The "diagonal palm shift" is one of three sleights Roberto Giobbi would have requested of a "fairy godmother." Barry Price cherishes the Erdnase move enough for it to be one of five sleights he would take with him if he "were banished to the moon." In keeping with these plaudits, Darwin Ortiz ("the Annotated Erdnase") and Dai Vernon ("Revelations") devote considerable attention to describing its proper execution.

Despite these excellent written descriptions, it's difficult to understand how the diagonal palm shift should look from the spectator's point of view. It is, however, a move whose difficulty and value demand such knowledge.

For visual help, Ortiz recommends Volume 8 of Vernon's "Revelations" video series and an Earl Nelson tape. I haven't had the good fortune of seeing the Nelson video, but I have viewed the Vernon tape. It lives up to Ortiz's billing, providing valuable advice about achieving the correct little-finger pivot point.

What's missing in the Vernon performance is seeing the sleight in the context of a full routine. As a result, to paraphrase one of Vernon's axioms, a missing piece of the puzzle is how does the performer get into and out of the move.

I suspect there exists a video containing an exemplary handling of the diagonal palm shift. Not being an aficionado of videos, my ignorance of them is vast, so I've yet to discover this visual gem.

I would appreciate any video suggestions Magic Cafe members might have in this regard. Thanks.

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Michael Close performs several palms very similar in handling to the DPS on his Power of Palming/Workers video.

As for what it should look like, I would expect they see you put a card into the middle of the deck and then hand the deck out for shuffling or perhaps place the deck on the table. Occasionally I've seen the move used to control the selection to the bottom but I believe it is better used to remove a card from the deck. Card to wallet perhaps?

jb

The greatest exponent of the DPS is Paul Chosse. He has work on it that is unpublished, but for some excellent tips, check out L&L's L.I.N.T.

To see Chosse do stuff with the DPS will stop your heart.

Steven Youell

You are very correct, Chosse rules!
Another one that does an awsome DPS that you will never see is Dorian Rhodell...I'm soooooo jealous.

Do you guys find that the DPS can only be done at an angle to the audience? Eg. if the deck is in the left and the palmed card is going into the right hand, I would have to turn a bit left to cover the action of the finger pushing out the card? Or is this just my poor execution?

And where do you think he learned it?
CHOSSE!

SEY

In the Diagonal Palm Shift - as defined by it's appearance in Erdnase - the hand holding the deck (initially) is also the hand that receives the palmed card. That is, most right-handers would hold the deck in the left hand and also palm the card into the left hand.

Anything else is not a true DPS, but a variation; holding the deck in the left hand but stealing and palming the card with the right hand, for example, is actually known as the "L.J. Angle Steal".

Regards,
Thomas Wayne

Yes, Thomas, although I'm sure there is already a line forming of others who will take the credit...