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ok... I'm going back to basics... having just bought my very first "TT" and a set of 4 sponge balls, i've decided that im going to ditch most of the "packet effects" or coin gimmicks and TRY to become a pure sleights dude, now this may or may not take a while but after reading both the "practical encyclopedia of magic" by Nic Einhorn and Mark Wilsons "Cyclopedia" which both have sections or effects using sponge balls then i thought "why not give it a go?" will keep you posted but if anyone has tips on either sponges or TT's then let me know

I have a few tips for using the TT, which although I am by no means an expert - I am at least fairly confident now that I can get through a routine with out any suspicion.

Initially I was told that you just didn't have to worry about it. It could be bright green and no one would spot it. Sadly I found this not to be totally true.

The main problem for me was that as I was so sure that someone would notice it, i was consequently not being totally natural and so was creating a "tell". ie - something the audience notices isn't quite right - they may not even be sure what they have seen, but they know that something funny was going on.

Obviously the main way to get better with being natural is just lots of experience - but as I didn't have that there are a few techniques that I found work well. These give me the confidence I need that it is not so likely to be seen, and consequently my body language probably now gives it away less.

I'm not sure where these tips came - from. I'd love to give the proper credit to whoever deserves it - but I honestly don't remember - so sorry.

a) When pushing a silk/cigarette/lemon/aardvark into the fist to make it disappear - don't just use the thumb to press it home. Start with the middle or third finger work your way along using each finger in turn - and DONT end with the thumb, always do a couple more prods with the index or third finger before saying "That should do it".

b) Once the fist has been unloaded, this is were all the focus should be. It's nice to show the TT hand as being empty but you don't want to bring too much attention to it. Some advice I was given was to keep it moving - but for me that takes the focus off of the now empty fist, so I don't like making it too busy. Remeber everyone thinks you have just pushed the silk in the hand they don't even realise any magic has happened yet.

incidently this brings up another point. I try not to say I am going to vanish the item before I have pushed it into the hand. I only say that after I have already stolen the silk out.

or in another example, when vanishing a lit cigarette - they are happy to believe that the magic is you stubbing out the cigarrette in your fist. They aren't even looking for it to disappear at that point, so don't tell them until you have done the work.

c) Mandrake -(I think) suggested a good tip, in that once the silk/aardvark etc has been stolen out the fist, reach into the top pocket to remove a wand or a playing card (and if appropriate you can also ditch the TT) and use the wand (or playing card as a wand) to wave over the fist to make the magic happen.

I like this one a lot. If you have anything else in the TT hand it certainly makes the TT more invisible. Maybe just pick up a glass of water and take a sip. Pick up a pencil from the table and use that as the wand. In all cases by having something innocent in the hand you are actually showing it to be empty but without drawing attention to it.

d) The silk to panties routine involves the TT hand having to go back in a pocket - but I try not to do this until after the fist has been shown empty. Otherwise people remember the move - and then later believe that that was how i made it disappear.

But what to do with the TT hand?

my favourite move is to let it hang by my side, the the thumb just brushed up against my trousers. Try it. This is actually an extremely natural position and the thumb is totally out of view, but the apparently empty hand is clearly visible at all times.

e) misdirection with misdirection (courtesy of Tommy Cooper).
Say something like "I will now make the silk disappear - but please keep your eyes firmly focused on the left [fist] hand. I will be of course trying to distract you. This is called misdirection. please don't be fooled by it."

At this point reach into your jacket and remove a rubber chicken. Hold it out at arms length as far away as possible from the left hand. Shake it and say "don't watch the chicken!"

incidently that would probably work with a plastic aardvark too.

In c) above it was a playing card - lots of cover to ditch!

I've literally just received a small booklet, 101 TT Tricks (actually 103 as there are 2 bonus tricks at the end). I don't see it on emagictricks but it's on cards4magic. £2.50 gets you a very wide assortment. I've only had a quick scan through but it looks very promising!

