I know the moves, I cannot stop the band from popping when I release it. I think I am making the finger switch before I come back with my other hand and that's of course, causing the band to pop out.

Can anyone offer me some helpful tips on this?

It is just a matter of repititious practice. Or at least it was for me. Maybe try slowing down. Actually go through the moves slowly for a while.

Also, keep your middle finger locked tightly on top of your index finger.

Practice, practice...Ask some one to demonstrate it for you and then Practice, practice, Practice, practice,Practice, practice.

I try to do this slow so I cannot pop the band and make it obvious. When I see this in action, on Ammars video it's so fast I can see nothing.. So I am unsure how to do this fast and still have the same effect that I would have when I do it slow.

Without getting into the mechanics of it, try this. Do the routine with the middle finger and the first finger touching each other. The tip of you middle finger should only be barely touching the tip of you first finger. The band should slide through freely when you want it to, but the little bit of friction between the two fingers will stop the band from popping off.

The last time you pull to make the change, your right forefinger and middle finger should lock tightly on the elastic, this prevent the elastic from flying off your fingers.
Richard Lyn

I do the mve slow and relaxed. all the pressure is o the middle of the rubber bands. Take it slow.

I agree with Richard. Locking is important. Make sure you're doing it right slow, then speed up. Practice alone won't help though if this technique isn't right. Also, realize that after the move, the spectators should not realize the bands have changed positions. It's not until they are slowly pulled apart that this is apparent, if done correctly. Michael Ammar's book is helpful as are his videos on this, although Ammar's Book is not as clear on this as it could be. I think it's in a "Renditions" tape. Hope this helps. Also, it isn't necessary to do the move at the speed of light. If it is faster than your other motions for no reason it will draw suspicion. Let patter and motivation misdirect attention and separate the moment of the actual move from the apparent moment of the "magic" unlinking. This is, in my mind, more important than speed. Also, on a separate note, make sure you don't do this in profile, or the moment the rubber bands transpose will be obvious. Some of this I got from an Ammar lecture last year, one of the few good things the S.A.M. has done recently.

Is the original question here referring to the band occasionally popping off the fingers and flying away OR the popping sound that is sometimes made along with "the move"? The reason I ask is because I thought the latter, but most of the answers to this question address the former.

Regards,

I think you hit it cosermann - it's not popping off the fingers, but the "sproing!" when the move is made. I have the same problem that I'm working on.

The noise that is made when the move is done is insignificant to the effect. Even if it went KAA-POWIE when you did it I don't see how that lessens the overall outcome. And I'll qualify that last statement with this... If done correctly. To say that the minimal noise affects the effect is like saying the the Vernet is useless because it doesn't exactly match your skin tone.

Okay, as far as the noise goes, I try to (and think I do) it silently. It can be done silently, IMO. At least, there should be no additional noise than that may be encountered doing the stretching, etc.

My experience has been that the sound comes from the bands being under too much tension when the move is finished. I've found a few things that can help with this:

1. Practice your technique so that the bands are under the least tension possible when the move is finished. (You should know when this occurs). Timing is key here.

2. Use properly sized bands. If they're too small (or too thick), I've found the added tension to be a problem for me. I use #19's. YMMV, depending on your hand size.

3. You can try putting a light coating of baby powder (talc or corn starch) on the bands. It isn't noticeable if you snap off the excess. It does wear off but will help for several executions.

Fiddle with it some more, and practice. You can probably get rid of the "sproing" over a pleasant lunch hour's practice.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

BTW - don't give up on this. Done and presented correctly it looks like an absolute miracle. I did it for a few 7 to 10 year-old girls last night and they freaked. One looked pretty disturbed like what she just saw couldn't be happening. Precious.

Don't give up on this effect. I have been able to get many gigs because of this effect for some reason. I actually got to perform this effect for Yao Ming (the professional basketball player) and Jose Lima (the professional baseball player). I don't do any of the routines that are in print. I have my own routine. Really screwed with their heads and many other peoples.

Regards,

GT

I bought Michael Ammar's Routine here in Switzerland.

The other trick is, after the "move", don't open the right thumb and first finger immediately, but make sure that both hands are close together like in the beginning and so you can avoid the "sproing" noise.

Matt

Try tighter or looser bands maybe?

ollie

I found it easy to learn. I couldn't figure it out at first, trying to learn it from a book. Then I just got it all of a sudden, and use it all the time. Chris, I've shown you how I do it before, just take the time to practice it, along with all your other stuff.

Brian

I guess like everyone says slow down a bit. If the rubber band it popping off the fingers then maybe slightly adjust it so it is further away from the end of the fingers.

The only time I get a popping noise is when my hands are to far apart. Just do the final part of the move when you hands come back together. Took me a while to find the perfect distance but when I did it looks really clean.

John

The only two things I can think of that could make a popping noise are if the bands are too small or if your thumb and index finger are too far apart after you make your move. If it is the latter, repitition is the key to getting it down just right.

Bill