It is time to put some hours into perfecting my double lift... Problem: I do not know which style to focus on.. Any advice would be appreciated. I like Ammars push off double lift but I do not know the name of it. I want the most believable and natural double possible. Any help or advice in my practicing would be greatly appreciated... Thanks.

Chad

Look at how you turn over a single card, then turn over your double exactly the same way.

The end.

:)

-Jim

Forget about believable and natural. What you want to do is perform a ruff con when nobody is lookin'.

Do what I do. Hold the deck in left hand dealers grip. Then shove the top card to the right a little bit with your left thumb; then shove the next card a little bit to the right with your left thumb. Then bring your right hand over to the right-jogged cards; square them, then display the face of the double with your right middle finger on the north short edge and your right thumb on the south short edge of the double, then plop the double face down back on the deck.

Forget about those book-turnovers like Mike Ammar likes to do. All you have to do is engage the specs with your eyes and patter when the dirty work occurs.

This move has been turned into major stress by all the card greats; just do the *** thing and don't worry about it.

Jim:
Here's another way...try making your single look like your double. It's far, far easier. For instance, I'll now turn singles up from the lower left hand corner, holding the deck in my right hand.

As mentioned many other places on this board...most people will give magi some latitude in how they handle cards. Make the most of it.

Thanks for the advice, it really helps...

I think that you have to turn all the cards in the same way, to look natural.

And the way i use to turn one or two or three cards is the same, and it is very natural. You have the deck in your left hand, in biddle position. Riffle with the thumb two cards by the corner and take the break with the index finger. Then you stand up a little the two cards, and get them with your right hand as if you are going to take one card usually. Then show them, and turn them. I don´t know if i explained well (i am spanish and do not know so many english magic terms), but i think it is the best way.

But of course, do the double as you get one card. If you get one card with one movement, you have to get two with the same. If its difficult, look for a movement, more easy to take one and two cards. But always the same.

The best thing in magic... is to do not do anything special in people eyes... natural, always natural movements. Other things unnatural, aren´t magic... are a man doing a trick, not a magician doing magic.

Remember it.

All the best in magic,

Pablo Tejero

I prefer doing a fake pushover with my left thumb while I turn two cards up with my right pointer. Once you practice it for an hour you will find it very easy to just feel two cards. I know I had zero problems learning this.

Greg Wilson's double take has quite a few good ideas for the double lift.

I've always been a believer that if you bend the cards in the middle with your thumb as you show the "top card" to the spectator it looks pretty convincing.

Don't dwell on it - as you lift the card, BELIEVE you are lifting just one card... if you concentrate on it too much someone may pick up on it.

Oh... and did I mention "Practise practise practise"?

You could try this way to...

Get two cards under your right thumb with the deck in you left hand. Then bend the cards inward so they don't spread apart and reveal that there are two. Flip them over, and do the same to turn them back around.

I agree with Jim and I also suggest you do what feels most comfortable for you. Years ago I had this same question, and trying a double lift that is not your "style", meaning, it's not comfortable for some reason, will only bring frustration. Look for a double lift that "fits" you and learn the ^*$$ out of that.

a few threads where the double lift has been discussed in some detail:

One
Two
Three

Get Card Classics of Ken Krenzel and learn the natural double lift. You will need no other.

Euan

You should check out the work of Ascanio, Hamman, Bilis, Benatar etc... for excellent double lift techniques.

Any that look natural, all of the above are good.

I agree with Euan here. Krenzel's natural double lift looks (as the title suggests) very natural. It requires no break, and is relatively easy (as far as DLs go anyway).

Cheers,
dchung

Yep, and you can use the exact same technique for multiple turnovers aswell. You can even turnover half the deck and it still looks like it's one card. What more could you ask for?

Euan

I second vote on the Krenzel natural double material. Really tough to beat and works in just about every venue you'll ever find yourself.

As always you guys are awsome.. Thanks for the advice...

Hiz,

Well, i used to have problems with my double lift. Which methods to use, count wrongly, etc.

I do have a really cool one to share. It's my own personal DL, invented with inspirations from other DL. It's actually a thumb count together with a Paul Jenning's Snap DL touch.

I think DLs with the thumb count are easy. Try the thumb count. Place your thumb at the top-left corner and press the deck down. With light pressure release from the thumb, a card will displace itself to the top, do it twice.

There, you have two card now. Then for the "click" sound, place your index finger under the two cards, and press your thumb on top of the corner, relex and release, your thumb, *click*, there, an illusion of one card and you get an DL.

It's VERY smooth for me, can be done within few seconds, with frequent practise. It's different from PJ snap DL, cos' his version is done by releasing the 3rd, 4th, last finger instead.

Well, Cool move, and i'm not sure if any one knows the exect sequence, thus i'll call it "MS-Double Lift" - Mel's Snap DL

Or Well...."Mel's Sorry Double Lift"

Regards,
Melvin

PS. Pls don't kick me out, just a suggestion !

I don't see the difference between that and Larry Jennings snap double. :

Sorry

Euan