talkmagic.co.uk

I'm looking for some advice please.

I don't think I have abnormal hands but p***ing a card is proving a n absloute nightmare.

There's always a small gap between my pinkie and ring finger and I'm totally self concious about it. I feel p***ing is a very important tool and would love to master it. I've practiced for at least an hour an day for months now using the description in RRTCM and it's driving me nuts.

Is this gap in the fingers unavoidable. I have quite skinny fingers.

Oops! Meant to send all of that as a PM, bit exposurey!

drink lots of cranberry juice - or did i misread the ***s?

IAIN wrote:drink lots of cranberry juice - or did i misread the ***s?

IAIN wrote:drink lots of cranberry juice - or did i misread the ***s?

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought that

I wouldn't worry all that much about it, my hands are too small to totally conceal a card. What I find works really well is to hold the hand tilted slightly downwards, the angle can help cover things up.

Bend your hand as you normally would, and act like there's nothing in it, gesture with it etc. Your spectators will have no reason to suspect there's anything there

For once this really is a case where size isn't everything!

You might also want to consider different palms. Tenkai, lateral, etc. Classic isn't the be-all-and-end-all.

IAIN wrote:drink lots of cranberry juice - or did i misread the ***s?

Thanks for the advice Iain

I think i'll actually read through my p*** before p***ing them on the forum from now on.

Kate, thanks as well, hopefully when I'm as skillful as you I can attempt a tenkai. I'll try and master the classic palm first.

Remember that misdirection is critical when palming. Can't remember where I read or saw it but I seem to recall hearing that Max Malini had small hands, and cards were clearly visible when he palmed but his misdirection was strong.

You know palming isn't a dirty word...go on say it, palming..Mmmmm satisfying isn't it. Seriously, the whole world knows magicians palm, not saying the word isn't going to change that.
I too have horribly small skinny hands, a surprising amount of magicians do, there'll always be a bit of a flash, don't worry about it...misdirection is the key word.

You know palming isn't a dirty word...go on say it, palming..Mmmmm satisfying isn't it. Seriously, the whole world knows magicians palm, not saying the word isn't going to change that.
I too have horribly small skinny hands, a surprising amount of magicians do, there'll always be a bit of a flash, don't worry about it...misdirection is the key word.

Flyinbrian wrote:I've practiced for at least an hour an day for months now using the description in RRTCM and it's driving me nuts.

I personally prefer the one in Expert Card Technique. It helped me no end. Yet another gem for a fiver.

When pa****g a card I have quite a big gap between my fingers, but if a bend them a tiny bit and move some fingers a bit lower or higher up the gap disappears, so just try experimenting until there is no gap.
Alternatively use a different palm, I'd recommend the lateral palm, because it's one of my favourite and most used palm.

Hi Flybrian,

I sympathize with you - I have actually got gaps between all my fingers, and can't even hold a coin in gausman pinch among many other things. At-least with cards, I can do what Magic Herring suggested (sliding fingers up/down to minimize the gaps while not making a fish hook), and also a bit tilted for the angle. As it has been said before, Misdirection is the key: if the patter allows to cup our hands, or get into a relaxed position (arms across chest or down the side), that also helps to hide the card.