Knacky moves you just can’t get a feel for...

[House of Cardistry]

I know I probably should concentrate on getting better at the few things I can already (sort of) do but one move that absolutely defies me getting anywhere CLOSE to being even mediocre at is Anaconda... I can dribble cards, I have the hand position as correct as I can see it needing to be (from following countless YouTube video tutorials...) and yet the cards will NOT fall like they need to no mater how many times I try or whatever adjustments I make... it’s not what I would call frustrating, I’m having a lot of fun and being successful enough with other moves definitely keeps me motivated to keep trying but are there moves that have eluded any of you out there? Have you finally been able to get the knack? If so, other than hours and hours of trial and error... how and when did it finally click with you?

[masagin303]

You shouldn't rush to perform Anaconda before you're a master of dribble. "I can dribble cards" is not enough, dribbling must be a second nature, something you can do with your eyes closed and in the sleep and you do it smoothly. Once you really master dribbling, start doing higher and higher dribbles and one day you will do Anaconda with ease. Mind that for Anaconda you need quite a fresh deck so the cards slide easily. Going straight for Anaconda is imho very frustating becuase you drop cards a lot and that means lot of picking up!

[House of Cardistry]

That’s good advice. I do know I’m guilty of trying to learn too much, too quickly. I really ought to spend more time smoothing out the rough edges of the few things I can actually do before trying to move on to more things.

[Harvonsgard]

Like Bruce Lee said, "I don't fear the man that practised 10,000 kicks once but I fear the man that practised one kick 10,000 times."

Basically practise the basic moves as much as possible and really master them before moving on. Don't rush anything. This is not a doctrine though. Switching your practise up helps keeping the fun and motivation so, it's not wrong to work on different moves simultaniously. But like masagin wrote, don't practise running before walking, that makes no sense and leaves you frustrated.

[MagikFingerz]

Apropos the anaconda, is the technique basically thumb and the other fingers on each short end? Because I've only ever dribbled corner to corner, which is much easier (same with springs). But I probably can't get much height with a corner to corner dribble.

[House of Cardistry]

All of the tutorials I’ve watched specify thumb on the corner with middle, ring and pinky across the opposite top. Index pressure on the long edge slowly moving towards the thumb as the cards release. I’ll get it eventually but I need to keep the main thing the main thing right now, namely... polishing up the basics. When I can consistently get a smooth, speedy dribble I’ll revisit the move in it’s entirety. If it happens like it did with the riffle fan, I’ll screw it up 1000 times and then something will click that will put me on the right track to making the move look like I actually know what I’m doing, lol!! When it happens, I’ll post it on my ongoing YouTube beginner series...

[masagin303]

The finger position you describe is correct. I remember how awkward the finger position felt at first, but once the finger-brain connection or muscle memory settles it's quite natural.

[Harvonsgard]

Apropos the anaconda, is the technique basically thumb and the other fingers on each short end? Because I've only ever dribbled corner to corner, which is much easier (same with springs). But I probably can't get much height with a corner to corner dribble.

I've seen Caroline and Daniel dribbling like that but never understood what's the advantage of that.
I find it rather harder than the method I knew first but maybe that is exactly because I'm used to the other method (as rigthy, thumb bottom left corner/ pointer finger left long side and the test of the fingers on top). Which is basically the only method I've seen people doing Anacondas with.

[masagin303]

Both techniques are described here: https://youtu.be/6VNSxtvYPl8 I for example learned the "better" one first and when I want to do the corner to corner variant I'm absolutely not able to do it.

[masagin303]

This must be the most elegant dribble I've ever seen: https://youtu.be/bjwHBJjrjY8 Unfortunately the grip used comes from the corner to corner dribble which I can't do.

But it might be something of intereset to MagikFingerz.

Apropos the anaconda, is the technique basically thumb and the other fingers on each short end? Because I've only ever dribbled corner to corner, which is much easier (same with springs). But I probably can't get much height with a corner to corner dribble.

[MagikFingerz]

This must be the most elegant dribble I've ever seen: https://youtu.be/bjwHBJjrjY8 Unfortunately the grip used comes from the corner to corner dribble which I can't do.

But it might be something of intereset to MagikFingerz.

Oh yeah, this is something I can work with!

Thanks

[House of Cardistry]

Shin Lim and Chris Ramsay are my two favorite magicians right now. The stuff Shin Lim does is utterly amazing.

[House of Cardistry]

Slowly but surely... I’m starting to get the feel for this move. It’s definitely something that you have to get several aspects spot on to get the effect that makes this move so nice but it’s getting there... it’s almost like the deck is tired of me trying to get it down and is cooperating just so I’ll do something different...

[masagin303]

Slowly but surely... I’m starting to get the feel for this move. It’s definitely something that you have to get several aspects spot on to get the effect that makes this move so nice but it’s getting there... it’s almost like the deck is tired of me trying to get it down and is cooperating just so I’ll do something different...

Which one? Anaconda or S-dribble?

[House of Cardistry]

Slowly but surely... I’m starting to get the feel for this move. It’s definitely something that you have to get several aspects spot on to get the effect that makes this move so nice but it’s getting there... it’s almost like the deck is tired of me trying to get it down and is cooperating just so I’ll do something different...

Which one? Anaconda or S-dribble?

Anaconda. It’s still got a long way to go to be really right but I finally have the cards sticking together and falling vertically, more or less. I need to work on the length of the fall and the catch, as well as getting the twist out of the falling cards.