I land the classic forces TCF, about 30% of the time... I know they're ways to make it a way better better percentage than that.. Can I get some advice or what book or DVD should I get.This is the one true sleight I really want to master in cards....Thanx in advance

Pick up Paul Gertner - Professional Card Forces and Paul Green - Classic Force. They are the best classic force dvds I have.

You might also try to look at Dani Daortiz - Utopia Volume 3.

And like Rick Merrill keeps saying its the only force he does very well because its the only force he keeps doing.

Make sure you're not telegraphing that you're trying to force a card. The deck should be handled in a very casual manner before the force without giving any tells of controlling a force card. I concur with all the above ideas including forcing every chance you get even if you don't have to.

Mark Mason offers advice that works pretty flawlessly by asking the spec to touch a card... not take. As the spec stretches out the finger to touch, you have more flexibility to place the FC under the finger... If he waivers, merely pull back and state, "It doesn't matter which one you take..." and go back in for the touch...

T

Look into Tony Gerrard's Magic Behind Bars Lecture DVD. Better yet, try and see him live. He details his technique for the Classic Force--which he calls The Idiosyncratic Classic--on the DVD and in lecture. It's not the last word, but full of great advice on not only the mechanics of the Classic Force, but on how to make those mechanics invisible. Tony posts on the Café on a regular basis and can be contacted on gerrardenterprises.com.

The Chicago Surprise is a great routine to use to learn to be comfortable with the classic force.

Agreed and I can only add that Chicago Surprise is a self-contained mini-course on the "why" and not just the "how" of magic. Even if you don't intend on performing Chicago Surprise, this is a must read not only for cardicians but ANY magician wanting to gain a deeper understanding of why magic works when structured immaculately and performed well. Pop's work reminds me a lot of Wayne Whiting and Terry Lagerould's Pasteboard Presentations (if you have the book, look at Whiting and Lagerould's sections within each routine detailing the "Belief State" and "Actual State" at each phase of of the tricks and routines), Wesley James Enchantments, and Harry Lorayne's work. They are conversational, logically presented, and each give you that all important "why." It's my hack opinion anyway that far too often we magicians are so consumed with the "how" of a trick or routine that we forget the "why" and to our peril just gloss over it. Yet masters like Ramsay, Slydini, and Wonder understood its importance to the nth degree.

Paul Green's work on the Classic Force is, a stated above, also essential work on the sleight itself. Paul never releases anything that he hasn't tested under fire "in the trenches." It really is a great work.

I seem to recall that Mark Mason did some interesting work on the CF as well in the early 2000s. There were some interesting approaches worth investigating. Worth noting also is Harry Lorayne's use of the CF behind his back as the beginning of his ACR; it's really a thing of beauty. The possibility of a force seems impossible because of the behind the back approach and believe it or not, it works beautifully and EVErY TIME. Lastly, and please, let's not start a bloody flame war, our missing comrade Steven Youell wrote a superb treatise on the CF. If you can find it, you should definitely put it on your to buy list.

There's also an Eddie Tullock DVD floating around with some bold advice.

I really like Pop's classic force work within his Chicago Surprise routine. Timing, confidence and just doing it goes along way. If you ever get to Key West stop by Schooner Wharf Bar to watch my cousin Frank perform. Just like his Dad, he does a hilarious Classic Force routine involving tearing the card to make them choosing it even more impossible.

Anyway, many great learning references here.

AS MUCH AS I LIKE POP HAYDN'S WORK ON THE CLASSIC FORCE
FOR ME p
PAUL GREEN IS A MASTER OF THE CLASSIC FIORC E JSUT GET HIS DVD ON THE CLASSIC FORCE...
HOWEVEDR MY MY GIGGLE FORCE IS JUST AS POWERFUL AND NEVER MISSES

VINNY
SORRY FOR THE CAPS