Sponge Ball Routine #1

This is taken from a varity of sources the main one being the "The Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic" written by Frank Garcia. I cannot find my copy, so I cannot give you page numbers and all of that. Sorry about that. The routine I have been doing a quite a few years now has a lot to offer. In terms of effects, you get a bunch. A production, a teleportation, two splits, two fusions, another split, another teleportation, a production, a color change, a transposition, yet another production, a vanish from the spectators hand and the usual in the hands finish. That's 14 effects in about two minutes. Say what you want, but it's not boring. In real life I give myself a bit more time to do the effect, waiting for audience reactions to pass and all of that. But here are a few things that I am proud of that I have not seen anybody else do. The second split: I never seen any magician repeating the usual split to create three balls with just two of them. The audience usually demands a repeat after the first split. So I did them the favor they ask for. Then I fuse the balls back into one. Also never seen that.

Let's talk a bit about the "in the pocket phase" I love this phase. I make the claim that it will look like the ball goes to my pocket. The second I remove the ball from the pocket people think of a second ball. And that is exactly what I want them to think. So the effect when I open the other hand and the ball is not there is multiplied. Not only that. The usual audience revise their belief of a second ball in place to be just one ball all along. And suddenly I'm in a wonderful situation to split the ball into two. Also the routine is fairly practical. Two balls in the right pocket and one in the left pocket. Tugged all they way up in the corner. It used to be a little longer and when I do this for kids, I add the usual squeaker phase and a quick multiphased bit of the ball going from my elbow to my hand repeatedly.

Overall sponge balls are a great little thing to have when doing close up magic. People love them. And you can add all sorts of humor to them.

Here is my usual opening line. "I met a clown..." I take out the ball "...he doesn't laugh anymore." That line perfectly captures my style when I'm performing and almost justifies the prop itself.