Do you all find yourself just doing one slight at a time all day? I've been practicing side steals now for about a week and I feel like I'm not doing anything else. I don't talk outloud or even go over some tricks... I just control the card over and over and over again. I know studying magic is a lifelong thing and this is just the first part to practicing the move for actual effects, but should I mix it up more? really, how else can I practice this move specifically? I usually just diagnol insert it and square up the deck. I need more varied ways to practice this move. thanks

Combine it with other sleights. shift card to middle, side steal it to top etc etc.
good work, at least you want to know a sleight 100%.

I do the same thing. I usually have around two new moves and two old ones that I obsess over and alternate between for a few weeks. Or more. Then I move on either because I'm brilliant at it or because it seems impossible. Sometimes my two or more moves are old "impossible" ones that I want to tackle again. Sometimes I have hung in there for three months or so doing one move every day. Which is too much on one move at a time, I think. You make more progress then by leaving things alone for a few weeks.

But I always always always do this kind of sleight practice while watching a movie or a TV series or something. I'm not fully conscious of using so much time on it. If I had been I would have quit early in the practice period. If it's just work then you may simply get fed up with it. You can always pick up a new different method later. It will go quicker than the first one.

What other methods you can use to practice your side steal depends on which type it is. Not my forte, side steals. I use all Lennart Green techniques for this now. Don't even remember the older ones I used to know. I think everything is on Green Magic 5.

One thing tho... don't end up with hand pains like mine. When your hands tell you so, switch moves or pick up a coin instead. Like you said magic is a lifelong thing. You need to keep your hands for that time too. Although I do get frustrated when I think of all that I will not have the time to master in my lifetime. Today, for instance, I am bitter because I feel that I have lost a day to other things.

I've focused on studying specific sleights for days.
The Side Steal (SS) is a good one to focus on.

Try dribbling the cards for and ask them to stop you anytime. Show the bottom card of the top portion and do the SS upon replacement.

Have a card picked from cards spread between your hands.
Have it replaced in the spread. Reassemble and SS as you close the spread and square the deck.

Another idea is after the SS, turn the deck in position for a overhand shuffle and add the card to the bottom so it's reversed.

Hope this helps.

That's a very clever idea. Never would have thought of that, thanks!

Although I tend to Side Steal into Lateral Palm myself, for which this ending is less helpful. I guess I need to practice stealing into palm some more because I need a reverse that clever.

Practicing as you describe is fine. Just remember that executing the sleights within the context of a routine while a spectator watches is also important practice under fire that is invaluable.

David

You do, however, want to make sure that you know the slight and are proficient at it before you do it for someone. Never do something if you can not do it reliably without exposing.

Back to the original poster - the practice pattern depends very much on your ability to focus. Some people can not practice a single move over and over again. for them, embedding the practice in a wider context of a simple trick is probably better. If you can just focus on the move, the better it is for you.

You have studied music - what else do I need to say

Have fun
Andy