Due to a routine I'm working on, I'm trying to back clip with my opposite hand, and man! I feel like SUCH a beginner all over again. If any of you haven't tried to backclip with your opposite hand, go try it. It feels like switching hands on the pass. (I tried that as well and gave up after five minutes!)

Ever since watching Dan Watkins' CLEAN three fly on his website, I was determined to combine back clipping vanishes/productions with both hands. I can't do it yet, but I'm pretty sure my new routine will make magicians smile in approval and laymen CRY in disbelief.

I just thought I would share my upcoming projects, please feel free to respond with any insight you might have on learning the back clip all over again! (Or advanced back clipping, for that matter.)

-Peter

As a matter of fact, most sleights are very difficult to do with the other hand, especially years after you've learned them. Try making an Elmsley count the other way.

I've been playing around with this for a while, because I found that when I lecture and meet a newcomer, I have a hard time explaining difficult sleights to him, because I don't think about them any more, they're part of my back bone now. But, when I do them with the "cold" hand I'm all of a sudden very aware of all the little bits and pieces, and it makes it much easier to explain.

It may take a bit longer.

I played darts for a long time, about 16 years. In about my seventh year, I broke my right arm. I trained myself to throw darts with my left arm. It took some time, but my best advice to you when trying to switch to your weaker side is to relax, remember how the strong hand moved, what it did to make whatever you're trying to do happen, and focus all of your attention on making the weak side do the exact same thing. Sounds pretty obvious, but there's a lot to it.

As far as darts went, I started very basically by getting comfortable just throwing with my left arm. Once I got to a point where it didn't feel "funny" any more, I started working on accuracy. That my be a good plan of attack in your case as well.

Best,
Mike

What with the mention of "darts" and "plan of attack" you're making me a bit nervous Mike.

I can do the deep back clip with both hands. First I tried it with only my right hand but when I watched my friend do it with both his hands, I thought that I had to try.

Because he showed his good tricks to me, he used the vanish and the back clip and other techniques with his opposite hand. Thus, I was not able to analyze the secrets of his trick. Especially I think it is a really strong weapon for magician that the opposite hand's retention vanish.

I'm thinking... perhaps a new twist on Goshman's "Blow Gun" effect. Darts instead of coins could have serious liability issues....and cause some major..."blow back" . Hahahahahahah

I kill me...

Mike

About 17 years ago, I injured my primary hand, and while in therapy, I started to relearn stuff with my left hand. Of course somethings were easier with my non-dominant hand to begin with. The four coin roll down was first learned in my left hand.

It is nice to be able to some things from both sides.

Harris

I've found that sometimes if you do a move AT THE SAME TIME on both hands (assuming that you CAN do it well on one hand-dominant). It's easier to learn the move on the weaker hand. But that might just be me. Obviously you can't do this if you need both hands (ex. Retention Pass). That's how I learned to coin roll on both hands with the added bonus that I can do it at the same time.

Learning to do all moves with both hands will make you a more versatile performer. Otherwise you may need to alter your routines so that the coin is always in the hand neccesary to effectuate the move, which will ultimately weaken the routine.

Wow! Thanks for all the help, you guys. Thanks to you all of you, I think my routine might be done sooner than I previously expected.

Take it easy everyone.

-Peter

Some years back I realized that all the coins across routines I knew had the coins moving from the audiences right to their left (my left hand to my right). I decided that since people in my culture read from right to left (and generally expect things to move that direction) that I'd try and create a routine which did that. It required learning some things backwards.

I do all the standard concealments with both hands. Deep back clip with both hands and perform a number of changeover and shuttle pass actions in both directions. As Dr. Rubinstein notes it gives you much greater flexibility in creating your routines.

Nothing makes me sadder than seeing an otherwise good coin worker pick up a coin with his left hand, transfer it to his right and then do a retention pass into his left hand.

EXACTLY!!

Funny,

When I started out learning coin magic, it just seemed natural to learn it in both hands, whereas with cards I learned everything as a right hander (even though I am left handed).

Kinda weird, but then hey! I'm weird.

Josh

Learn what is required by the routine. I don't do all sleights with both hands but simple things like a coin roll or downs or classic palm. You have to.

If your one hand can do it so can the other. Muscle memory is the only thing hindering you which means you just have to reprogram your brain to accept the fact that both sides are equally natural. It took me three weeks to learn to write with my other hand (a stupid pub bet which I won) and it felt almost the same.

Try doing the moves with both hands at the same time. Your strong hand "coaches" your other hand through it, until eventually you get used to the feel.