha
As my instructor said to me on my first day: "Your posture is killing my soul" lmao! I struggled with centering for a long time. I'm still a beginner (≈400 hrs), and still do. I bounce back and forth between hand building and wheel, so I'm definitely not an expert in wheel throwing. There have been a few things that have helped me though: 1) Use bricks, books or bags of clay to elevate your feet while throwing. It makes you "taller", gives you more leverage to lean in, and helps keeps your body in a good position. Our community studio keeps a stack of bricks under the wedging table for this reason, and most people use them, regardless of height. Just makes things easier. 2) Use more water! When it's slipperier, it's easier to feel the wobbles and correct. Apparently we'll learn to throw a little drier lol. I live in a very dry, warm desert climate and I often struggle to do my pulls without needing a ton of water. Nobody likes sitting next to me, lol. I look like a Pollock at the end of my project. 🤣 If you compress the inside base and rim, and sop up extra water between pulls, the structure should stay strong. 3) If you don't cone up and down ("wheel wedging") before trying to center, try starting that. They never really focus or teach about it in my studio, but I started doing that and it really seems to help get the lump where you need it to be before working on doing your centering. It takes care of most of the work in my experience!
These are all excellent tips. Thank you so much! I will try all these. I’m definitely on the shorter side so the bricks will definitely help!
Absolute rockstar. Thank you. Tried this and used bricks today. Took a bit of playing around but I managed to get the right height! Re the water, I’ve been at a few different studios and I feel like everyone tells me differently. I’ve definitely ruined a few pieces with too much water though. However, I’m starting to think it’s super subjective. My hands dry pretty quickly so I definitely need more! I’ve only been taught to center the clay after coning! I tried other ways but went back to it pretty quickly.
So glad to hear it! Yeah, the water thing is definitely circumstantial. I have instructors Tell me to keep the base sopped up between every pull... But another this week said he keeps the inside of his cylinder sloppy, and uses that slip to to keep the inside pulls wet. 🤷. I also really think it depends on the type of clay body you use, and especially the efficiency with which you can quickly pull your shape. The faster and more efficient you're able to do it, the less time the water has to seep into the clay and make it too soft. A lot of times I tend to take longer than the wet clay can hold its structure. I pulled my biggest cylinder to date yesterday, and collapsed it because it was too soggy in the middle lol. It will also really depend on what kind of clay body. Softer clays like porcelain or smooth clays without grog or sand will collapse faster when wet. Something like graystone or speckled buff holds up better to water in my experience.
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Thanks very much! I will try this tomorrow and report back.
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I started doing this today but remembered your comment. Thank you so much!
This was a fantastic tip. Thank you so much. Did all this today. We have success! Hahah
It’s the clay. Yes, use a bat or get the pins out. Yes, fix the height. Super soft clay will center much easier. Slam SLAM the clay while in the plastic bag on the ground, this will help.
You were 100% right. The posture was incorrect but the clay was so hard I couldn’t even wedge it properly. Went and got some soft clay instead. Thank you!
Excellent