I feel like i get ahang of the flourishes pretty well, and thats its all due to how i practice.
this is what i generally do.
1) Watch the tutorial untill i know what i have a general understanding with what i have to do next
1.5) when i was learning de'vo's impossible stack, and a few other flourishes where you always have a few packets of similar size, begin practicing with taped packets. This helps in many ways.
- You dont drop individual cards
- Helps goin through entire move and aids in gaining muscle memory
- if your like me, you end up destroying few decks in anger
- lets you worry more about the move then failing
- Builds confidence and helps increase speed
2) stop, rewind, play. Rewatch the video over and over while doin the move. Follow along with every step. make sure you know where every finger needs to be on each part of the card. Dont just be like "i think i spin it that way, yea lets go on" there isnt a hurry
Hint: if your on a computer, mute the sound from the dvd, and put on your own music in the background. the constantly repeating music (from rewinding) will drive you crazy in time)
3) Master pausing and rewinding while maintaining the flourish
4) Remember that they arn't lying. Cardistry isn't something that is easy, and speed will come with practice, its all in muscle memory.
5) Music. If your trying to get your speed up, play fast music, for some reason this helps me greatly
6) After mastering the technique/moves you slow it down. After i get it all down i slow it down as much as possible. What you focus on while your going slow is to make sure it is perfeclty smooth, and that there are no pauses what so ever. When going slow get everything go move smothly into the next move. Once you can make it perfectly fluid gradually practice increasing the speed.
hope this helps.
-::;EDIT;::-
7) this is prabably what helps the most for me. this part must be last, thats important. Once you have it down realy well, and smooth, practice while your not concentrating. I practice my moves while watching tv. If you can do the moves while barely paying attention, its all muscle memory and your speed will increase drasticly. it also eliminates having to see your fingers. Do it blind folded while singing to your music.
if you could read a book while doin this, you are a god. use some crazy moves to turn pages.