I `am posting this to get some insight on a particular issue. I `am somewhat new to magic, and i have been practicing my overhand shuffle for almost a month now. I`am learning how to control and retain certain cards by using this shuffle. But i have noticed that when i move the fingers on my right hand they move faster than the fingers on my left hand, which is the hand that i write and primarily do all my sleights with. I have been practicing the shuffle everyday but i have noticed that sometimes when i do it my hands (especially my left) have this slight almost locking up motion and get kind of tense i can`t really describe it. When this happens i tend to mess up the shuffle. I have noticed that my hands feel sore on some days, and that when i write with my left hand it gets sore really easily. Is this because i `am practicing everyday, because i can do the sleights very well but i`am not sure if the problem is me or my hands. I have also noticed that the amount of time of which i can practice has been dropping recently, I think because of my hands. It might also be the fact that i am always doing something with my hands, like messing with cards, rolling a coin on my fingers and palming. even as i`am typing this my finger feel sore and they don`t have much fluidity. Should I take some time off?
Could I be practicing too much?
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It is very possible that you are practicing too much. You may also just be developing muscles you're not used to using. Sleight of hand generally makes us do things normal people would never end up doing regularly - which is why it's effective.
There's two ways to over-practice. One is to physically strain yourself and not give your body time to recuperate from the strain. I am not a doctor, so I am not diagnosing you, but this does sound like strain. Could be you just need some time to let your hand relax and recuperate. The other way to over practice is in your head - when you repeatedly do movements neural pathways are formed in your brain. The more you do it, the thicker and more robust those pathways get. That's why eventually you can do things without even thinking about them. The problem is those neural pathways can't just form continuously. They have to sort of settle in. So it's best to practice until you make a marked improvement, then stop and switch to something else. Let the changes settle in and get comfortable. Then go back to practicing.
It's also possible that you're just thinking too much. Nothing interferes faster than looking at something and trying to think your way through it.
So my advice is just to rest your hand a bit, and then try again. Don't worry about marathon practice sessions unless you're changing up what you're doing to keep things fresh.
There's two ways to over-practice. One is to physically strain yourself and not give your body time to recuperate from the strain. I am not a doctor, so I am not diagnosing you, but this does sound like strain. Could be you just need some time to let your hand relax and recuperate. The other way to over practice is in your head - when you repeatedly do movements neural pathways are formed in your brain. The more you do it, the thicker and more robust those pathways get. That's why eventually you can do things without even thinking about them. The problem is those neural pathways can't just form continuously. They have to sort of settle in. So it's best to practice until you make a marked improvement, then stop and switch to something else. Let the changes settle in and get comfortable. Then go back to practicing.
It's also possible that you're just thinking too much. Nothing interferes faster than looking at something and trying to think your way through it.
So my advice is just to rest your hand a bit, and then try again. Don't worry about marathon practice sessions unless you're changing up what you're doing to keep things fresh.
Alright cool i guess i`ll rest my hands for a bit. I might wait to start practicing again when my order of card college vol 1 is delivered to my house, thanks.
I don't know if there really is such a thing as practicing too much, if you are balanced in the way you practice.
If your practice creates bad habits then it probably means that you are practicing incorrectly.
If your hands are a little sore it's kinda normal. You are in essence doing a micro workout. When your hands get tired of shuffling move on to something else. Work on your script, or presentation. Work on another sleight that exercises other muscles and so on.
So, make sure to practice correctly and in a balanced way.
If your practice creates bad habits then it probably means that you are practicing incorrectly.
If your hands are a little sore it's kinda normal. You are in essence doing a micro workout. When your hands get tired of shuffling move on to something else. Work on your script, or presentation. Work on another sleight that exercises other muscles and so on.
So, make sure to practice correctly and in a balanced way.
I think that you can definitely practice to much but I'm not sure this is the case for your situation. You should make sure you are practicing any move properly because the last thing you want to do it practice a move incorrectly. Building muscle memory is what you should be working towards, that should stop your hands from locking up and make your sleights feel more natural but you need to make sure you build the correct muscle memory. Also I feel many magicians practice sleight of hand for slight of hands sake. This to me another way we practice too much because we fixate on the physical moves and not the art of performance, which is truly the end goal of practice.