The West Coast Slow
A Slow-Motion Invisible Pass.
R. Paul Wilson
Introducing a completely invisible shift, which may be performed
slowly, without any evidence of the top and bottom halves
transposing.
This manuscript includes R. Paul Wilson’s work on the “Instant
Pass”.
© R. Paul Wilson 2005. All rights reserved.
This sleight is dedicated to my friend Jim Patton, whose approach to
sleight of hand inspired my thinking on this move.
Many thanks for purchasing this manuscript. I have tried to break
down these moves so you can understand how they work quickly and
begin working on these sleights as soon as possible. They will take
time to master but unlike other invisible shifts this is all technique.
There’s no need to develop some sort of knack or Zen/Jedi
nonsense. Understand what happens with the deck – how to
coordinate the shift with the cover provided and then practice until it
feels natural. You will then be able to perform a pass invisibly!
Just another pass?
Magic is about much more than the props we use or the sleights we
practice. Magic relies on creativity and invention. This shift and the
“Instant Pass” that follows are the result of years of thought,
experimentation and practice. These moves have been with me for a
long time. The West Coast Slow is a valued part of my Ambitious
Card routine. When performed face up it can even be used as a very
clean color change. The Instant Pass can be applied to many existing
passes and allows you to execute the shift the instant that the halves
come together. This is a very valuable skill.
I have spent many hours perfecting these moves. The results are
practical, uncomplicated sleights that you will use. I create these files
for people who value good sleight of hand. If that’s you, then I
sincerely hope you find a good use for these moves.
Incidentally, I am always happy to respond to any serious questions
about the items on my website. If you run into any trouble – email me
and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
“Show me your pass!”
How many times have you heard this at a magic convention?
Personally I would prefer to see how a magician uses the pass rather
than watch him demonstrate the move. That said, we would probably
love to respond to this challenge with a truly invisible shift.
The West Coast Slow is an invisible shift. It was designed to be a
demonstration pass but it has many practical uses too. It may be
used to show off your skills, as part of an ambitious card routine or as
a secret way to cut the deck. In fact, if you turn to your left slightly this
pass may be used for any audience in front of you. I have used this
many times in the Parlor of Prestidigitation at the Magic Castle in
Hollywood.
An invisible pass is the dream of many card enthusiasts. While trying
to cover the cut, the deck is jiggled, obscured, riffled or dribbled in
order to hide the move.
The West Coast Slow is a natural serious of actions combined with a
pass concealed within.
The truth is we do sometimes need to perform a pass while the
audience is looking at the deck. As much as we try to construct our
routines to create the right moment for a classic pass it simply makes
good sense to be prepared with a “watch-able” pass in case of
emergencies.
A famous Jennings story tells of a time when Larry was performing a
trick for a lady who looked away at the moment that LJ performed a
perfect riffle pass. Annoyed, Larry cut the deck, held a break and
made her watch the move again!
Many card magicians want their audience to look at the moves. They
want them to appreciate how little can be seen when they perform
their technique. I remember watching one card man at the Magic
Castle constantly directing the audience to his hands as he paused
his presentation to perform unnecessarily difficult sleights. While the
pack may not have betrayed what was going on, this guy’s fingers
soon gave the game away. It sometimes looked like he was playing a
small accordion yet his fellow magicians would praise him because
they couldn’t see what actually happened even though it was painfully
obvious that something was going on.
I have toyed with many handlings of the two handed pass in an
attempt to make them invisible. The truth is that the pass is never
invisible. Instead the transposition of the packets is replaced by a
larger action, which hopefully covers the smaller.
This technique uses a series of small actions to both hide the shift
and the cover for the shift (the deck is obscured for a split second).
You will notice that a fast move (the first step of the pass) is
concealed within several slow movements. This will take some
practice before it feels natural.
The price of this manuscript includes my work on the classic pass
itself. I believe that the ability to perform a pass quickly and quietly is
far more valuable than being able to cover the pass while someone is
burning the deck. The most prized technique, I believe, is the ability
to perform a pass silently at the instant the packets come together. I
will teach my solution to this problem at the end of the WEST COAST
SLOW description.
