Is it possible to Thumb Fan a whole deck? I can fan it evenly, but always end up with half to a quater of the deck on top.

Hello Ryan!!

YES, it is possible to thumb fan an entire deck of cards. The thumb fan is a totally different 'feel' than the PRESSURE FAN.

The thumb fan, basically has no downward pressure applied to the fan. For a good thumb fan, how you hold the squared deck, will have much to do with how many cards can be fully fanned.

Having your deck 'powdered' also helps tremendously in making a full thumb fan. A thumb fan relies on 'feel' more than anything. Many new people, start and finish the fan, while their thumb pushes the cards from their edges. Now, you do start the fanning by pushing the edges of the cards, but as you get to the middle of the fan, the thumb should make its way to the top card, and continue fanning the cards in an arc from their.

Start with just half a deck of cards. Once you get the 'feel', then add another block of cards and practice. Then finally add the remainder of the deck, and you should be able to fan the entire deck in a nice arc.

A thumb fan is not as large as a pressure fan. It's just the nature of the thumb fan.

Hope This Helps...
- - Troy

It is most definitely possible. When it comes to fans the only real way to improve is to practice, practice, practice. You might also want to try altering your grip strength and position to make sure that you are applying equal pressure throughout the whole fan.

I've also found it useful to use my fingers much in the same way as a back pressure fan. I'm not sure if this is a recognized addition to the technique or a different fan altogether but it works for me. When I just use my thumb the cards do not arc but kind of spread in a line more. With the fingers I can control the arc a lot better.

Although I am rarely happy with a full deck fan with a single hand, I usually split the deck if I'm going to perform a one handed fan flourish.

Billy

Practice, practice is the secret !

I had never tried the thumb fan until I needed it for a specific trick (The Leeds Miracle, Apocalypse), but then as I started practising it, I immediately liked it. It is - to me - easier than the pressure fan and looks just a bit less "flourishy", which fits my style.