Hands Too Small for Sleight of Hand Card Tricks?

Do you have tiny hands? Are you finding it difficult to perform sleight of hand because of this? The truth is, the size of your hands doesn’t matter at all, it’s a myth. Everyone finds learning complex sleights like the pass or card palming, tricky at first. It’s very easy to blame the difficulty on something (anything) other than your commitment to practice.
There are loads of world renowned magicians who have small hands and have not let it stop them:

The truth is, the size of your hands doesn’t matter at all, it’s a myth. Everyone finds learning complex sleights like the pass or card palming, tricky at first. It’s very easy to blame the difficulty on something (anything) other than your commitment to practice.

Let’s look at a few ways that you can overcome having hands too small for sleight of hand magic.

Small hands = more practice.
If you think have have hands too small for sleight of hand magic, think again.. The simply truth is that you need to put more work into your practice. All the established magicians with hand or arm disabilities or small hands tend to agree that more practice is the answer. Slow things down and work on the move you want to master. It may take you longer than someone with larger hands, but every technique IS achievable. Focus more attention to the details of your angles and pacing.

You have infinite choices
There is no reason why any move or sleight should be set in stone. That’s a common misunderstanding people new to magic tend to make. They think that just because a move has been in print, it has a ‘correct’ way to be performed. This simply isn’t the case. Each move you learn should be adapted and developed to your own style and abilities. The goal is not perfection of method, but rather perfection of the effect.

 

“I know the Thumb Cut is difficult for short-thumbed people like me. Skip it if you have too many problems. In fact, one of the reasons I invented the L Cut and Extension Cut was that I found it easier with my stubby thumb…” – Cestkowski’s Encyclopedia of Playing Card flourishes

 

When you are trying to palm playing cards, try using different palms to see which one is more suitable for you. Change around any of the moves in the magic trick to fit you better. The goal is to fool people with the trick, not pass an examine on how closely you followed the method used by the first person to publish it’s instructions.

Having trouble doing a classic palm with small hands? Switch to a tenkai palm instead and just watch your angles.  Need to perform card to wallet? Use a mercury card fold

Choose your coins.
For your coin magic, you shouldn’t have a problem. One of the great features of coin magic tricks is that you can use whichever coins you feel most comfortable using. Experiment with moving down from dollars to half dollars. If you need a smaller coin that’s good to palm, the UK 2p coin has a great squared edge that makes it one of the easiest coins to classic palm.

Bridge size bicycle playing cards
Another popular option for your card work is to use Bridge Size Bicycle Playing Cards. These are narrower than poker size and can be much easier to palm. If you prefer to use these, you may have to adapt any card gimmicks that you use to be in bridge size, as most card gimmicks are supplied in poker size card stock.

Misdirection and audience management.
One of the most common problems faced by magicians with smaller hands is a playing card poking out when they try to palm a card. If this happens to you, just use your most powerful weapon: Misdirection.  
Make sure you talk to your spectator and wait for the moment that you have their eye contact before executing the move. Use offbeat moments when you need to do a card magic pass. One of the rules of magic is that a larger action covers a smaller action. Bring your hands up from your waist to your chest during the off beat moment during the pass. If your spectators eyes are not on your hands, it doesn’t matter how much of a flash you make when you do a move. Focus on controlling the audience’s attention and you will be delighted by the results.

DO THIS: Stop using the excuse of having hands too small for sleight of hand magic. Make a commitment to revisit the magic tricks you have previously dismissed as not suitable, and see how you can adapt them. Practice and rehearse palming and your pass like crazy and study all you can on misdirection. If you increase your effort, and change your frame of mind, you will quickly discover that you don’t have a disadvantage after all.

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Do you have any tips for people who think they have hands too small for sleight of hand tricks? Let us know how you get on in the comments section below: