My strong hand is the right hand, I write with it, play the guitar as right-handed, and so on. But now I found that certain sleights in card and coin magic are way easier with the left hand. For example Charlier Cut - while I still struggle to do it with my right hand, the left one does it fairly good at it. Same is true with coin palms. While I still haven't mastered them really good, my left hand is far better and faster learning it. I started practicing most sleights with both hands the same day, first with right, then with left hand. What do others think about that? Is it because the left hand doesn't have to unlearn wrong handlings? Is this "normal"?

I don't know if this is "normal" or the "why" of it, but I enjoy the same idiosyncrasy.

Julie

I never thought about it, but although I do virtually all manipulations right-handed, I also do the Charlier cut in my left hand.

Of related interest - when you plan on using the hand of a Volunteer Assistant, which one?

Many magicians agree that magic effects "in their hand" or "not in yours" is very powerful - and has some additional entertainment possibilities.
Yet, few study on the sensitivity and focus difference between one's dominant and support hand.

Not only do the hands send different messages to the brain and influence conditioned memory, but there is a psychological advantage
to rejecting the offered hand IF an insulting quip is not added. If you plan on having a VA stand on a certain side during the performance,
it is worth studying potential spectators to determine their "handedness."

I won't go into details on a public forum, but it is worth considering for any performer planning on using VA's.

One hint - the non-dominant hand can train the dominant one as to texture, weight and heat of a handled object, but not the other way round.

The real message is that there is more to becoming a successful magician than "buying the best packet trick" and practicing a couple of sleights.

I too have noticed this phenomenon. I am right handed, except for magic. When I started learning coin sleights, they came much easier with the left hand. I am convinced that there is something in the right side of the brain that loves magic.

Interesting topic. I've never thought much about this but when you mention it, I also am mostly left handed when it comes to magic. Been doing it for about 25 years and never given that a second thought. I just took a deck of cards in right hand dealers grip, and immediately became a beginner again.

I'm not surprised really as when I play guitar the left hand is the one that picks out the chords on the fretboard. As you progress of course the right hand becomes as, or more important when you start picking or even just varying the sound by striking different areas, etc. Still, the left hand seems to find it so easy despite having a difficult task. I don't know why this is either, but it isn't only with magic that it happens. Maybe our right brain is better at these tasks?

Actually, my right hand is the one I favour with coin work! Classic palm, Coin roll, the right hand learned faster. Feels more comfortable.
Strange indeed!

I'm left-handed but I do most of the manipulations with my right hand .. do not ask me why!

It's really great that this has become such an interesting discussion. I'm now in the train of thinking through which hand would in which case look more natural and then start learning especially with that hand. How about the one handed shuffle? Maybe in both hands at the same time?

Interesting idea, to consider and plan which hand before learning a sleight.
I'm still fumbling a bit with the charlier cut in the right hand yet I can do the left hand automatically. So I'm not sure it will be as simple as deciding which hand. Some things really just work in one hand and not so well in the other. I'm in no doubt that with practice and training, you could use the difficult hand if that was what you wanted. I think it may take a lot longer to get something down though.
It is interesting.

I was mentored a half century more ago to allow a lay person to handle a prop - even a deck of cards to shuffle.
When I learned what was natural for them, I trained myself to mimic as closely as possible.

For example, most people would take a coin rather than place one. So, if I have a coin in my my right fingers I prefer to take it with my left fingers, fake pass or natural.
Just me - I find a ROV move to be contra-natural and therefor suspicious. SO it might be for them also.

They key is to avoid any suspicion or hint of when a sleight is executed. The choice of "most comfortable for me" may be irrelevant.
What other magicians do or what you see on a video may be wrong for you. Yes, you can sometimes train an audience as to what is natural, but much easier to observe and follow.

Practice does not mean just "to automaticity," but also to "never happened at all." Asking "which hand" is like asking "do you frown, smile or laugh at a joke?"

Like others, I find this topic interesting! I'm right handed but much more comfortable doing a Charlier Cut or finger palm a coin with my left hand. I can't really do a coin roll over the knuckles, but when I play around with it, I can crudely do it better with my left hand than right. And when I occasionally use a hand held microphone, I hold it in my left hand.

Joeni,
As you see, many of us have similar experiences. I too am a MUSICian as well (Guitar, 5-string Banjo, Violin, Drums) and I think musicians involve doing intricate manipulations on the Fretboard and sometimes strumming and fingerstyle picking. I am Right Handed but my Classic Palm and Finger palming, Coin Roll etc...better on my LEFT hand. For Card palming RIGHT hand. Paddle move RIGHT hand. Billiard Ball multiplication LEFT hand. So, It really doesn't matter what your dominant hand is for me. Whenever I'm learning a new routine or sleight, I just try whichever feel most comfortable.
A great examples: When I learned Karl Hein's "Catch Up" CSB routine. I loved the routine except a couple points where I had to position and classic palm in the Right Hand. I reversed all the handling so that I could handle the harder palming with my Left Hand.
I also reversed handing for Gregory Wilson's "Coinfusion" because it was just more "natural" for me.

One good thing about those nice discoveries: You can follow Video instructions, because you can watch the instructor face to face with you like following a mirror. LOL

Blessings,
Steph

When I do it with my left hand, it feels like someone else is doing it.

I am mostly left handed and fully right footed. For whatever reason as I learned, I could do some things better than my right when it comes to magic. I like to hold the cards in my right and deal with my left (dominant) hand. I therefore do one handed cuts like charlier much better with my right hand. Yet I need to do DLs and hold a break in my left (though practicing now to do it with my right). The switching of the deck is fine because it can happen if I hand the deck to a spectator or put it on the table. Also, it helps play to people to people who may be a little to my left and right. My coin sleights are better with my left hand, it just feels more natural. I also play the guitar right-handed just because that is the way everybody else strings their guitar. Despite growing up with the Beatles, I didn't want to learn like Sir Paul did. Funny, because I used to still "air guitar" left handed!

Great insights! Seems really to have to do with left / right brain differences.

BTW Dana, I don't think anyone got your joke or at least was too classy to comment. I do not suffer from that affliction. I love drive-by humor. I am diligently practicing more things with both hands