You mentioned that you use pass in your work. What form of pass do you prefer, classic, riffle, top card cover... What is your take on the pass. For what would you use a pass and for what you would never use a pass. Do you use it for controlling a single card for instance?

I know that this is in a way stupid question, because there is so many different passes and some of them are better for other trick than other but still I´d like to know. I my-self use a pass quite a bit. Mainly with memorized deck, but also on some other tricks. I have combined tegniques Swain (Thumb is on the left side of the deck and doesn´t move), Krentzel and Dingle (forefinger is curled under the deck) to make it as smooth and invisible as I can.

Hey Josh,
Your pass is easily the best I have ever witnessed. I had slowly stopped using the pass in lieu of other controls, but after seeing (or not seeing) you do it many many times while I was burning your hands, I just HAD to work on my pass using yours as a reference on what I would strive for. (I know you're an english major, so please forgive that last sentence structure.)

If you could give some tips for what you see some people do that they shouldn't be doing for the pass or maybe some subtlties that people should take advantage of when passing, it would be appreciated.

Thanks for the motivation!

The pass is a move I have studied more than any other in magic, except for the double lift. Interestingly, we will have covered them both before the end of the week.

First is tension. To be honest, I’ve seen some great passes with ugly grips. While grip is EXTREMELY important to me, I’m not going to launch into that here because it would take forever. But, your pass will never look good if you’re gripping the cards too tight. My pass (and all the passes I have tried to emulate) are soft actions. Strive for fluidity and speed will come—not the other way around.

Second is covering action. Find one or two or three. While this may sound like over-analysis, people who do a pass without any sort of cover action are often cocky. That’s just an observation. There is absolutely no reason to try and blaze through a pass without any effort to clout it. A gentle riffle on the back or the front, tilting the deck up or down, tilting the deck from side to side, a gentle and soft swinging motion of the hands, changing body direction, looking the spectator in the eye, moving the deck to the table, etc. These are ALL fine covering actions that help considerably in camouflaging shifts. Yet I see move monkeys all the time that hold a break, stare at their hands while keeping the deck entirely still, and then do the fastest shift they can muster. In those conditions, it can never be fast enough. Conversely, I have seen magicians with obscene passes get away with murder, by using any one of the above-mentioned aids to misdirect.

Finally, a few passes and sources to look for. I’m not purporting that these guys are the best because many of the best passes I’ve seen are from people who wish for their handlings and reputations to remain in “stealth” mode. But, these are good kickstarts.

1. Jay Sankey: anyone who uses small hands as an excuse for a bad pass needs to watch Jay Sankey and quit complaining. Pay particular attention to his solution to the two “flashpoints.” Here’s a hint: it is how he tilts the deck.
2. Derek Dingle: I got to sit down with him and go over the mechanics when I was young, and I feel fortunate about that. There is video footage out there of his pass, and I like his grip a lot (though it isn’t the one I use).
3. My column: I have had two expertalks on the pass in my column. There is a nice tip which I use on bowing the deck from Andrew Wimhurst.

And for those who collect “weird” passes, seek out my friend Joel Givens’ pass, pubished in Trapdoor. I forget the name of it, but the pass takes place at chest height with the passed packet CLIPPED at the base of the hand in a position perpendicular to the other cards. The most amazing part of the pass is that you can actually get away with it!

I always refer beginners to the Pointing Pass by Jay Sankey, which is a pass that can be learned on the first try.

In closing, I’ll say this: the pass is a move I have become obsessed with, and I enjoy tweaking and trying to improve it every few months. I do the move at least a couple hundred times every day to practice, and use it constantly in my work (I think I counted seven times I use it in the act I was doing at the castle last month). It doesn’t come easy at all, and that’s part of its charm. Best of luck with it!

Hope that helps,

Joshua Jay