Hi. I have a set of Aluminium cups from penguin magic and am looking for a good routine. I saw this on penguin magic and it looks good. It also teaches a sponge ball routine and I love sponge balls. Is the cups and balls routine any good? Also is the sponge balls routine good? I heard I will need a jumbo sponge ball for this effect. Is this correct? If so where can I get one?

I am a beginner so I also want to know if this would be too advanced. Would Ammar's DVDs be better?



Thanks,

Steven.

Guys!. No it isn't too difficult at all but like everything in our game you do need to practice , practice, practice. The moves are relatively basic and the routine has nice switch into a sponge ball routine..something else to get interested in !!!!
I would recommend it.

Howard

Ammar's dvd's are always a good resource for the cups & balls. You also may want to check out Steven's Magic Teach-In Sessions Video on the cups & balls.

From what I have heard, the Carl Andrews video is a very good routine. However, you would be learning his routine. But that is not a bad thing... knowledge is power; You may find something particular about his routine that you like or dislike.

If you go with Ammar's video, you will explore many avenues of the cups & balls so that you can then construct a routine suitable for you and your performing style.

Steven,

I love the cups and balls and will probably spend the rest of my life practicing and of course performing them. It´s a gem of magic. My father bought me my first set when I was a child so perhaps that´s why I am so fond of them.

One of the first DVD sets I ever bought was the Ammar Cups and Balls. For me, they have been my best investment in magic. Just get them.

Not long ago I bought, second hand here in the Café, the Andrews Table Hopping Cups and Balls. I discovered that the material is similar to the David Williamson 2 cup routine which you can find in his book "Williamson´s Wonders" or his Sleight of Dave video. Unfortunately neither of these are easy to find. I have both but it took quite a search. I LOVE this routine.

By the way, Andrews does not teach many basic moves. The DVD is geared, in my opinion, toward performing magicians. Ammar, on the other hand, teaches you from scratch and moves all the way up learning curve.

Nothing against Mr. Andrews because he is an outstanding magician but my humble suggestion to you, as a beginner,is to get Ammar and then practice until you can do the C & Bs in your sleep. You will have material there for a lifetime. It is that good.

Good luck,

José

That does it Ammar it is. Thanks very much. Is it two DVD's or can you get it in one DVD? And do I need a wand?

Do you think I should buy the 2 dvds and wand in 1 go. Or get DVD1 + wand or just DVD 1?


Thanks,

Steven.

Steven,

It´s two DVDs. Buy them both.

You will want to have a wand. Many discussion about wands here on the Café.

I own the Mercury Wand, which I love and purchased from Mr. Ammar´s web site:

http://store.yahoo.com/ammarmagic/cupandbalpro.html

Learn the Vernon/Mora wand spin and even fool yourself!

Good luck.

You do not require a wand to perform certain cups & balls routines, but it is a tremendous utility to have for other cups & balls routines.

It's entirely based on you. You might do better to get the two dvd's, then get a wand. Eventually you will have to tackle the issue of, "what kind of wand do I want?" But in the meantime, explore different kinds of wands, search all the wand topics here, and what wand will best suit your needs.

A good cheap wand alternative is to get a hardwood dowel, either 3/8 or 1/2 inch. You can pick up one for a buck or two, and cut them to what ever length you like. If you like the weight, you can sand, stain, and polyurethene them, and they are nice. It is what I use.

Hi Steven,
I agree with those who say Ammar's DVDs are best. They taught me a lot and are great for beginners or those already skilled with the cups & balls because they teach you the basics as well as the incredible history behind the effect.
As far as wands go, I wouldn't spend a lot on one before you see Ammar's flourishes using wands as this may steer you towards his Mercury wand. I own one and I love it! Be sure to read other posts about the Mercury wand too.
Good luck and have fun!!

Cups and balls is so old and well known taht it needs to be re-done so it can fool us all again

Pat Page's Big Book of Magic has a good simple routine, but it's hard to find.

Ammar is a safe bet for a beginnier. Andrews is focused on the restaurant working pro. Ammar also has a companion book on the cups and balls that is very useful.

Dan Fleishman has an interesting final move in which he produces five large loads, and then their is the video Silver and Steel volume III that features the ball bearing routine.

Cheers

Yes, it is hard to find, but worth a search. I bought it many years ago from Ken Brooke, and use the C & B routine from the book, with three limes as final load. Never fails to get a great response.

There's some good sponge ball material in the book, too. In fact, it's one of the best magic books I ever bought, and I regularly use quite a bit of the material from there.

Riley

A wand is wonderful for Cups and Balls. Penguin sells a great one at http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=537 It's a great product, high quality, and only $16. I have one and am thrilled. It has a nice polished wood body, pretty brass tips, is well balanced, and screws apart in the middle which helps prevent it from getting broken when you carry it in your back pocket.

I consider it a must for cups and balls. The Vernon wand spin makes vanishing the ball absolutely impossible to spot. Of course the wand spin took me a total of about 5 hours of practice to perfect, but it was worth it.

Both routines are great. You'll need consderable work on both to make them really shine, but they are worth it.

Try this, do the cups and balls, after the final load, put away your cups and leave out one ball. Examine this, do a retaining pass and appear a sponge ball - you are off on the sponge ball routine. For the final of the sponge ball do a ball to giant square.