If you want to learn how to skewer a watermelon with a playing card, to imitate the famous illusionist and card thrower Ricky Jay, you must first learn how to throw cards with precision rather than force. With a little practice, you can learn different casting styles, catches and the best throws.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: The Top Down Throw
Step 1. Hold the card correctly to perform a top-down flip
The most powerful and accurate throwing style is the top-down throwing style used by card launchers all over the world. One of the first to perform it in public was the illusionist Howard Thurston, who used this technique to give power and accuracy to his throws, thrilling the audience. Finding a card trick that works for you and is comfortable is the most important part to learn to make an accurate throw. Most of the tricks are named after famous card throwers:
- The Thurston grip consists of holding the short edge of the card tightly between the index and middle fingers, so that most of the card is facing the palm. All other fingers must be raised and out of the way.
- The Hermann grip, named after another magician, consists of holding the card tightly in the center, about a third of the length, between the thumb and middle finger, letting the index finger wrap it to the corner of the opposite side to check rotation. Most of the paper should be facing the palm.
Step 2. Hold your hand palm up
The basic and most accurate throw is obtained by bringing the card to the side of the head and releasing it with a click of the wrist. To do this, and give the card the right rotation, you have to turn your palm up and hold the card tightly with the grip you prefer.
Step 3. Bend your wrist and bring your bent arm towards your shoulder
Bend your wrist, so that the card turns inside, and flex your elbow, bringing your hand to the side of your head to prepare your arm for the throw. The little finger should be level with your ear while your arm is bent and ready to throw.
To learn the correct movement, just bend the wrist without bending the whole arm and try to throw the card by rotating it sufficiently. When you are comfortable with this move, bring the card to the side of your head and put more power into the throw
Step 4. Snap your wrist forward
With a quick, free movement, bring your arm forward from your shoulder and throw a baseball throw for more power and precision. At the end of the movement, straighten your wrist and spread your middle and ring fingers slightly to release the paper.
Step 5. Practice
Practice the movement, try to make it as smooth as possible, and make sure you make a clean toss of the card. Keeping the motion smooth is the key to spinning the paper through the air at speed instead of spinning it erratically.
As long as you practice this movement pay particular attention to how you extend your wrist and align it with the rest of your arm as you toss the card. As with many things, everything is in the wrist, but the power comes from the elbow
Part 2 of 3: Like a Frisbee
Step 1. Hold the card correctly
Another neat and famous throwing style used by card thrower Ricky Jay and others is that similar to Frisbee throwing. This throw can be very accurate and very powerful at the same time if done correctly. You can also cast a Frisbee card with the Ferguson or Thurston hold, however the most common hold for this throw is Ricky Jay's.
- To learn Ricky Jay's grip, place your index finger on one corner of the card and your thumb on top. Fold the other fingers along the long edge of the paper.
- This grip is a kind of hybrid of the other two styles. The thumb on the top should be on the other side of the card from the middle finger, in order to hold the card steady, a bit like in the Hermann grip.
Step 2. Flex your wrist so you have the card inside
Do as you did before, but this time keep your wrist parallel to the ground and your little finger pointing down, like holding a Frisbee. You can also wrap your arm around your body so that the paper is close to the armpit of your opposite arm.
Actually, Ricky Jay raises his hand with the card above his head, as if he is about to perform a top-down toss, but the mechanics of the toss are more like Frisbee toss than that. throwing from above, or it looks like some sort of combination of the two techniques. It almost seems as if the paper touches the ear on the other side of the head
Step 3. Perform the movement with your wrist only
To achieve correct card rotation, there should be practically no arm movement when the throw starts. To practice, grab your arm, hold it still, and practice throwing the card with just the flick of the wrist.
When you can hit the targets without fail with this way of throwing the card you can try to move your arm to give it extra speed
Step 4. Snap your wrist forward
Extend your arm, keeping it as straight as possible and parallel to the ground to prevent the card from swaying from side to side, and snap your wrist forward to throw the card.
In general, you can practice using just your wrist to throw the card accurately, as with the top-down throw. The mechanics are practically the same, only oriented in different directions. It's all about the wrist, but the power comes from the elbow
Step 5. Release the card
When your fingertips are pointing at the target you want to hit, let go of the card with a final vigorous flick of the wrist, extending your fingers fully and quickly to release the card and spin it in the desired direction. It will take some practice to put the whole maneuver together correctly, but learning how to throw the cards accurately involves painstaking attention to detail.
Part 3 of 3: Throwing Accurately
Step 1. Focus on the rotation
A precisely cast card moves according to its rotation. The cards don't fly through the air in a straight line like when Gambit throws them in an X-Men comic. For maximum power and accuracy in a toss, spin the card as much as possible.
Practice extending your wrist and fingers in a motion that is as smooth and fast as possible. When you are at the top of your cast, just accelerate the movement by truly snapping your wrist. It will make the difference between a mediocre throw and a sharp card
Step 2. Aim for an appropriate target
Common targets for throwing cards are Styrofoam and different types of fruit. Experienced card throwers can stick a card into a potato several paces away, or into a melon, apple, styrofoam backing, card, or other materials. Practice throwing until you find the perfect angle to stick the paper in.
Don't throw cards at people, especially in the face. Even if you're not applying a lot of power, a card in one eye can be quite dangerous. Be very careful and practice throwing cards only at appropriate targets
Step 3. Experiment with flips with different holds
There is no correct way to throw cards, so practicing means experimenting with different types of grips and different techniques to see which one is best for you. Try choosing your favorite parts of each technique and putting them together to create your own throwing style.
Watch Ricky Jay throwing cards in some YouTube videos to observe the kind of movement he uses and the click he gives to the cards. Go see a magician or card launcher in action to learn more and master as many tricks as possible
Step 4. Strengthen your wrists
To be more effective in sleight of hand, and especially in throwing cards, it is a good idea to invest time in strengthening and making your wrists and forearms more agile. The stronger your hands and wrists, the more effective and accurate your throws will be.
It is useful to straighten the wrists after throwing the cards, and to untie them first. To do this, place your knees on the ground and place your palms on the floor, rotating your wrists so that your fingers point towards you. Extend your wrists by bringing your buttocks to the ground and keeping your palms flat on the floor
Step 5. Use new cards
It's easier to cast new, hard, and intact cards than old cards you've used to play rummy for years. To make the task easier, get new, good quality cards that resist throwing and replace them regularly to get the most accuracy and power out of your shots.
