I know this may sound strange, but throughout the 3 years I've been working with cards, I feel very uncomfortable using the palm. I hardly ever use it when I'm presenting magic to people. I just don't feel very comfortable with it. Any suggestions???

Thanks so much!

~ B r a n d o n

Michael Close's the Power of Palming Video.

'Nuff said.

according to Darwin Ortiz palming is the most "unused" slight...
you need a very good palm or a very good misdirection.
A one handed palm will give you some "time" for misdirection with the other hand.

You should have a very good trick or reason for palming (card to wallet, card to pocket, folded card in box,...) so it is worth the practice...
have fun
Martin

I think that even if you know you will never use a palm I think it is good to learn as you will have to learn misdirection which is a key skill in magic.....its got more uses than the hot shot cut!!!
james

"Finally, when it comes to palming, it is a personal quirk of mine to NOT HOLD OUT. I mean by this that I prefer to move DIRECTLY from one packet to the other or from the deck to the pocket or wallet, card box, etc., rather than keeping cards in the palm even for a few seconds. I am not suggesting this is the only way, but that it's my way..."
Steve Draun, "Secrets Draun From the Underground"

(note: they don't come much better than this guy. TW)

Regards,
Thomas Wayne

there are a number potential pitfalls with a palm, I've found...

but I've worked on a couple of elementary palms that seem to work for me...the most basic one is to hold the deck in your left hand, and push the top card forward with the your right hand so that the card springs up into your palm. I feel most comfortable IMMEDIATELY taking the deck into the right hand: that gives me a reason for cupping my hand, and keeping the back toward the audience.

Brandon, I can tell you that nobody has called me on this move, and I sincerely doubt that I'm *that* good. Give it a try; it may work for you.

I know how to do most of the palms. It's just that my hand always looks suspicious.

Brandon,
Don't worry, it will be like that for awhile. The truth is, palming is hard and anyone that tells you different is either lying or has been doing it so long that they've forgotton.

All the advice so far has been really good. If you can do a basic palm, then it's just a matter of time. There is a good deal of misdirection involved and that will come with practice and confidence. Do not expect the "palm" itself to do anything for you; it's just half the battle. Most of it is how you handle the palm. But don't worry, I've seen old pros with terrible palms do wonders because they had good misdirection and that's the key to most great magic. Just keep going.

Jeb (Sable)

Most working pros use palming extensively. Most amateurs and hobbyists little or not at all. Why? Because you have to do it plenty of times under fire without getting caught (and even GETTING caught a few times) before you become comfortable doing it!

Like everything else, if YOU believe in it and are not "guilty," about it, the audience won't notice, but if you are scared, nervous and guilty, the audience will likely catch you.

Remember Aldo Colombini's slogan: "You are the only one who knows!"

Scott:
Your advice is spot-on...and if you get caught, or it doesn't work, there's always Troy Hooser's plaintive cop-out:

"Hey, it looked good in the mirror!"

Thanks soo much for all your replies! I really appreciate it!

~ B r a n d o n

I have a rule for myself: "Never learn a sleight unless you have a use for it." If your goal is to entertain laymen, then just learning to correctly palm a card isn't going to impress them. The only reason I learned how to palm a card is so that I could perform Michael Ammar's Bluefield Debut. And no, I'm not saying you can't learn a sleight just for the fun of it, but if you think about it, it's just a big waste of time and effort to learn something you'll never use. Find something you need a palm for, then learn it.

Just a thought!

HI,
Palming, like the top change, has more to do with confidence than any great technique.

In my table hopping act I do a repeat card to pocket with a deck to pocket kicker
the deck is simply gamblers copped in. I can perform this anywhere and half the deck is sticking out of the back of my hand!
it is just a case of being confident and directing your audience correctly.
Phillip

I must admit, I had a great fear of using a top palm - I would avoid any effect that utilised it. After a while, I realised just how powerful a move it is, and set about learning the one handed top palm. Since learning it, I've found great confidence in the fact that I have added misdirection for the move, seeing as I don't need my other hand. I try to palm cards whenever I can in performance, just to get used to the feeling.

My advice: learn the one handed top palm! It allows you so much more freedom!

I used to be a relatively pure card guy until a couple of years ago when I started playing with coins.

This very much improved my palming of cards.

In coin magic you have to palm all the time which quickly teaches you (through trial and error I regret to say) the correct mental attitude.

So take up coin magic (blasphemy... stone the heathen) and it will greatly improve your palming.

/Karl