Hey everyone, I recently received Surfaced by Chad Nelson to learn the Clip Shift. This utility sleight has been giving me headaches and aching hands trying to practice this effect. I was hoping to get some help/advice from anyone who could possibly tell me where I am going wrong with each step. So please send me a PM if you own the DVD, can execute the Clip Shift, and point out the errors in my attempt to accomplish at least one more out of three of my semi-successful attempts at this godawful sleight.

I really do need help, badly. And any help, tips, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Yeah, I can't do it either. I haven't figured out that right touch yet.

I gave up on it. 20 years of professional programming has rendered my hands useless for a finger twisting move like this. Hurts like crap after 30 minutes.

my goal is before I die to learn it lol

Well I just had a change in luck, I posted over on the Dan & Dave website on their message board, and once I got access to the special section of the forum for people who own the DVD, they have oodles of tips and some real bad habits that people need to break, including myself. Luckily someone gave me some more advice, and he said if I can't get the clip within the next day or so, he wants to try and setup some kind of Webcam tutorial session.

I really do hope this works, cause once I get into something, I just can't call it quits and put the DVD away, otherwise it will nag and bug the crap outta me until I finally get it down.

Wish me luck folks!

Good luck my fellow friend!

Thanks man, I believe I really will need all the good luck I can muster

OMG I can't believe you people are having so much troubles learning this move!
PM With any questions you have, this move is really easy if you do it right.

After a year and half of intense practice, I FINALLY have my Clipshift the way I want it. I have never practiced something more than this. The secret to perfecting this move is just practice. You really need to be doing it all day long for the first couple months. A great tip Chad provides in the booklet is practicing with 2 decks stacked on each other. Its the best way to get the shifting part of it down. The replacment is the hardest part. Good luck, you'll get there.



If it means anything, it took the bucks like 8 months to get it down, and they learnt it from the dude in person.

Pretty much any move is easy when it's done right, so kudos to you for being able to get the Clip Shift working for you, in however many days/weeks it took you. But I have kept practicing and have improved the Clip phase so far, now I'm sort of stuck on the Shift phase. I know I'll get this move down eventually, and since I love practicing, I'll continue to work hard on it, and it has actually been a somewhat fun (and irritating at times) utility card sleight to learn. I feel the same way Dai Vernon did when he was explaining difficult sleights/effects etc on his Revelations DVD set. It is so much more rewarding once you learn a difficult sleight that many others gave up on. And if you don't like practicing or only look for self working tricks, or some trick that says, "You'll be performing this effect by the end of the day!", then maybe Magic isn't right for you.

Now I am not saying this about ANYONE on this form or this thread, it's just great insight to becoming a confident Magician.

Anyways, since my right hand no longer aches, I think I'll go back to practicing

daniel116 I saw your clipshift in the theater section, what are you talking about? You don't have the sleight down at all. Mediocre at best.

My clipshift is just fine.

edit: I just watched my video again and I saw some mistakes with the move but they're related to my arm not moving in the right time and not the move itself, I guess that's because I never really practice in front of a mirror (there aren't any mirrors where I do most of my practicing)

After about another 2 1/2 weeks of intense practice, I am so happy to finally be able to perform this move. I can't execute it yet for performance, but I can see with another month of more practice, I just might be able to perform the move with somewhat, great fluidity. It's very rewarding to work on something that gave me heck in the beginning, to finally be able to use it without dropping cards and cramped fingers.

I was so elated with it, that I just wanted to post it here, so I'm not trying to brag or anything, it's just great to accomplish something I was ready to throw out the window

Congradulations! Hope it turns out to be worth the practice.