For the past few days/weeks, I`ve practicing the spread cull. I put my thumb on the card next to the selected card, but what if the selected card is the one that I am pushing with my thumb? If I move my thumb to the card next to it, then it looks unnatural, so what should I do in this situation? I learned it from Card College. Thanks.

The best advice I can give on the Cull is to pick up Iain Moran's Cullfather DVD. It not only goes over the cull, but a lot of great effects and ideas using the move. It turns the move into a workhorse sleight.

Others will assuredly recommend Kostya Kimlat's Roadrunner Cull, but I'd get Moran's first, since there's more uses for the Cull taught and Kostya's technique is different from the standard.

As for your problem, try spreading the cards at different speeds to see if that helps you make that adjustment without making it obvious. It may help.

I want to get those DVDs, and I probably will, but right now I can't .

I don't understand what you mean by spreading the cards at different speeds. I am still pushing the (selected) card with my thumb, but my thumb needs to be on the card next to it. I am not sure I understand what you mean. Thank you.

Until your able to get those dee-vee-deez... I'll PM you.

Anyone? Half the time I practice my thumb pushes the selected card, so I can't really practice.
Thanks.

Are you using an old clumpy deck?
Another general tip is to start practicing super slow. Once you build musccle memory you will gradually build up speed.

Thanks for the tip!
And the deck is brand new. The problem is that I spread (or push) the cards in 2s, so there is a 50% chance of my thumb pushing the selected card. Are you supposed to spread differently?
Thanks.

Yes. You want to spread each card individually. Perhaps you should start practicing your spread. To be honest I too learned to cull from EX's recommendation, "Cullfather," and I haven't read "Card Colledge." I am not exactly sure how the move is described in that book.

If it makes you feel any better I found culling, and making it look natural, one of the more difficult moves. I have spent a lot of time on it and there are still many culling applications that just don't look good enough for me to try in front of an audience. Don't get discouraged. Just keep at it an sooner or later it will click.

I am also finding it pretty challenging. The cull itself is now better, since I've been practicing it for about a week and a half or two, Card College says that you have to use your left thumb to spread the cards, then in the next paragraph it says that you have to "place the pad of the left thumb onto the face of the card directly above and to the right of the" card. As I am spreading, I naturally use my thumb to push the cards, but since I push a lot of cards, it is possible that one of the cards that I am pushing with the pad of my thumb is the selected card. Has this never happened to you? Am I spreading the card wrongly?
Thanks.

I have a new question, but instead of making a new thread, I will just ask it here (and I still have the question above also).

How can I pinky count while talking to people? I can count about 20 cards in 5 seconds, but while talking, I can count no more than ten, and it takes about 7 seconds. So how can I count cards while talking? And how can I practice that? I did a search on this, but found nothing. Thanks.

P.S. I've always had a problem in counting while talking, with stacking, pinky counting, with a trick, and running cards. I can do all of this, but it is hard to count, and talk at the same time. Thanks.

Ask the spec a question. Confirming their answer gets the performer more time. Asking them to think about something will get the performer more time.

Another idea;
When preparing patter, count syllables or words and use the number as a guide to your count. Practice touching the same number of cards while talking.
Example: "If you saw your card again would you be able to recognize it?"
Thirteen words = thirteen cards
Start out reeeal slooow and build up speed and your ability to sound natural. Need a longer count? Add more words.

Thank you, very helpful, but for the words, how would I do it, because it is not always the same number of cards that I have to count, so I have to memorize 54 sentences? Thanks.

54 sentences, oh no. The exercise is for one to get the hang of counting while talking.

I hate the 1 word/1 Card theory. Watch Darwin Ortiz sometime. I love Darwin's work, but I can always tell when he's Pinky Counting cards because his entire mode of speaking changes. The key for me is to time it so that I can run 3 or 4 cards between sentences. Also, if I need to run more than 10 or so, I start looking for other techniques, like spreading and counting as I run through.