Problems With My Spring?

[Orotomo]

Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to Cardistry and I've been having problems with my spring. It's not really that I can't do it, because I can do it at least decently. My first problem is that my cards get really bent after doing it, and I have to spend time flattening them out again. My second problem is that my thumb is really red and raw, almost like a rug burn, from doing this. I think it's because I started putting the cards in the crevice of my thumb at first, and it really tore away at that. Will these problems stop with practice, or do I have to do something different to prevent them?

Thanks to anyone who responds.

[Godzillian]

Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to Cardistry and I've been having problems with my spring. It's not really that I can't do it, because I can do it at least decently. My first problem is that my cards get really bent after doing it, and I have to spend time flattening them out again. My second problem is that my thumb is really red and raw, almost like a rug burn, from doing this. I think it's because I started putting the cards in the crevice of my thumb at first, and it really tore away at that. Will these problems stop with practice, or do I have to do something different to prevent them?

Thanks to anyone who responds.

(1) To flatten cards efficiently, use a Porper clip. If you want to save on money, you can spring them face-up instead of face-down. You can also do a couple of dribbles. You can also use cheap Bicycles to practice springs, instead of fancy custom decks.

(2) You shouldn't be putting the cards in the crevice of your thumb. Or at least, I wouldn't - I don't know if other people spring with that part of the thumb. I spring with the soft part of my thumb, the thumbprint area below the nail.

I'm still practicing the spring and I'm not a pro at it, but I've practiced enough to get the basics down. Hopefully my tips help a little bit.

[MagikFingerz]

Yep, Godzillian is spot on. Springing the cards both ways will (to a degree) alleviate the stress on the cards. Porper clips are great, and you can always just put the deck under something really heavy (tall stack of books or what have you).

I also do not use any other part of my thumb than the "pad" (thumbprint area), and can't really imagine doing it any other way. If you've found a technique that works for you though, it's not necessarily "wrong" (although it not might be the most effective way). The skin on your hands usually adapts to whatever you're using them for, so if you continue to use the crevice of your thumb you'll probably get thicker skin there.

A tip that helped me when I started out was springing the cards from opposing corners, using your pinky to apply pressure to the opposite corner from the one held by your thumb. It'll feel unnatural at first, since the pinky is the smallest and weakest finger, but you'll end up having much more control than just springing from the short ends.

[Orotomo]

Thanks Godzillian and MagikFingerz. MagikFingerz, I'll try using my pinkie more often, and you're right, it does feel really awkward. And Godzillian, could you explain what a porper clip is?

[volantangel]

Tom you spring with your thumb and pinkie ?? I usually use my thumb and index + middle finger, but i feel i have enough control with that. Try springing the cards one at a time, it helps you with the control part.

[Orotomo]

Yeah, that's what I've been doing volantangel. Also, on a side note, I'm finding most YouTube videos pretty hard to understand, and find myself watching at least three videos for every flourish I learn. Do you think it would be worth it to get Genesis?

[MagikFingerz]

Tom you spring with your thumb and pinkie ?? I usually use my thumb and index + middle finger, but i feel i have enough control with that. Try springing the cards one at a time, it helps you with the control part.

Yeah, and it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Instead of bending the deck from end to end, you do it from corner to corner making the distance between the points longer. If you have 2 wooden sticks of the same thickness but different lengths, the longer one will be easier to bend.

I learned my spring from the XCM Beginnerz DVD, which was probably the best DVD purchase I've ever done. Never tried Genesis though.

Oh, and a Porper clip is a card clip made by Joe Porper. Basically a piece of metal that puts pressure on the deck. If you're planning on buying one, there's really no other choice than the Porper (I sound like an advertising dude ). It's a bit expensive, but it does the job and any cheaper ones usually doesn't.

[volantangel]

I do the corner to corner as well, never could do the end to end well, comes out with barely any control. My real question was the the pinkie, but i guess thats a preference rather than tip.

[MagikFingerz]

I do the corner to corner as well, never could do the end to end well, comes out with barely any control. My real question was the the pinkie, but i guess thats a preference rather than tip.

Oh, I get what you mean. Yeah, I think by using the pinky you get more control with the rest of the fingers being across the end of the deck (almost like the deck is palmed). So I don't use the pinky exclusively, but the main pressure is applied with it. If you just use your thumb on one corner and your middle (?) finger on the other, the cards can pivot mid-air more easily.

[Godzillian]

I spring with my index and middle finger. Different strokes/fingers, different folks.

Thanks Godzillian and MagikFingerz. MagikFingerz, I'll try using my pinkie more often, and you're right, it does feel really awkward. And Godzillian, could you explain what a porper clip is?

A Porper clip is a clip made of a material like metal/aluminum/wood and keeps your cards flat. You put your cards in your tuckbox, then put the tuckbox into the clip. This will sometimes ruin the tuckbox though, because the clip is that tight.

You can buy a Porper clip in most (serious) magic stores and on most magic websites. Here's 3 examples:
Dan and Dave
Ellusionist
Amazon

Be aware that you will find fake Porper clips here and there (my local magic store has fake ones), but for all intents and purposes they will do the same job.

[Ricky Fox]

Godzillian and MagikFingerz are awesome, can't really imagine doing it any other way, the main pressure is applied with it...perhaps everything just went fine...

[nECr0MaNCeD]

Strange how everyone has their own slightly different way. Like Volantangel I can barely Spring end to end. I'm a corner to corner guy but I use my thumb and middle fingers. I'm gonna try the pinky and index fingers tomorrow. Also, when I first started I would line up the cards as close to the nail as possible. I learned this on 52cards. A channel on Youtube. But lately I've found if I line the corners up a little further back, say an 1/8th of an inch I get more control and a more sustained release.

My cards get bent as well. I have a couple metal card clips I got from E!. Are Porper clips that much better?

[MagikFingerz]

Regarding the use of pinky in the spring, reading back I might not have stated it as clearly as I should. It's hard to put into words exactly how it works, because the other fingers are used almost just as much and the pinky doesn't really do that much work by itself since most of the pressure is applied by the thumb.

Try to just have all the fingers (index to pinky) on top of the deck, pinky at the corner, place the thumb on the opposite corner and from that grip apply pressure however way it feels natural. The amount of work the pinky does isn't really much more than the others, but it feels more because it's so much weaker than them.

[nECr0MaNCeD]

Regarding the use of pinky in the spring, reading back I might not have stated it as clearly as I should. It's hard to put into words exactly how it works, because the other fingers are used almost just as much and the pinky doesn't really do that much work by itself since most of the pressure is applied by the thumb.

Try to just have all the fingers (index to pinky) on top of the deck, pinky at the corner, place the thumb on the opposite corner and from that grip apply pressure however way it feels natural. The amount of work the pinky does isn't really much more than the others, but it feels more because it's so much weaker than them.

Got it. Thanks. I'll give it a try. As for my method, it's much the same. Thumb and middle finger, with the thumb doing most of the "work". The rest of the fingers fall naturally where they will.