Cards slipping (from palm)

[MohanaMisra]

This is how I used to palm (in the security of my room, alone) cards and thought it's alright, because real performances have the elements of misdirection and naturalness to hide sleights.


Now this looks pretty darn natural from above, except the obvious point that, well, the card peeks out from its inner non-pip corner. I'd have thought this is not an issue, but then I can't do many of the things after palming (such as handing the deck out to the spectator) that act as subtle convincers.

So I tried again with the book-correct position for palming:-

Needless to say, it looks awkward. I would practice it, but whenever I bend my fingers to have them rest in their natural curved positions though, the card keeps slipping out from the thumb pad and flops to the ground (the inner corner doesn't remain pressed against the thumb pad).

Will practice take care of this issue?

Please do reply.

Thanks!

 

[RealityOne]

Your palm grip is still wrong. Move the card over toward your thumb. The edge of the card should be right where the base of your thumb connects to your hand and the card should be cover 3/4ths of your first finger. You use all four fingers to cover the palm.

What book are you learning from?

 

[PGoutis01]

Jeremy Griffith has an awesome free video on magicstream that would really help you here. He's probably one of my favorite card guys. Wish his stuff was still available without the magicstream membership. Because I feel like magicstream would just overwhelm me with too much stuff and never practice anything...

https://magicstream.com/programs/classic-palm-with-jeremy-griffith

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

@MohanaMisra, I agree with @RealityOne. Whatever book instructed the position in which you are holding the card in photo #2 is incorrect. When the card is held in that position, you are losing 25% of your cover.

And the reason the card is popping free from your hand is elementary physics - there is pressure exerted on the corner of the card contacting the fleshy base of the hand, but nothing to hold the card in place. That corner should be lodged in the "V" formed by the base of the thumb where it meets the hand.

Finally, the fingers should all be closed flush against one another to prevent windows and the hand holding the card in a relaxed, curved, lightly cupped position.

Try getting into the palm, by first getting a tiny pinkie break, pushing the card forward with the fingertips of the right hand about a quarter inch north (away from you), then pressing downward with the right-hand finger tips, and the card will "lever" up into your palm, where the fingers of both hands (the tip of the middle finger of the left hand pushing upward and guiding from below) will learn to quickly adjust it into the correct position in the palm.

 

[MohanaMisra]

@RealityOne and @Al e Cat Dabra , I'm using RRTCM, but the drawings weren't clear and I might have misunderstood the instructions regardless.

Also, I can't figure out one thing...

Should I practice getting comfortable with just the palm first or should I practice getting into the palm right from the get-go?

Is this an okay position? (I've uploaded 3 images because I want to make sure I'm not getting the position correct by fluke)

 

[RealityOne]

Is this an okay position? (I've uploaded 3 images because I want to make sure I'm not getting the position correct by fluke)

That looks good.

Should I practice getting comfortable with just the palm first or should I practice getting into the palm right from the get-go?

Practice getting into grip. There are minute differences in taking a card and putting it into palm to practice your grip and where the card ends up when you have to go into it from dealing position. For example, to check you grip, I had to put a card into top palm to confirm how I actually hold the card.

 

[MohanaMisra]

If I do find my hands too small, which side is more dangerous to flash? As in, should I be more worried about flashing from the index finger side or the pinky?

 

[RealityOne]

Your hands are not too small based on the pictures. Just relax your fingers. If your hand is tense, there are no gaps between your fingers. If it is relaxed, there are natural gaps. The gaps make your hand wider. Just make sure the card is covered and that the gaps between your fingers are evenly spaced.

 

[Littlemagicdude]

Are my hands to small? If they are not, then please can I have some tips!

 

[RealityOne]

@Littlemagicdude It is hard to tell from that angle. The better view is from the back of the hand. Try to make sure the card doesn't stick out the sides. Your hand would be too small if the gaps between your fingers show too much of the card.

The one piece of advice is to have the bottom of the card not in the crux of your thumb, but rather lower down in the fleshy part. You also want the top fingers less curled and your thumb more relaxed. The card should "float" in your hand with only the ends touching-- not be touching it at every point.

 

[MohanaMisra]

If it is relaxed, there are natural gaps.

Wait, what gaps do you mean? I'm assumung you don't mean 'windows'...


This is how I end up palming from the deck itself.


But I'm not too sure of the thumb-corner of the card. Is it held fine?

 

[RealityOne]

The gaps are what you would call "windows" between the fingers. In the first picture, your first finger has to large a window with no window between the remains fingers. Also, you need to move the card over so it doesn't stick out past your fourth (pinkie) finger.

Here is my palm:

 

[Scodischarge]

Would you say it's more important to eliminate the windows, or to eliminate the sticking-out at the sides?

 

[RealityOne]

Would you say it's more important to eliminate the windows, or to eliminate the sticking-out at the sides?

Both. Let me explain. If you have an average sized male hand (like me), you can do both. If you have a smaller hand, you should focus on eliminating the sticking out the side by having evenly spaced windows (which are necessarily smaller than one large window). You could also modify your palm so the card is more perpendicular than diagonal. Notice how Mohana does this when compared to mine.