talkmagic.co.uk

I've recently changed from a cheap chop cup to one of the morrissey ones, and while it's much better for loading I'm having a few snags with the, er, 'magic' of it ( trying to avoid exposure!! )

It's happened a couple of times in practice, but thought I had it sorted. However at a gig last night I had a problem on the first 3 tables where the 'magic' was a bit too powerful and it took 2 or 3 goes for the ball to appear. from my 4th table onwards I ws doing it on a placemat rather than the table and this seemed to help.

Is this making sense?? I've confused myself.

Any tips on weakening the cup a bit, or any other ways to get round it??

Cheers

The set I use is the Bazaar De Magica one which has caused me no problem, but I have to replace to the cup down with a little force to get it to 'work'.

This is indeed a common thing... rather than 'slamming' to make it work, you can flick your wrist in such a way that rotary motion helps too.

It's knacky, but indeed it is rather embarrasing when it won't shift!

Then again, I've had cheapies too, which are a pain in the butt in the opposite direction... i.e. they won't 'grab'...

Keep at it... it can be a right bobby dazzler!

Also, bear in mind the 'chopless' chop cup methods... PM me for details... there's a couple of ways of achieving it which are more controllable than a standard chop cup.

Thanks both! It is the trick that in my opinion gets THE best reactions from lay people, but last night I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me! I'd only taken my old chop cup out of my clsoe up case that morning as well to make room for a telescopic mirror!!

I'll give that wrist flick a go in practice and see how that goes, if not I may resort to something like Obie O Briens Dollar plate as a chopless chop cup routine, or dig my cheap cup out again!

I always find that a little flick is enough to make the chop cup magic happen.

Seige is right about the chopless chop cups too, a nice method that's well worth looking into. I've not used an actual chop cup since comming across that idea. Makes things much easier to control if you do it that way.

The chopless chop cup I sometimes use is impressive to a layperson as it can be done impromptu with a borrowed cup. It uses an object you probably already own.

A cup without the "magic" is definitely the way to go. (Check out the handling of Jiggernaut.)
But an overly strong cup is not uncommon; even the late Doug Henning had to slam it down, on his TV special.
I had trouble with the cup being too strong until I stuck a transparent plastic disc in the inside bottom (you'll have to experiment to find out how thick it should be to counteract the strength of the 'magic'.)

By 'chopless chop-cup' I assume you mean a cups and balls routine with just one cup? Where can I find that? My chop cup is awesome, but, to do something similar, impromptu, would be amazing.

Paul Daniels does his famous Chop Cup routine on a piece of cardboard placed over the open top of his stand. It's just a piece of card off the back of an A4 pad of paper but there's a flexibility about it which helps to disguise the tap down so it looks like the placing down.

Zack wrote:By 'chopless chop-cup' I assume you mean a cups and balls routine with just one cup? Where can I find that? My chop cup is awesome, but, to do something similar, impromptu, would be amazing.

You can't do a cups routine with just one cup! Now that WOULD be magic!

Using the 'chopless' principle, you can use paper cups, etc. in impromptu situation

Mandrake wrote:Psssst - PK Wiz Chop Cup

Nooooo....
Method 'B' is much better, and doesn't involve 'clinky' jewelry!

Mandrake wrote:Spoilsport, I'm told I look rather sweet in my jewellery.....

Are we talking, Charver-stylee, Mr.T stylee, or Jimmy Saville stylee???

(Rattle rattle, jewellery, jewellery) Well 'owsabout that there then guys 'n gals!!!