Familiarize yourself with the way the followspot moves in the rotating yoke. A high quality instrument has a smooth and silent motion and is able to shoot a pool of light to all parts of the stage. If the barrel is restricted, reposition the instrument to regain full range-of-motion. If the yoke creaks or squeaks, apply non-flammable lubricant to the joints.
Test any control devices found on the followspot. All models will feature at least a douser, an iris, and a color "boomerang." These devices are used to open and close the "eye" of the instrument instantly (douser), gradually (iris), or can impart a mood with colored gels. These effects should be implemented without unnecessary noise or jerkiness.
Practice stability. There is nothing worse than a "jerky" followspot performance. Once the beam strikes the actor, it must remain fixed without noticeable tremor until the actor moves. When movement begins, the spot light must travel fluidly. Followspot "following" should be like a smooth waltz between the performer on stage and the beam of light. Beginners can stabilize their "shots" by hugging the follow spot barrel as close to their body as the heat of the instrument will allow until more experience is acquired.
Learn to "cover." Illuminate the whole actor; don't cut off the actor's head or knees by pointing the light too low or too high. If a second actor enters the scene, "cover" both actors with a larger pool of light by widening the iris. More than one followspot is often required to provide adequate coverage in multi-person scenes.
Learn to "lead." A good followspot operator knows where the actor is going to be on the stage at any given moment throughout the entire scene. The followspot is aimed just slightly ahead of the actor so that as the actor steps forward, he always steps into the beam. This slight "leading" should be imperceptible to the audience.
Learn to aim. When the douser or iris of the followspot is opened, the beam must already be trained on the correct target; it can never open in the wrong spot on stage and then moved to the actor's position. Take aim with the help of a gun sight attached to the barrel until experience makes aiming without a gun sight possible.