I'm looking to add a good sponge ball routine into my repertoire, what are peoples experience and recommendations for a beginner to sponge balls?

Check out World's Greatest Magic Sponge Ball DVD and The Sponge Book by Magic Inc. two inexpensive resources that will give you plenty to work with.

Hudson

+1 for 55 Hudson

Pat Page booklet or video (DVD?)
Mark James DVD (RSVP)
Geoff Williams 'Miracles for Mortals' hairballs routine

Also, several threads worth searching out on this & table hoppers section.

Charlie

I like Jay Noblezada's DVD called Sponge.

Once you understand the sponge balls the best way to learn is to JUST DO IT. Perform, perform, perform. The timing and attitude is most important.

I'd second Pat Page. Good beginning source. Garcia's Encyclopedia of sponge ball magic is good resource, but out of print. Of course it uses everybody's routines in it, so you can pretty well put it together by looking at a few different sources.

The Spongeball Toolbox is a good place to start, worked for me anyway!

"Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic" DVD with Ben Salinas is a good intro, lots of good basics and followed by showing the moves put together in routines. You can find them for anywhere from $12 to $20, so shop around.

Ray

There is a wonderful sponge ball routine in The Book of Destiny by Larry Barnowsky. He teaches all the moves needed in the book and in the companion DVD.

BJ

Jay Sankey also teaches great moves on his DVD "Earplugs".

I am very fond of the Sponge Ball Toolkit by Magic by Gosh although I feel that some of the padding could have been eliminated. However, that was Steve Dacri's style, RIP. I was quite disappointed by the Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic. Although I am a great fan of L&L DVD's, I was rather disappointed by by their Sponge Ball magic in he World's Greatest Magic Series. I would like to add that I have about 20 DVD's in that series, most of which I find quite worthwhile.

Yup I have to agree. The Dacri session on World's Greatest Magic Series was the best part. I haven't seen any resource that teaches the retention vanish very well. For the Benson Bowl there is the original Don Alan vanish and the Frank Garcia vanish, but I'm going to have to recommend my Twist Retention Vanish instead.

For a simple vanish (jumping from my hand to your hand) there are also many different methods out there, some of which are just awful. Check Dacri's handling. Although even on World's Greatest Magic Series in his live performance there is flash after flash.

A big mistake is using SPEED to cover up a crappy vanish. In my experience even small changes in how you do the vanish or the timing result in a big visual difference.

Book called Now You See It, Now You don't was a very good start for me