Beginners problem with culling

[jonkanon]

Culling cards. I've known it for many years and seen how powerful it can be and all that, but for some reason, never learned it. Until now.

I got Iain Moran's DVD The Cullfather and the Roadrunner Cull DVD by Kostya. Two great resources, which should teach me everything I need to know about culling. But, as I've started learning the cull, a slightly problem have occured. And it is not being mentioned (as I'm aware of) in neither of the dvds.

My problem is: When I'm spreading the cards, opening and closening - and finds the card I want to cull - I often find it too far to the left in the spread or too far to the right in the spread. As a result of this, my fingers (I'm using my right fingers to pull as thought by Kostya, instead of the left as thought by Iain Moran) aren't in the right position to cull. So I have to repositioning the fingers so that they are contacting the cards and then execute the cull. This looks really awfull and flashes everything, cause there is that unatural brake in the action of spreading the cards, repositioning my fingers, before I continue to cull.

I feel this happens to often to me when practicing the cull, that it has become a problem for me. When I see other people cull, they manages to get the card they want to cull, in the right position (which should be roughly in the middle of the spread, so that the desired fingers can touch it) everytime.

Anyone got any good tips on how to solve this problem?

 

[MagicShadow9]

Ya, i didn't really like how Kostya told you to open the cards in an arc. What you can do is to observe how he culls in the Culligula Triumph. He makes the spread straight and there's only a slight opening and closing. This gives you more time to spot the card because the cards move a bit slower. I don't know if you really understood that or not.

 

[Shodan]

I know its not what you want to hear, but practise, practise, practise and it'll start to fall into place. There's no magic "fix" for problems like this - you've just got to find your own rhythm.

Good luck and have fun practising!
David.

 

[Tony Tuccillo]

jonkanon

I feel for you as it took me a while and a lot of frustration before I saw any progress.

Had Iain's DVD, as well as seeing GIobbi perform it from CC vol 2 and have had A LOT of online help. Without knowing more your issue I'll give you the advice that worked for me when I had a similar problem.

FIrst I was told to 'slow down' with my spreading the cards from left hand to right hand. Perhaps you're trying to practice at 'full speed' before your timing is down. Often I find I need to execute a sleight slowly first before I gradually build up to performance speed.

My problem actually got me to go back to Giobbi's CC vol 1 to reread his lesson on how to spread cards from one hand to the other (discovered I was not following his advice exactly so that may have been the cause).

Good luck!