Valuable sleights are rare. A no-nonsense invisible pass will make a
fun addition to your arsenal and your practice will be rewarded by the
appreciation of your audience as you slowly execute the classic pass
right under their noses. The “Instant Pass” technique taught at the
end of this manuscript will reward you with a powerful utility sleight
you can use to control a card, or cards, in almost any routine. I urge
you to use both.
The West Coast Slow.
A card is returned to the deck, the deck is slowly riffled three times as
the audience burns the deck. The card is on top. This can also be
performed quickly.
The WCS was inspired by the Elliot Pass. In the Elliott pass the left
hand, holding the deck, revolves palm down. As the right hand
approaches the left hand turns to meet it, performing the pass as the
right hand covers the cards. Other variations have the right hand
passing over the deck as the top packet shifts beneath it.
The pass can be invisible using the Elliott technique but there’s a lot
of hand motion involved.
With the WCS I have refined the technique to cover every movement
and allow me to perform the shift slowly. I have also greatly reduced
the wrist-turn. Unlike the original Dr. Elliot shift, the left hand never
turns completely palm down and the right never seems to cover the
deck (although it actually does for a split second). The action of the
shift has been choreographed to seem perfectly fair and natural.
Like most invisible passes, the West Coast Slow cannot be
performed surrounded. You will find that the angles are tight for a
small group (close up) but, with an audience in front of you, the move
can be performed for larger groups by simply turning slightly to the
left.
I strongly recommend trying to understand this shift in stages. In
other words, get the movements and start practicing on each stage in
turn until you understand how it all flows together.
DESCRIPTION ONE: THE PASS
Have a card selected. Spread about fifteen cards into the right hand
and have the card replaced on the left hand packet.
Replace the right hand cards, holding a break above the selection
with the left fourth finger.
The right hand now squares the deck and grips it firmly with the right
first finger and thumb at the left inner and outer corners.
The deck is now levered to the right so the right long edge drops and
the left long edge is uppermost. As this happens:
The left fourth finger goes deeper into the break and out the back of
the deck as the left second and third fingers press down on the upper
packet.
(Right hand removed for clarity)
Note that the right hand and left second and third fingers keep the
upper packet pressed firmly against the lower while the left pinky is
trapped between the two packets. By applying the necessary
pressure with the left middle fingers the upper packet is also firmly
gripped by the left fingers.
The left first finger becomes fully extended and is positioned close to
the corner of the deck – the middle phalanx of this finger maintaining
pressure against the edge of the cards. This finger is the key to
success with this sleight. From beneath it looks like this:
The left thumb moves to a position just behind midway on the upper
long edge.
The key to this pass is a momentary concealment of the edge of the
deck. The right hand and left hands will return to their usual position
of left hand palm up and right hand palm down above the deck. To
hide the shift, the right hand will advance first followed immediately by
the left. In the split second when the right hand is ahead of the left,
the left hand will execute the shift.
5. Once the deck is in position, the right fingers riffle the outer end.
The right thumb presses onto the inner corner so that the upper
packet does not separate there.
6. After riffling, the right hand will now return to a position above the
deck (rather than to the right of the deck).
The right fingers release the ends of the deck and the right hand
turns slightly at the wrist so the hand is now above the deck.
Right hand releases deck (packets held together by left hand).
Right hand moves over deck (audience view).
Exposed view. Shift begins at this instant.
7. The left hand will now turn fully palm up under the right hand. At
this instant the pass will begin.
The first action will separate the packets under cover of the right
hand. The left pinky extends in concert with the left third and second
finger. This causes the upper packet to pop up.
Right hand removed for clarity.
The left thumb presses down on the left long edge and the left index
finger presses upwards.
The upward pressure of the left first finger is the key action to this
pass. Performed properly it causes the right outer corner of the lower
packet to press upwards clear of the upper packets outer right corner.
(View from below. Left first finger pushes upwards.)
