|
|
Gidon New user Tacoma, Wa 80 Posts |
Okay,
I've gotten so many hand cramps trying to back palm it's scary. It feels like I'm trying to learn to one handed cut all over again. Anyway, I cannot, for the life of me, back palm a coin. If I place the coin in the back palm position is sits just fine and looks great. However, when I try to transition from front to back the coin always falls out of my index and pinky hold as my middle and ring fingers try to move around the coin. I've read Bobo's a hundred times to see if there was a subtlety I was missing but it seems I just can't swivel the coin with my middle two fingers without dropping it. Does anyone have any tips on this move? I was hoping Curtis and Dan Watkins could post on this. They both have great technical work and I'm sure they've been asked this before.
Chris Harland
"No WAY...wait...do that again." |
David Neighbors V.I.P. 4910 Posts |
Hi Gidon,
I use The Downs Backpalm! You don't Have to Swivel The Coin! I have it Posted on Dan's Site In the Trick part of the Site! Hope this helps! Don't Give Up! Best David Neighbors The Coinjurer |
Curtis Kam V.I.P. same as you, plus 3 and enough to make 3498 Posts |
Well, it's a long time ago, but I do recall trying to learn the full backpalm and thinking it was (to borrow a phrase) the worst way to try to hide a coin, except for all the others.
In other words, I recall that I stuck with it, because I couldn't think of any better way to show my hand empty and still have a coin in my hand. These days, there are lots of ways. However, I will be the last one to try to discourage you from learning the FBP, so here are some thoughts: The relative sizes of the coin and your hand are important, in some ways that are not immediately apparent. Many people have fingers that taper dramatically towards the tips. This means that during the pivoting motion, moving the middle fingers into position may cause the index and fourth fingers to spread, causing the coin to fall. This is even more of a problem with the no-pivot method, since the middle fingers must do an extreme curl there. Another possibility is that you are holding the coin at the wrong point on your index finger and thumb. I know you want to hold it as little of the figners as possible, however, the thing to do is to start with the coin at the center point, and then work your way back. (I hope this makes sense) What size coin are you using? If you're working with halves, try the move with a dollar. If your positioning is wrong, the dollar will fall, just like the half. If the problem is spreading, however, the dollar will not fall. Or, it might be something else. The best advice I can give you is to ignore how cramped your hand looks for the moment, just learn the basic move, then refine later. What are you going to do once you've got it?
Is THAT a PALMS OF STEEL 5 Banner I see? YARRRRGH! Please visit The Magic Bakery
|
Catbacker Regular user Manhattan, KS 145 Posts |
You might try using a coin with well-defined edges until you become more adept.
I am still working on becoming proficient at this myself and found that I dropped the coin less frequently with a newer Kennedy half than my Walking Liberties. I can now get it into position without dropping it consistently, but I still end up with my hand looking like I have palsy. I have been working on the Tenkai pinch as well and it looks much better. I think I remember a previous post where Curtis recommended using a card to hide the unnatural look of the hand when back palming. "Pay no attention to the hand behind the card!" Scott
"Of course, that's just my opinion... I could be wrong." Dennis Miller
|
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
Hey Guy,
You are not alone. Tommy Downs had a gimick made to manage the coins. Even then he knew the formalism was quaint and focussed on presentation. You already know what an empty hand looks like and moves like. There are better ways to do coins than using card moves. Strong hint...if you continue with the Downs approach... look a the modern managers like now-u-see-it -Jonathan
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
Curtis Kam V.I.P. same as you, plus 3 and enough to make 3498 Posts |
Scott,
This is my new favorite thing: I have a rather large coin purse on the table. I vanish a coin, and show that it has appeared under the purse. Then, in the act of covering the coin with the purse again, the coin is stolen into Full Backpalm. The position looks natural enough in a close up setting if the display is kept in the periphery of the spectator's vision. In other words, if something else is going on. The vanish and appearance puts me one behind in the routine, the steal puts me one ahead. A shuttle/utility switch action retrieves the coin from backpalm. Can't say anymore, that would be telling.
Is THAT a PALMS OF STEEL 5 Banner I see? YARRRRGH! Please visit The Magic Bakery
|
Catbacker Regular user Manhattan, KS 145 Posts |
Hey Curtis,
I like that idea! But what is this misdirection thing that everyone keeps talking about? It really isn't that important to magic is it? It does seem as long as the spectators aren't burning the hand with the back palm, that I can pull it off fairly well, but I have a question. In what curcumstances is it more advantageous to use the back palm instead of the tenkai? My hand seems much more natural with the tenkai and the coin ends up pretty much in the same place. Scott
"Of course, that's just my opinion... I could be wrong." Dennis Miller
|
Curtis Kam V.I.P. same as you, plus 3 and enough to make 3498 Posts |
Well, at this point I can only think of three situations where you'd prefer the FBP to Tenkai:
1. Angles are a consideration 2. Multiples (unless you're Sawa) 3. In the application described above, where you're picking a coin up from the table. I find it's faster and less jarring to FBP the coin instead of clipping it. You're right, Scott, topside, I think the Tenkai will always look better. And don't worry about the misdirection thing. Misdirection is just a crutch for people who can't do real magic.
Is THAT a PALMS OF STEEL 5 Banner I see? YARRRRGH! Please visit The Magic Bakery
|
Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
I would say that the back palm with coins asit is with cards, is probably more suitable for stage or 'parlour' (who has a parlour?) settings. I myself can backpalm a coin but never do. Although Curtis' routine has me thinking!
CHad |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Nothing up my sleeve... » » Back Palm Problems (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |