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Rufio. Put away the mirror and go out and perform. You are over thinking things. If you are doing the French Drop, hold the object in your finger tips. With the other hand reach out and take the object, (not) let the object do its thing, then move along with the routine. If you worry about it, so will the spectators. Want another example. Hold the object at the base of the fingers. Tilt your hand into the other transfering the object. This time do it again only this time put your thumb on the object so it doesn't move. Just do it forget the worry, forget the mirror, forget being perfect. Just engage the audience and continue with the effect.

It will be okay. I promise. Besides you may as well heed my advice. You can practice in front of a mirror, in front of a camera all you want. Once you are in front of somebody, the game changes.

Read Alan Tipton's post on the previous page, everything you need to know is there.

Mirrors are a good thing in moderation. I did hear one alleged disadvantage of it though. Apparently it is supposed to make blinking when you do a move in front of people more likely. I have never come across this but there is the theory for what it is worth. With regard to the French Drop try this. MOVE the left hand towards the right as you do the move. It makes it twice as deceptive. Retention of vision or something I know not what but it works.

mark lewis wrote: With regard to the French Drop try this. MOVE the left hand towards the right as you do the move. It makes it twice as deceptive. Retention of vision or something I know not what but it works.

Thanks for this, Mark. I really love these kind of tips.

Great tip, I found I did move the left to the right slightly in any case, but that was based on extended mirror time of seeing how things looked when performing a real transfer.

I think the reason it works is because if genuinely doing a transfer, both hands wouldn't be so rigid. I used to look down on the French Drop as a childish basic move, but when done right it's really satisfying.

Yes, I generally do always go out and perform, often after only a few minutes practice, very much like the Wizard Product Review cliche of "I opened this up 5 mins ago and can do it already", but chop cup has been the only exception in several years of magic buying. However, to add to what bmat said, it was only going out and performing it I realised that my carefully considered patter about short term memory loss and forgetting how the ball was under the cup was overly flowery - sometimes a spectator just wants that instant gratification, rather than a 30 second waffley premise.

Definitely agree about mirror time in moderation.