Erdnase shift one-handed cover

[Scodischarge]

Hi guys,
I've been working on the one handed shift these last few weeks and it's gotten pretty fluid by now. Obviously I still have a lot of work to do to get it really good, but it's coming along well enough that I'm starting to think about ways to cover this move. Anybody got any tips?

Thank you all!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

You do the shift as your hands come together, just like the two-handed shift. It needs no other cover when executed correctly (Which means people are not staring at your hands and you are giving a presentation that is engaging and directs their attention away from the secret work)

 

[Scodischarge]

You do the shift as your hands come together, just like the two-handed shift. It needs no other cover when executed correctly (Which means people are not staring at your hands and you are giving a presentation that is engaging and directs their attention away from the secret work)

Thanks! One thing I've noticed: As the break is held by the second finger it is extremely obvious to the spectator. To close the gap I have to press down quite hard with the first finger, but this makes the exection of the pass a lot more difficult. Is that how it should be done and simply requires practice (which mine needs anyway) or is there another way to do it?

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

There's several ways around this. One is to tilt the deck downward a bit, so the top of the cards are facing the audience's eye line. The lack of depth markers makes it impossible to see a break. Another is to get the break and execute the move in one continuous action - this works if you don't need to cut at a specific place but requires good timing. That's how I usually do it.

It really depends on the structure of the routine but there's always that very important thing to remember: If they're not looking at it, they can't see it.

 

[Scodischarge]

Thank you, I'll keep those things in mind!

 

[Scodischarge]

There's several ways around this. One is to tilt the deck downward a bit, so the top of the cards are facing the audience's eye line. The lack of depth markers makes it impossible to see a break. Another is to get the break and execute the move in one continuous action - this works if you don't need to cut at a specific place but requires good timing. That's how I usually do it.

It really depends on the structure of the routine but there's always that very important thing to remember: If they're not looking at it, they can't see it.

Actually, I've got one other question. Shifting the two halves is really a very large movement. I find it hard to believe that nobody, even if they're not looking at the deck, would notice that. Even taking the other hand to cover it a little bit covers only a portion of the whole deck. I guess my question is: This really works?

As we're talking about shifts right now: What do you think about the S.W.E. Shift Erdnase teaches in his book? He calls it the best shift ever devised, but I've never seen or heard about it outside his book.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I've never used the SWE Shift so I cannot comment on it.

I do use the one handed shift and I have never been caught with it.

 

[Scodischarge]

I've never used the SWE Shift so I cannot comment on it.

I do use the one handed shift and I have never been caught with it.

It's commendable that you only comment on what you've personally experienced. Thank you!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I happened to get a new deck of cards today and was playing around with the one-handed shift for fidgety purposes. I realized something - I don't actually get a break at all.

With pressure between the thumb and pinky for the top packet, and the index and middle finger and the palm for the bottom packet, I just separate the deck and do the shift in one motion. No actual break at all.

Again - the way I use it does not require the cards to cut at any specific point beyond "the middle".

 

[Scodischarge]

That's how I usually practise it as well. It just seems more natural; however, for the purpose of nullifying the cut of course I need to practise it with a break as well.

While you're here: The last few days I've been playing around with a kind of mix between the one-handed pass (Erdnase) and the S.W.E.-Shift. I hold the pack in the grip for the one-handed pass, but use my other hand, in the act of holding the deck from above, to put pressure on the lower packet and kind of "flip" the two halves of the deck against each other to reverse the packs faster (as is done in the SWE-Shift). The third finger is used as a kind of hinge here.
I hope this doesn't count as exposure here, but I don't think anybody not familiar with Erdnase will understand the description (I'm actually not quite sure you will; this wasn't a very good description), so I hope it'll be okay.

I've found that this way works quite well for me, as I need less time and less space to complete the pass. Should the explanation above be clear enough it'd be great if you could play around with this pass a little bit and tell me your thoughts on it.

Thanks for getting back to me!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

If it works for you, that's all you need to worry about. I'm not going to spend time practicing something I'll never use, sorry. Card work in general is not a big part of my performance repertoire any longer so I only work on the skills needed to perform the few tricks I do use still, and a couple more that are just fun.

 

[Scodischarge]

Of course, I understand that. The point was more that somebody with a little more experience could have a quick look at it and tell me whether it's rubbish or completely impractical, so I needn't spend any more time with it, or whether it could be okay.
But I've seen on another thread that you're doing hypnosis now, is that correct? Then of course you won't want to waste any time on something completely different.

Thanks anyway!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I've been doing hypnosis for ... 6 years now? It's not the main stay of my show, it's integrated throughout. I'm a pretty traditional mentalist (Not Nelson traditional - further back).