I perform my cups and balls routine standing, and like a lot of you, do my final loading from my jacket pockets. This works, but the bulk of the final loads in the pockets continues to bug me, and there is no hiding the bulk and weight in a suit jacket. Wanted to ask others how they deal with this issue, and where you do your final loading from. I am open to alternatives, if they will work and get the job done.

Corbett... I know what you mean and to add to it, most of my sports coats have flaps on the pockets... just another thing to add to the move.

I pretty much perform the Cups sitting and load from my lap or a makeshift servente made from the table cloth. I have thought about making some kind of hold-out to be worn on my back to load from... but I have yet to try it.

Most of the videos and performers I have seen loading from their coat pockets do pretty well with misdirection and timing... watching the spectators, the better performers get away with it without incident. We knowing what is about to happen sometimes makes us zero in on the load move or worry about the pockets.

I wish you luck!

Bruce

I'm not worried about getting caught, or flashing or anything like that. It's the *** logistics of the weight and visibility of the bulk in the jacket.

I load from my left front pants pocket. Fairly deep pocket, and dark trousers hide the bulk.

You keep 3 final loads in your pants pocket?

Use smaller loads. Don't use all same pocket.

Corbett,

I use light loads. My seamstress expanded my jacket pocket with interior pleats. There is no change to the exterior appearance even with the loads in place. Like Pete said, I don't load them all from the same place either.

I'm pretty sure you know where my routine is posted on-line. You can look at the hang of the jacket with a critical eye, there.

I can send you a picture of the interior of my jacket if that helps in some small way.

KG

Kent, my man, I know you do not load from your pockets. Are you referring to a different handling? Your Fun Shop handling uses a different loading methodology altogether, correct?

Regarding the interior pleats, I had not thought of that. Excellent idea indeed. I will certainly give that a try, as I keep 2 loads in one side, and 1 in the other. Would love to see a pic of your jacket, if it's not too much trouble. corbettdtroyer@yahoo.com

Pete, I don't want to use smaller loads, as that negates the idea of a final load in the first place. If the load doesn't fill up the mouth opening of the cup, what's the point?

This is a big problem for me, I seldom wear a coat, the table situation is chaotic, and pocket space is at a premium. I do the Benson Bowl instead, which simplifies the situation a bit with one load, or maybe two.

I keep a 5 inch sponge ball in my back pocket. I reach back to see if the missing ball has jumped to my pocket, and then direct the spectator to open their hand to see if they have the missing ball, and they do.

At that momemt you have a ton of cover to load just about anything. A solid load would be a bigger surprise, but I don't usually have room. If I do a second load then it's an even bigger 6 inch sponge ball from the same back pocket.

This idea is from Johnny Thompson: use the "two balls in the hand" discovery by the spectator to cover the load.

When standing, I load finals from High Caliber Magic's Unos on my belt.

Interesting (I'm looking at that item on their site currently). How do you coordinate the steals from the belt? With the pockets, there is at least the excuse to go to the pocket, as you apparently put away the small balls. Would you be willing to send me a clip of your routine, and how you are managing this?

I use 3 pieces of Ammar's Fab Fruit- a potato, a tomato and a turnip. These aren't huge loads, but the incongruity adds to the element of surprise. I have 2 in the left pocket and 1 in the right. If wearing a jacket, I load from the side jacket pockets. But, I have performed without a jacket, wearing pleated front Dockers, and that works well, also. The pleated front gives a "baggy- er" look which seems to hide the bulk of the loads.

I have never tried loading from the rear pockets, though many do. Seems to require a much larger movement, to me at least.

Mark

Imagination?

I have my tailor add a (matching) pouch/pocket rear of my pants both upper leg areas. Works great for my 2 large chop cup loads.
Also many other things I need to p/u or ditch. My jacket covers pretty well, and audience usually in front.

In my opinion, the surprise of the final loads is generated by their size, relative to the balls that have been used throughout the routine. Otherwise, why would some cups be designed to be larger? Maybe to accommodate larger loads?

NO NO NO.. Size does not matter. It is the Change. Ken Brooke proved this to Ricky Jay.

See the result of NOT SUCH BIG LOADS (all from one jacket pocket) in my routine on a TV Special. Go to http://www.pete-biro.com and clik on "pete on TV" the cups routine is the fifth one down. Fab Fruit with Danny Dew Fox cups.

Pete is 100% correct. (Do you ever get tired of hearing that?) Especially if you are using fruit. AND, the ammount of loads also matters. Most people are shocked when you produce 1 more load than you have cups. 4 from 3, or 2 from 1. THAT also seems really impossible. That said, I load from back pockets, 2 in each.

From my sleeves (elbow), from my collar's back, from pockets, from behind my tie (when I wear it)...

I'm a big proponent of making the method fit the venue, what works in one performing situation does not necessarily work somewhere else.
For example when working indoors I use the jacket pockets for loads but when I started busking in the summer this was both uncomfortably impractical and suspicious looking.
So I had to change the method, in the summer I now Load from the side outer pockets of Cargo shorts, there pleated and large enough to hide the loads and I can work in just Shorts, t-shirt, and a baseball cap (that I use for a final load of a cantaloupe from a servente)