If the upper packet gets caught above the outer right corner of the
lower packet the pass has failed. See below:
(Outer corner of upper packet fails to clear lower packet.)
The first step of the shift ends when the lower packet is level with the
floor and the upper packet is vertical against the right long edge of
the horizontal cards (under the right hand).
The left long edge of the horizontal packet may spread a little thanks
to the first step of the shift.
8. The right hand now grips the short edges of the horizontal half of
the deck. The vertical half is hidden under the right hand.
9. The inner end of the horizontal half is lifted by right thumb as the
right fingers lower the outer end of this packet
10. The left fingers pull the vertical packet under the right hand cards.
11. The right thumb dribbles the inner end of its cards as the two
packets secretly come back together.
12. The right fingers now riffle the outer end of the complete deck.
13. The deck is carefully and slowly squared.
14. Show the card now on top.
DESCRIPTION TWO: TIMING
Timing is never easy to describe in print. After learning the steps of
the shift itself, the following should begin to make a little sense.
• Have a card selected. Spread the cards and lift off about fifteen
card with the right hand.
• The card is replaced on the lower half.
• The right hand cards are replaced on top.
• The right hand grips the deck from above and levers it onto it’s
right long side.
• The right fingers and thumb riffle the short ends.
• The right hand releases and moves to re-grip as the left
executes the first step of the pass the instant the right hand
moves and covers the deck.
• The left hand rotates palm up, bringing the deck into view
(actually the audience sees the top of the lower half).
• These actions are performed smoothly not quickly.
• The right hand slowly riffles the rear end of the deck (nearest
you) as the left completes the pass underneath.
• The right fingers slowly riffle the outer end.
The important thing to understand is the smooth, unhurried nature of
these actions. They do not have to be slow but they must flow
naturally from one step into the next.
DESCRIPTION THREE: ANGLES
Angles are always important to the success of an invisible shift. In my
experience, every one I have seen leaks somewhere. The only way
to find out where is to work with a mirror and then, if possible a video
camera.
To cover the West Coast Slow for an audience in front of you, turn to
the left slightly.
When doing this one on one I do it head on. The mirror helps with
this. The more people there are, the more I turn to the left. The is an
excellent pass to use when seated at a table.
The spectator should be presented with the back of the right hand
during the first riffle but still be able to see the deck until the right
hand moves to cover it for a split second.
The right hand and left move almost together – the right is just a hair
ahead of the left. Getting this will make this pass work.
Finally, it is essential that you work with a mirror once you have
mastered the mechanics of this move.
R. Paul Wilson on the Instant Pass!
The following description will help you to perform a classic pass at the
instant the hands come together. Knowledge of the classic pass is
assumed.
If you apply this to standard covers such as the Jiggle, Half-Jiggle or
The Dip you will find it to be the perfect way to begin the sleight.
The key to this is the way the packets are brought together.
In order to make the pass, we will need to have our left pinky all the
way into the break and the deck raised above the left palm.
Normally the packets are brought together then the deck raised to the
fingertips so that the left pinky can go deeper into the break. This is
often done as the deck is squared.
With this handling you will be set before the two halves meet!
It is vital that you understand how to grip the lower half of the deck
before bringing the packets together.
The cards rest in the left hand gripped only by the left thumb at the
outer left corner and the tip of the right first finger at the outer right
corner.
The cards will be raised by drawing the packet to the left with the tip
of the left first finger AS the thumb raises the left long edge.
The left second and third fingers never control this packet and the
pinky is only used to form a break and grip the upper packet as the
pass is made.
Coming together.
The two halves are separated, just after a selection has been
replaced on the lower half.
Note the position of the left thumb and first finger. These grip the
packet while the other fingers merely rest along the side.
The right hand packet comes over the left.
The right hand cards do not come all the way down to meet the left
hand cards. Instead the left thumb raises, carrying the left long edge
of the lower packet upwards to meet the left long edge of the right
hand cards.
