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I am a "beginner" myself and from what you have said about yourself it seems as if you have learned from your other tricks the importance of patter and practice.

I just started with sponge balls, (using the sponge ball toolbox) and I could tell you what helped me.

I would watch videos of my favorite magicians doing their passes with a sponge ball, and try to replicate it exactly over and over again. I practiced just passing the ball for about two weeks until its seemed like it was more natural and logical for me to pass the ball then to put it into the hand.
When I could do then then I could easily start doing effects since I didn't feel like my actions were awkward or contrived.

One of the best things to do is practice doing everything infront of a mirror. But, instead of performing the sleights, just do the routine as it should appear to the audience. Then perform the routine again with the sleights. I would recommend video taping both and then watch the two and see how different they look. You should try to make them look exactly the same, when you can do that your ready to go. Another great thing to do is to do the trick without a sleight and then with a sleight when performing. What I mean is, if you were going to perform a fake pass, actually pass the ball from hand to hand first. I find that this makes the sleight more believable.

Farlsborough wrote:The best things to do are: a) smile and go to the bar, b) get new mates, c) murder him in his sleep.

option c

So after posting this thread yesterday, I went out and tried the routine a few more times, and i think i figured out what happend.

Like i said my handleing of the moves was correct, and my "audience manegement" seemed to be working out just fine.

The thing is, I did it in a bar, with a mirror facing me, and I have a tell! When I either dump something, or produce it, i drag it out to long. I tend to put for example 2 sponges in their hand, and then look at them and smile. I tried to just act like nothing happend and continued with my trick and people were flabergasted! (if that's even a word)

I also really liked the comment that, If You believe it so wil the audience, i can see how that works.

right now I'm planning on expanding my routine, I want to be able to entertain people with little sponges for a reasonable ammount of time any suggestons?

I would suggst the Spongeball toolbox since that has loads of routines.
Theres also quite a good routine in Mark wilsons complete course in magic.

Hope that helps.