Hi Jason,

Certain seemingly easy sleights give me a great deal of trouble. E.g.

• Spinning a card on my finger (the whirl).
  
• The LePaul Spread.
  

What, if any, sleights have you tried to learn without yet succeeding?

Shaun

Shaun,

There aren't any sleights that I've tried to do but failed, but there are plenty of them where the issue is that I have only "played" with the move and haven't given it the time it truly deserves.

With regard to sleights and moves, I'm a firm believer that there are very few problems that a 100,000 or so attempts can't solve! The moves that I've devoted that many "reps" to I've pretty much got down. The ones that I've only tried a few hundred times (or a few dozen) still give me as much trouble as they give everyone else.

The list of moves that I'd love to be able to take a pill and wake up tomorrow able to perform invisibly is rather long, but here are a few:

The Gagnon Spread Control (what a useful and diabolical move)

The Truffle Shuffle (I don't riffle shuffle cards in the hands at all)

The Pressure Fan (I've always used a thumb-fan type movement but with my forefinger)

The Classic Force (I've never put in the time - shame on me, I know)

The Clipshift (I can do the Clipshift with a small packet, but the move "talks" if I try it with a full deck.

Jason

Hi Jason,

I think you nailed it. I've played a lot with the LePaul Spread and the Whirl without devotion.

• The Gagnon Spread Control: I love that, after 21 years in magic, there are moves of which I'm not aware.
  
• The Truffle Shuffle: That resonates. I never riffle in the air, it feels bad in my hands. I use the BLIND SHUFFLES. ERDNASE SYSTEM OF from ARTIFICE and the Fourth Method of BLIND SHUFFLES. RETAINING ENTIRE ORDER from LEGERDEMAIN. The latter is harder than it sounds.
  
• The Pressure Fan: Me too! I've played with it to no avail, just like the LePaul Spread.
  
• The Classic Force: This is one I do. The best explanation, for me, is in Close Up Illusions by the late Ouellet.
  
• The Clipshift: That's another of which I've never heard. Cool.
  

It's encouraging to know that it's practice not talent that leads to expertise.

Shaun