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Hi my card handling is letting me down, only been at it 2 weeks so in the very early stages. My dribbles end up in a 52 card pick up and my fans are just pants.

Are there any exercises or techniques I can use to improve? Im just practicing all the time, but progress is slow.

Just keep practising, and your card handling will improve. There isn't a whole lot of technique to the dribble, there is simply a 'knack' to it that will come with practise. With the fan, it's best if you use a fairly new deck of cards. Preferably, buy playing cards such as Bicycle cards or Bee playing cards. They handle a lot better than plastic coated cards which sometimes don't fan even when they are new. If you're new to card magic you might like to purchase The Royal Road to Card Magic or Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. Remember to practise tricks and techniques essential for tricks (eg. shuffles and controls) rather than getting too frustrated about flourishes such as the dribble and the fan.

Two weeks isn't a long time at all. It took me a while to acquire the knack of the dribble. Give it a bit of time and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.

Thanks i currently working my way through the complete course in magic, decks are a sore subject with the wife too. Keep buying Bicycle's novelty decks, not found one worth the extra money yet though, but I seem to still be buying them!!

For fans try to ensure that you have a slight bevel to the cards before you fan and don't grip them too tight, this works for me

Mancunian Lee wrote:Are there any exercises or techniques I can use to improve? Im just practicing all the time, but progress is slow.

See http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic35084.php&highlight= for ideas on how to structure your practice.

Hope this helps,

Ade.

Mancunian Lee wrote:Thanks i currently working my way through the complete course in magic, decks are a sore subject with the wife too. Keep buying Bicycle's novelty decks, not found one worth the extra money yet though, but I seem to still be buying them!!

Thats why they are a novelty! Also whats the point in them? Is the idea not to look like everything is ordinary?

ace of kev wrote:

Mancunian Lee wrote:Thanks i currently working my way through the complete course in magic, decks are a sore subject with the wife too. Keep buying Bicycle's novelty decks, not found one worth the extra money yet though, but I seem to still be buying them!!

Thats why they are a novelty! Also whats the point in them? Is the idea not to look like everything is ordinary?

novelty cards are made the exact same way as the normal ones, just with different designs.... the point in them is to NOT look ordinary, but to look different, id say that speaks for itself mate

you just need to keep practising mate.... fanning is one of the hardest things to learn in my opinion, getting to the point where you can make a nice fan evertime takes some practising!!
maybe buy a DVD on just flourishes????

Thanks for all the tips

I am a sucker for a novelty, these are just different designs with the usual bicycle quality. Im currently working with Karnival Renegades which are a pretty deck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIcVIxycGm8

C.L.Ward wrote:

ace of kev wrote:

Mancunian Lee wrote:Keep buying Bicycle's novelty decks, not found one worth the extra money yet though, but I seem to still be buying them!!

Thats why they are a novelty! Also whats the point in them? Is the idea not to look like everything is ordinary?

novelty cards are made the exact same way as the normal ones, just with different designs.... the point in them is to NOT look ordinary, but to look different, id say that speaks for itself mate

Well yes, except that the reason for using playing cards is (usually) to appear to be working wonders with everyday items. If you make them unusual then you draw undue attention to them, IMHO.

Ted wrote:
Well yes, except that the reason for using playing cards is (usually) to appear to be working wonders with everyday items. If you make them unusual then you draw undue attention to them, IMHO.

i was just stating the obvious by saying that novelty cards are designed to not look ordinary

personally i dont think that they bring any undue attention, they look cool and the audience appreciate that i think!! lol
just one of those things that is personal preference i guess

Stop trying to work your way through any book or dvd. Choose one thing and learn that. You have to train your mind and your hands. Doesn't work if there is a lot of different things going on. I know you are eager but patience is the key.

Springing the cards will come in time, as will fanning. Neither of which is nearly as important as performing. Choose an effect with a card control and just work on that effect. Thats it nothing else. Dai Vernon's Twisting the aces is a good one. Teaches you the elmsley and a DL.

Learn the sleights along with the effect. Otherwise 5 years are going to pass and people will be asking you to show them a trick, but you can't because all you can do is a bunch of sleights, a fan, and spring the cards. But no effect.

Mancunian Lee wrote:Thanks i currently working my way through the complete course in magic, decks are a sore subject with the wife too. Keep buying Bicycle's novelty decks, not found one worth the extra money yet though, but I seem to still be buying them!!

You need Bicycle decks first of all or some sort of USPCC deck, because frankly, they are the best and they mean that progress will be quicker.

I started with learning a few basic card tricks, then I moved on to sleight of hand, and for this I recomment Royal Road To Card Magic. This book tells you every basic sleight and teaches it in a simple and easy-to-follow form.

I'm in the same boat, I've just purchased Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic and am about to make a start on that but I noticed in another thread that there is a dvd version of The Royal Road to Card Magic - would this be a much better aid to learning the flourishes, sleights, etc.?

ACE T wrote:I'm in the same boat, I've just purchased Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic and am about to make a start on that but I noticed in another thread that there is a dvd version of The Royal Road to Card Magic - would this be a much better aid to learning the flourishes, sleights, etc.?

I think there's a couple Ace.
My first purchase was RR with R Hunter. It certainly got me started, & it was a big help.

I have to agree with the above posters, & the more experienced amongst us.
Flourishes look good, but I would sooner become fluent controlling a card, rather than making pretty fans.
I began back in Feb of this year, & have only just learnt to fan the cards well, but those sorts of things don't bother me. The enjoyment for me is, seeing the spectators face, when I produce a card which has been shuffled back into the deck several times, or telling them what there card is, despite never having seen it. Such a buzz.
I practice for hours, just getting my DL perfect, & the various ways to do it.
Over hand/Hindu/Riffle shuffling is far more constructive than being able to show a fancy fan.

My opinion anyway.

CArl...

Michael Vincent's DVDs go into detail on practice drills (at least the one I have does). The card stuff can be pretty advanced (but accessible), the bit on practice drills is really good. Even teaches you how to take the cards out of the box properly!