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what is the best way to practice the classic force?

is this has been covered in another topic please point me in the right direction. i searched for a bit but didn't see anything that covered this.

The classic (forgive the pun) advice -- and it's very, very good advice -- is simply to practice it whenever you have a card selected. You can either practice it when performing an effect that doesn't require a classic force, or you try one that DOES depend on the classic force, but if you miss, go into a different effect. Have a backup in mind, so you don't get flustered, i.e. intend to do effect X, which requires the classic force, but if you miss, you'll do an ambitious card routine.

Using the classic force when you don't need to serves two very useful purposes -- it gives you real-world experience trying it out on laymen, and it takes all the heat and pressure off of you during your learning curve. The less worried you are about hitting it, the more likely you are to hit it; the best way to worry less about it is to use it when nothing bad will happen when you miss.

LobowolfXXX wrote:The classic (forgive the pun) advice -- and it's very, very good advice -- is simply to practice it whenever you have a card selected. You can either practice it when performing an effect that doesn't require a classic force, or you try one that DOES depend on the classic force, but if you miss, go into a different effect. Have a backup in mind, so you don't get flustered, I.e. intend to do effect X, which requires the classic force, but if you miss, you'll do an ambitious card routine.

Using the classic force when you don't need to serves two very useful purposes -- it gives you real-world experience trying it out on laymen, and it takes all the heat and pressure off of you during your learning curve. The less worried you are about hitting it, the more likely you are to hit it; the best way to worry less about it is to use it when nothing bad will happen when you miss.

I would also suggest just use it when doing tricks that don't require a force at all, that way the outcome of the force really doesn't matter. It would allow you to focus on the force itself (even though it doesn't matter) and not have to also be thinking about your "out" effect if the force goes wrong. You wills start to see the confidence climb and then you can start moving it into effects as a force itself

There was a long thread on here about it somewhere in connection with the Paul Green DVD on the subject.

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic11864-0-asc-0.php

That's probably the one Mark means, as I see he made some detailed contributions to it. Paul Green himself showed up too.

Kemo,

Just Classic all the time. If its taken, you have a miracle, if not, have it put back in the deck, bring it to the top or bottom and reveal it by one of your favourite methods. That takes the pressure off because you know you have a result either way.

When you're playing cards.

But seriously, just like lobowolf said, practice it whenever you have a spec select a card and if you get caught, no biggie, move onto another trick.

Not sure if I'm telling people stuff they already know but I thought I'd add this as I could see it on this or the Paul Green Classic Force thread...

When I first started learning the classic force I made note of the top and bottom card before cutting to the classic force start position. As most people said, if you aren't doing a specific effect requiring a force then it wont matter... But knowing both cards you can then see which method suits you best based on your success rate and then fine tune that (either classic forcing from the top or bottom of the deck).

I also find it quite easy to spread through the cards with them facing the spectator and have them call "stop" where they like and 99% of the time they're looking at a choice of 2 cards, both of which I know. Surfire miracle on your hands there.

All the tips above make sense and I've added another element for you to think about before you start practising. The last thing I was going to add, which is consistent on all the posts is you must practise practise practise. Every time you have a card selected, as Tenko said, try the classic force, if it doesn't work, so what.. You were going to control it and reveal it without the need for a force anyhow!

Good luck