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Thanks for the reply Budotastri, yes practise makes perfect, totally agree. Still not that comfortable with a dl, but have been working on other tricks that don't call for it. Can only dl via the thumb count method which I'm really not that comfortable with performing.
Give it time I'm sure it'll come, tell me which is best, a new deck or a worn deck?

I dont think that the technique is as important as is the consistency. If you turn over everycard in your routine the same way even if its a single, double ot triple your spectators should not suspect it. But if you start doing all these fancy moves only when you are doing double lifts well then you better be good at it or they will get suspicious for sure. Hope this helps and good luck with your lifts.

Just to bring up an old thread, I have always found that a simple push-over or thumb count is enough. As long as you have enough misdirection, you can get away with almost anything.

Wow, I'd say that there is an appropriate amount of responses to what is arguably the most imprtant sleight in card magic.

I haven't read them, but I wanted to join the gang and throw in my advice. Hopefully, you get sooooo much advice that you disregard it all, and come up with your own solution.

Myfirst advice is, under no circumstances should you ever count off two cards at tehback of the deck with your left thumb. This is not only obvious, but looks terrible and unnatural.

Next, my method for a DL for the past 15 years has been one of the following, depending on what trick I am doing, and what motivation I have to accmplish the needed two card break in preparation to the lift.

Scenario one, and my least favorite, and least used is to simply spread the cards, and upon closing the spread, obtain a pinky break under the top two cards. I 'll leave your motivation for the spread up to you, but this can be done with little thought

My dominant set up for a DL, is to simply remove the top card of the deck in some sort of gesture--again, I will leave the motivation up to you. As you rright hand gestures with the top card--assuming you are right handed, the left hand has about a second of very nice misdirection to accomplish a little push-off and pull back, leaving a break. Place the top card back on top and Voila!, yo uhave a two card break, ready for a DL.

Some of my moe adventurous collegues just go in to what is called a "two card strike", where you just grab the top two cards as one. this takes practice to a ridiculous extent.

If that is not difficult enough for you, you can grow your left thumbnail (again assuming you are right handed), to a length that is perfect for pushing off two cards as one. The amazing Tony Giorgio showed me this, and was a master of this. It was the most natural looking double I have seen to this. Of course, he was roughly 70 years old, and had worked on it his entire life. (Incidentally, during that same session--which was Mr Giorgio, myself, and Larry Jennings at about 3am in Las Vegas. I was way out of my league--Tony borrowed my deck and shuffled it and proceeded to strip out the aces, one by one, whichever suit I requested. If anyone reading this knows how he did that, please let me know, as he would ot share that with anyone, even Mr Jennings.)

I have seen a lot of double lifts that border on being a flourish. I've seens ome pretty souble lifts that include flips and spins and all kinds of stuf, but avoid this at all costs. A DL is a utility move to make two cards appear as one.

I, being a "naturalist", to use a word in a new way, think that a DL should look EXACTLY like a single lift. whichever above method you use, or one of your own, please make it look normal.

Never give your spectators the chance to think something funy is going on. there is a place for flourishes in magic, but crucial moves like double lifts is not one of those times.

I hope my post here has helped cement what I am sure most of the other posts here have alluded to.

Magic, especially card tricks, need to look normal and not contrived in any way. Keep this in mind, and you will do well.

Just thought that I'd add my 2 penneth for what its worth

I was taught the DL by my mentor Derek Newman back in the early 1990's. I think that it may be the imperceptible double turnover method mentioned earlier in the thread although the link has now gone to the vid and I can't confirm this.

The method that I use is the most natural looking method I have ever seen and can be used to turn one, two or more cards. The method is very similar to the one shown in Mog's vid.

I hold the cards in my right hand (I am left handed) with my index finger on the top end of the pack, my thumb resting at 45% over the top of the pack (in a similar position to the one in the deep hand Emsley) and my other 3 fingers spaced out evenly down the opposite side of the pack.

By pushing with the ball of my thumb against the right side of the deck I bevel the whole deck over (again, similar to Mog's vid). My left index finger goes between the bottom two fingers of my right hand and gently feathers off the required number of cards. Now at this moment in time my right hand is holding the cards at approx a 50% angle with the long edge with my 3 fingers pointing downwards.

As my left index finger pulls away the 2 cards I do not grip them with my thumb as in the vid but flip them completely over as if they were one card so that they land upside down on top of the deck where the second card can then be signed as in the Ambitious Card or the two can simply be flipped back again.

This flip of the two cards as one does tend to emphasise that there is only one card and is worth the practice to achieve it.

If anyone wants any further info please PM me. I don't know how, or what you need to make a vid if anyone could help me with that.

Juan, if you are still struggling with this I've made a short vid, the quality is c*** (not the best) but at least you will be able to see where I'm coming from. If it will be any use to you PM me your email address.

Hey gang--I'm new to this forum, but, as I wrote in my intro, I performed table magic for 7 years and have never been accused of tinkering with the deck before a DL. I agree with those of you who wrote about just getting a break with your thumb at the back of the deck. No one should be suspicious of this because their eyes are on the card about to be flipped. When I do the ambitious card routine to do a TL, I pretty much just count the 3 cards instantly (not much practice needed) while doing a "magic riffle" at the front of the deck. It has always amazed me that no one ever says anything, but they don't! It really is all about the presentation. If you present the effect as a puzzle to be solved, the spectators will burn your hands. But if you welcome them as a fellow spectator (because you're just as surprised as they are) then I think you'll be amazed at how the judgmental eyes relax a bit.

I mostly use the DL for my ambitious card routine and I use the action of dribbling the cards to say this is how the card moves through the deck so it's then natural to use the dribble DL. I basically just dribble the cards and leave two in my hands and turn them over as one! It looks great and works like.......magic!