Only problem I've spotted with the 101 TT Tricks book is that it seems to be just one or two tricks but with 100 different props! Saying that though, I haven't read it from cover to cover so it might have a few ideas in it that you haven't thought of and for £2.50 you can't go wrong.

Nick

Nick is quite right but then again, a TT is a simple device with only a few basic properties so it's all in the use and the extras you can involve.

One thing I've just read (at the start of the book, of course!) is that the basic hanky vanish where all the digits are thrust into the fist in turn doesn't have to be the only way. There's a method whereby only one finger is thrust in and that's it. the usual effect takes place and it's as sneaky as anything! That was worth £2.50 to me and the routines from Lance Burton and so on are excellent. I'll try and do a review when I've had a proper read through.

The primary thing to remember about using TTs is to learn to focus attention to the point of the vanish, not to the thumb which does the steal.

It is quite easy to show the hand with the TT loaded to be empty, and if the fist in which the vanished object remains closed, all attention is there.

It is IMPERATIVE that the TT fits well, and also that you keep the bearings and rotation correct, i.e. the nail side is always where it should be!!! This can lead to a very deformed looking thumb!!!

The actual loading of the TT onto the 'stealing' hand should be practiced in a mirror. For example - take a silk, and just watch yourself pushing the silk into the fist. Notice how fluidly you do it WITHOUT a TT... now all you need do is mimic these actions WITH the TT.

It is a VERY big mistake to use every finger, because in real life, you just would not need to. Try THUMB, then MIDDLE. That's all I use. The thumb steals, then the middle is done with an open hand. This shows categorically that the hand is empty.

This method applies to all magic... when learning a sleight, practice how the REAL move looks before applying the sleight... i.e. false shuffles... cuts... false deals... etc.

The whole essence of real magic is in the performance. You need to feel comfortable. Cards, for instance, work much better for you if you 'get to know them'. Coins are the same... just PLAY with a half dollar in your breaks, learn it's weight, learn it's movements. Same with cards - learn their flexibility, their weight...

And the TT is no different... learn how you use your thumb in REAL LIFE without the TT, and this will guide you when making natural moves WITH the TT.

I think that's a good word I just used - NATURAL. As Mog says, packet tricks, gimmicks and the like are fine - but the REAL magic is the magic that comes naturally.

As for Sponge Balls - there are SO many things to be done! I used to be really into sponge magic, and I've still got some somewhere.

The standard rules apply: keep them neatly, moisten them slightly before performance to give them shape and keep them soft, and try and learn the tolerances.

The standard 'multiplying' sponge ball routines can be done in many ways - most of which DON'T involve the shell-gimmick. Be creative with them. They are very, very visual - and quite easy to conceal.

The moistening helps the elasticity - so no matter how much you squish them up - they will spring into life when needed.

I'm a very firm believer in 'purist' magic, and I'd be happy to share thoughts with anyone - as I'm learning all the time!

Seige - I agree with most of what you say there, but I'm not totaly convinced by:-

It is a VERY big mistake to use every finger, because in real life, you just would not need to. Try THUMB, then MIDDLE.

I agree 100% with trying to mimic how you would do it without the TT, but my personal feeling is that without the TT you would probably just use the index finger.

So my next reasoning was that if you use the index finger, switch to thumb then switch back to index finger, (showing hand still empty) then this could look a little odd. Undue attention on why the sudden switch to the thumb.

by walking through the fingers. Middle, Index and thumb and back to index (showing the hand still empty) - then (imvho) I believe this to actually be a little more natural.

In saying that - I bow to your much greater experience and readily admit that I am still learning so much with the TT and in fact all aspects of magic.

Thats why places such as this are so fundamentally useful as discussions like this can take place.

I will have to try both methods with my "lovely assistant", the wife (she already knows about the TT) and see which ways looks more natural, although that isn't a great test as it would be difficult to say what looks most natural when you know full well neither way is natural.

Personally, when I vanish a silk (rarely) I feed it into the fist, pushing alternatly with index finger and thumb, finishing with the thumb and doing the business, then after a momentary pause just to upset the rythm I push it down with both index and middle fingers together. I think this way that it looks more natural.

Having said that I usually use a TT for stuff where the job it does is not even noticed, such as money morph style stuff.

Talking of sponge ball tips. I don't have any as I only do one thing with sponge at the moment and that is the "multiplying bunnies". Believe me, this is a good place to start as it is probably the easiest sponge magic in the world.

If you want some good sponge routines though I have a few suggestions.

a). Daryl's "Peter Rabbit Hits the Big Time"
This is on his "foolers Doolers" vol 3, and is effectively another working of the multiplying bunnies. The rabbits aren't as cute, but the routine is stronger.

http://www.alakazam.co.uk/acatalog/Videos_27.html#a865

Alternatively you can order the bunnies and routine separately from daryls site. ($10)

http://www.foolerdoolers.com/store/default.asp

Talking of "foolersdoolers", there is a more classic sponge routine on foolers doolers 1.

b) If you are looking for a more conventional routine with sponge balls, (that includes using that timeless classic - "the purse frame") then there is (imho) only one routine out there. Scott F. Guinns "Peanut, Butter and Jelly"

Either check out the "Great Scott it's magic DVD" or if you want all th ebits that are necessary. (purse frame, 3 balls and a sanada gimmick, then you can get this directly from his web site.

http://www.greatscott-itsmagic.com/routines.html

(as usual, the original thread gets slightly diverted and I'm shoving it even further off course!)

Talking of rabbits, in my goodie bag of stuff received this morning were 12 cute little plush rabbits (from cards4magic) and the intention was to use them as a running gag with the two larger rabbits - put two together and you know what rabbits do etc - and keep pulling a small rabbit out until there's a whole load of them. The quality of these rabbits is excellent and they are proper little plush toys, CE marked and everything. At £10.50 for 12 they might be a bit pricey for giveaways unless you're getting a big fat payment for the night.

However, they do lend themselves to a very old and corny gag - especially for folks like me who are follically challenged (bald!). Just attach six or more rabbits to a skull cap, an old baseball cap trimmed down to suit or whatever, shove the thing on your head and tell them (with a pause for the groans) "I usually wear this because from a distance they look like hares." All this assumes you don't mind losing your credibility as a serious magician or that you have a real whammy of a trick to follow which will restore such credibility. There's a possibility that you could put the individual rabbits into a change bag, do the switch and produce the rabbit wig (much to the surprise of all concerned) and go for the joke.

Also, and now I'm getting back to the earlier posting a bit, the same could be done with any surplus sponge rabbits you may have or may acquire. Just don't use sponge balls or the King Dong sponge item - it's not nice being called a d*ckhead - and I should know!

okey dokey.

vanishing a cigarette after you've lifted it take your hand up to eye level and grouch a bit as if your hand is on fire naturaly it must be, wile winceing grab from your pocket a small sqeeze bottle or jif lemon and sqeeze water on your hand to put the fire out .

after the vanish place thumb behind fingers and extend first finger and use this to point at closed fist tapping fleshy base by little finger, this is natural misdirection works well aslo when you want to vanish a sponge ball by placeing it in you left fist fplm in right useing thumb to stedy and point.

then you can take the second sponge from the spec and givr it to the third, all dirty trick stuff done just rinse and repeat.

billy nice post keep them comeing like this and you could sway people in your favour, did i pm you about the age and experience code yet??.

i myself rarely use slights apart from a few basics as it dosn't make comercial sense to knock yourself out every day with slights no one is going to see hopefully anyway.

misdirection and psycology play a big part in close up magic as well as great technique, just remember if its not to bee seen then dont show it.