Hey Everyone!

Well, I was shamed by my good friend Farrell Dillon into upgrading from the tiny 1.75 inch fakini's I've been using since I was 14, to the full size 2.25 inch billiards. Now obviously this is going to take some getting used to(understatement of the year), but I'd like to know if any of you billiard ball manipulators out there know any tricks for conditioning your hands/fingers for the bigger size balls. So far I've heard about stretching your fingers manually, do the ball roll endlessly, and sleeping with the fakini's taped between your fingers. Any other ideas/suggestions?

Thanks.

-Leo

Just do it everyday. I think the biggest difference with the bigger balls isn't between teh fingers but rather in concealing the palmed balls. The angles are so vital with the big guys.

Jim

The length of your fingers determines the appropriate size you use.

Just use whatever you can manage and feel comfortable with.

Using white balls make the balls look bigger than other colors.

Leo. The word "upgrading" somehow implies that you feel deficient and Ill-equipped.

Repeat after me "I am good enough that people like me even if I use 1.75s. I'm smart enough to perform routines that are not too fast or slow. I am talented enough that I will develop a routine that is smooth and crisp at the same time"

You can do it no matter how big your balls are. It just had to be said.

I should upgrade my billiard balls as well. I have been using 1.5 inch wooden billiard balls for year or two. I'm going to get 2 sets of JieLis at christmas.

RJH

As James noted, the difference is in the palming the balls. The flourishes are often easier with larger balls. So if the rt your want to do has lots of flourishes and not much palming use the bigger ones. It is better to perform a with 1.75 inch balls, than to think about performing with 2.25" inch balls.

Thanks for the responses. To be honest, the 1.75 have been feeling VERY small for some time. After seeing me perform, Farrell told me I needed to go up in size not only because visibility is better with bigger balls, but the 1.75 were looking very small and toylike in my hands. He then suggested I should go all the way and buy the 2.25 inchers. I told him he was crazy, and that my hand were far too small for the 2.25's. He then demanded that we compare hand sizes and much to my surprise/embarrassment our hands were exactly the same size. So much for my hands being too small. Anyway to address issue brought up in this thread so far, I don't have the longest fingers, but they are very flexible. I do have fairly large palms so while I do have to be careful, palming a 2.25 inch billiard isn't that difficult. My question was what's the fastest/best way of getting your hands used to handling bigger size billiards. So far I've just been putting the balls between my fingers and doing the ball roll. Any other ideas?
Thanks.

-Leo

"My question was what's the fastest/best way of getting your hands used to handling bigger size billiards."

Use 2.5" balls. Doing your rt with 2.5 inch balls will make 2.25 inch balls seem small. You can find 2.5 inch super balls online and in some toy shops for $1-$5 each.

Chris

Good idea! Thanks.

-Leo

I want to point out that it is not necessary or even additive to the effect to use 2.25 inch balls over smaller sizes. Use what feels right in your hand and you feel confident in performing without mishaps. 2 inch balls are clearly visible in any performance venue, especially if you use white or yellow. 1.75 inch and 2 inch balls are more prevalent in magic acts than 2.25 inch.

That being said, I found that as I transitioned from 1 5/8 inch to 1.75 inch to 2 inch balls, also transitioning to a grippier ball greatly aided in the transition. I had used Fakini balls for 25 years, but when I went to 2 inches, I transitioned to these:

http://www.approachchina.com/multiplying......925.html

These balls are far grippier than my old Fakini balls, and I discovered that I was actually more comfortable performing with the grippier 2 inch balls than the Fakini 1.75 inch balls.

The optimum size for palming varies depending on the size of your hands, but I discovered than I could actually palm a 2 inch ball easier than a 1.75 inch ball. I have a 2.25 inch rubber ball for comparison; I find it too big to be concealed effectively in my hands.

Overall, my point is to discover the "sweet spot" for your hands to be effective, deceptive, and comfortable. There is no intrinsic value to larger balls if they end up diminishing your deceptiveness or competent manipulation.

I agree, bigger manipulation balls are an upgrade. I saw a guy do a beautiful routine with a 2.5 inch set and it was impressive. The bigger the ball, the more impressive it looks on stage and the more impossible it looks to hide. The old timers used to consider people who used manipulation balls under 2 inches to be "amateurs". I have heard some funny stories about Cardini talking to guys who used smaller manipulation balls. I don't agree with that sentiment but I see the appeal of using the larger balls.