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Hi, i recently purchased Lennart Green's videos (Green Magic) and I think he's one of the best around, but I'm having serious problems duplicating some of his moves, especially hot shot. Trying to perform it, i can't barely move the top card of the deck...are you supposed to let the thumb go and continue pressing with the index and pinky? And if it is like that, how does the card reach such a speed? The pressure you put won't let the cards travel so fast ( I think). Please point me out some tips of improvement...the hot shot is one of the best sleights I've seen and I'm so frustrated because I can't do anything with the deck

it defeated me too...i've actually given up on that one...

though on the URBAN (richard bellars) dvd he teaches his version - when i saw it, i not only laughed, i also cursed myelf for not thinking of it...very good dvd that..

I don't think Lennart explains it especially well on the video. I will give tips as best as I can.
Grip the outer end of the deck quite firmly between the thumb and the forefinger. The deck should be high up on the thumb and finger which should be gripping it very close to the outer end of the deck. The pressure exerted between the thumb and the finger will help with speed and distance. The grip does not change while executing the move. Keep that grip.
The little finger should contact the top card very close to the inner right corner. If it's not close enough to the corner the card will flop in a pathetic looking fashion! Ideally the pas of the little finger should come more or less diagonally across the corner. Now, flick the card off while remembering to maintin the grip pressure. After a few hundred attempts you should be getting there.
Catching the card takes a bit longer.

If you're still having trouble I recommend getting hold of Ian Kendalls B*st*rd Hard Moves Made Easy (slight misnomer), which is authorised by LG and explaines the Topshot better than the man himself did.
Good luck.

I really hurt my pinkie practicing this move; so prepare for some pain.

... there is not much more to it than Lennart explains. Just few weeks/months of everyday practice and pain in the little finger.

Pain? Months? Not for me. I can't say I found it easy but after about four or five hours of practice (altogether) I was hitting it about 85%, but catching it consistently took quite a bit longer. It surprises you at first how early you need to start the catching action. Anyway, I'm certainly not a natural and I think it takes me longer than average to pick up new moves and sleights.
Hmmm....maybe if Lennart explained it better, it wouldn't have taken you months? I had the benefit of watching Kostya Kimlat do it at a convention and picked up tips that don't come across in Green Magic. I love Lennart's videos in general though. Sometimes I watch them just to hear him say 'pin-ki' and 'shar-phl'.

...i've watched that dvd so many times i can now do a fairly good vocal impression of Mr. Green, if only my hands could emulate him too...

i occasionally amuse myself by pronouncing it "pin-kay" too...

i salute you Charles!

I practiced it for a while, and could do it.
It was not as fast as Lennart, but the card was shooting off.
I personally think it is all down to practice. Look at when you started card magic. I am sure you could barely get a DL... And now you can get one without thinking about it or looking at your hands...

Hmm, I didn't find it especially hard either. Practice is certainly necessary but unless I just stumbled upon a knack I wouldn't have expected much pain.

nickj wrote:Hmm, I didn't find it especially hard either. Practice is certainly necessary but unless I just stumbled upon a knack I wouldn't have expected much pain.

I guess it depends on the hands...

Is this is taught on volume 1 as part of the F.I.S.M routine?

I'm yet to dive into Green magic, but chrismas is coming.

It is taught on volume 1. Not all of the FISM routine is taught on disk 1 though, and not everything taught on disk 1 is in the FISM routine. The performance is on there though.

There's some very good material on the Green Magic disks. On the downside, volume 1 isn't that easy to navigate due to some clarifications being in a tacked-on section at the end of the video, most of it is very difficult and some of it is very particular to Mr Green's style and will be of limited use to a lot of people. Having said that I still think they're worth the money if you've got the time to put in.

Just got Vol 1,

Woah...his move is hard!

I will master it though.