A method for controlling a thread-laying device having two impellers (26, 28) which can be driven in opposite directions, in order to move a thread to be wound onto a rotating spool back and forth between two reversal points (U 1, U 2) along the longitudinal axis of the spool by means of a traversing movement having a nominal stroke width (H S) which deviates from a basic stroke width (H N) of the thread-laying device, comprising the following steps: a) defining a respective axial position of the reversal points (U 1, U 2) of the nominal stroke width (H S) of the traversing movement of the thread relative to the longitudinal spool axis; b) calculating a theoretical constant compensation angular velocity (V C) at which the respective idle stroke executing impeller (26, 28), i.e. the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) would have to be moved during an idle stroke interval (T L) in order to take over the thread from the respective thread-guiding other impeller (26, 28) at the following reversal point (U 1, U 2) of the traversing movement; characterized in that the method further comprises the following steps: c) calculating an overcompensation angular velocity (V OC) of the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) during a first sub-interval (T L1) of the idle stroke interval (T L) based on the theoretical compensation angular velocity (V C); d) driving the electric motor of the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) such that it is driven at the overcompensation angular velocity (V OC) during the first temporal subinterval (T L1); subsequently e) adjusting the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) from the over-compensation angular velocity (V OC) to a predetermined working angular velocity (V W) at the following reversal point (U 1, U 2) of the traversing movement during a second sub-interval (T L2) of the idle stroke interval (T L) following the first sub-interval (T L1), in order to take over the thread with the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) from the thread-guiding other impeller (26, 28) at the next reversal point (U 1, U 2) of the traversing movement at the predetermined working angular velocity (V W); and f) repeating steps b) - e) for moving the thread back and forth with the predetermined nominal stroke width (H S) relative to the spool. a) defining a respective axial position of the reversal points (U 1, U 2) of the nominal stroke width (H S) of the traversing movement of the thread relative to the longitudinal spool axis; b) calculating a theoretical constant compensation angular velocity (V C) at which the respective idle stroke executing impeller (26, 28), i.e. the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) would have to be moved during an idle stroke interval (T L) in order to take over the thread from the respective thread-guiding other impeller (26, 28) at the following reversal point (U 1, U 2) of the traversing movement; c) calculating an overcompensation angular velocity (V OC) of the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) during a first sub-interval (T L1) of the idle stroke interval (T L) based on the theoretical compensation angular velocity (V C); d) driving the electric motor of the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) such that it is driven at the overcompensation angular velocity (V OC) during the first temporal subinterval (T L1); subsequently e) adjusting the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) from the over-compensation angular velocity (V OC) to a predetermined working angular velocity (V W) at the following reversal point (U 1, U 2) of the traversing movement during a second sub-interval (T L2) of the idle stroke interval (T L) following the first sub-interval (T L1), in order to take over the thread with the idle stroke impeller (26, 28) from the thread-guiding other impeller (26, 28) at the next reversal point (U 1, U 2) of the traversing movement at the predetermined working angular velocity (V W); and f) repeating steps b) - e) for moving the thread back and forth with the predetermined nominal stroke width (H S) relative to the spool.