Beginner Needs Advise.....

[Hoeshack]

Not sure if this if the right place to be posting a query such as this but I got a question and I don't know where else to ask. So I've been practising card magic for about 2 months now and it's going pretty well. Except I've noticed that I deal and perform sleights and double lifts right handed and shuffle/cut the cards left handed. Is this common? It means I sometimes have to transer the pack to the other hand somewhat awkwardly during the trick. Is there a fancy way to do this. Or am I going to have to choose a hand and learn all the stuff right OR left handed?
Hope that made sense. Will be grateful for any response from anyone that can help. Thanks.

 

[Justin.Morris]

Great question. Are you left handed?

If not, then I would suggest what you mentioned - pick a hand and train yourself to do everything that way. Typically material taught considers the cards to be held in the left hand and dealt with the right hand. If you hold the deck in your left hand and fan the cards from left to right, they will show the indexes and therefore looks better. Many choose to use their left hand, but they need to work at relearning the handling for the other way.

One nice resource that exists is Born to Perform. It's a simple DVD that does a really nice job of demonstrating and teaching some basic deck handling. You might also benefit from something like Genesis 1 which teaches some beginner card flourishes as well. This material will help you work on your dexterity and comfort. There are plenty of other resources that exist for beginners.

And most importantly, is to practice as much as you can. Carry a deck of cards with you often. practice shuffles, cuts, dealing, and handling the cards. You will find the more you just simply practice, the more adept you will become.

 

[Hoeshack]

Thanks for the great advice. I am officially left handed. But my right hand is also the dominant hand for many things. But I think I'm going to practice right handed from now on. I feel most comfortable holding the deck in my left hand. I'll just have to re-learn the few false cuts I actually got good at left handed. A little disheartening but what can you do. Thanks again.

 

[j.bayme]

Hey Hoeshack, nothing wrong with this at all. Unless the move relies on a specific angle, there's nothing inherently wrong with doing something in either hand. For me personally, I'm the same way - some moves I instinctively learned (or learned better) with one hand over the other, and I still perform them that way today. I'm right handed, but with some moves, for whatever reason, I was able to learn and execute them faster with my left hand. And others vice versa. Of course, you'll want to minimize anything unnatural during your performance (so, switching the whole deck from one hand to another without explanation may look odd), but as long as it feels right, and as long as it looks natural, use whichever you prefer.

 

[Mike.Hankins]

The first sleights I learned came from a book...Counts, Cuts, Moves and Subtlety by Jerry Mentzer.

I learned the Elmsley Count and the Jordan Count before I even knew what "Mechanics Grip" was.

I learned those sleights as a right handed magician would but I am left handed. To this very day, any sort of packet moves I do are done in a right handed fashion.