At the same time the left first fingertip pushes to the left, so that the
entire packet moves to the left as the left long edge is being raised.
Exposed view (from front). Right fingers raised to illustrate.
The next three illustrations show the left hand action as seen from the
performer’s point of view, with the right hand removed. Note the
marks on the inner left corner and the muscle of the left hand. The
idea is to move the inner end of the packet to the left so the inner left
corner is on top of the left thumb muscle.
Starting position. The second third and fourth fingers do not grip.
The left first finger pushes the outer end to the left so that the inner
left corner goes over the left thumb muscle as the left thumb raises
the left long edge to meet the left long edge of the upper packet.
The left pinky also lowers onto the packet.
The next three pictures show the same actions from the side.
Naturally – all of this is covered from above by the right hand and
from the front by the right fingers.
The left second and third fingers grip the upper packet as the hands
meet.
Right hand removed for clarity.
You are now ready to perform a classic pass instantly!
FINE POINTS
Play with this for an hour and you will immediately appreciate how
raising the left long edge to meet the right hand packet, in addition to
pushing to the left with the left first finger, places the lower packet
deep into the left hand and the left pinky deep inside the break.
The most important factor is the left inner corner of the lower packet.
This must move above the muscle of the left thumb as shown in the
illustrations. Having this corner above the thumb muscle is a Charlie
Miller observation from Magicana.
You must practice making the pass as soon as the halves meet. You
will find that performing the sleight at this instant is very deceptive.
This is a simple addition to the classic two handed pass. If you take
the time to master it you will find many uses for it in your magic.
Remember…
The instant pass technique, in concert with a cover such as the Dip or
Half Jiggle allows for a very fast shift that cannot be seen from
selected angles.
The pass, in my opinion, is one of the most valuable sleights you can
learn. When performed correctly (at the right time) it is a perfect
move.
One of the finest uses of this move ever invented is Roy Walton’s
“Pass At Red”, which was originally published in MAGIC magazine by
Richard Kaufman.
FINALLY
There are many great uses for the pass but one that fascinates many
performers is The Card At Any Number. Vernon’s “Slap Trick” is a
fabulous example of the pass used to its full potential.
When performing any named card at any named number, I have
spent many years experimenting with the timing of the pass. It
occurred to me about three years ago that I should also be thinking
about how the card and number are revealed by the audience – and
for what reason. This was the real key to making this trick a genuine
miracle.
I needed a reason to pick up the deck and handle it. I then needed a
reason to keep it in my hands until the work was done AND to ensure
I made the pass at exactly the right moment.
With the deck in memorized order I have someone just think of a
card. I pick up the deck and riffle it towards a second spectator who is
to name any number from one to fifty two.
Once I have the number I turn to the first spectator and ask them to
name their card.
At that instant I know where to cut to put the thought of card at the
thought of number. I gauge the position with my pinky and peek the
card above the break as I gesture to the first spectator.
As I remind her that she could have thought of any card I adjust my
break, if I need to, so I am in the right position to make a pass and set
the named card.
I execute the shift as I remind the second spectator that she had no
idea what card the first spectator was thinking about when she
named her number.
I then table the deck.
I say again “You thought of a card”, “You thought of a number”
“Neither of you knew what the other was thinking when you made
your choice”.
The deck is still on the table. I continue to reinforce the effect.
“What was your card?”, “And what number did you think of while she
was only thinking of her card?”
I now pick up the deck and deal as fairly as I can.
It is important that I deal now and NOT a spectator. I want all
attention on that moment so they do not go back to when I handled
the cards earlier. In short – I want all the heat on me as I reveal the
card. I make sure everything is fair and the audience knows it!
I have found that having a spectator name the position of a card
someone else is thinking of is much stronger than having a named
card appear at a named position. If you can appreciate the difference,
you might want to give this approach a try.
I should point out that this actually the last phase of a routine where I
find the first spectator’s card, the second spectator finds my card then
they find each others card using the method above.
I hope this manuscript has been useful to you. I look forward to not
seeing you do these shifts some time!
Best,
P.
