5 Essential Grips for Cardistry Mastery

So you want to learn cardistry, huh?

Well…

See this post as your call to adventure and first lesson because your about to learn…

The 5 Essential Grips for Cardistry Mastery

That will allow you to perform some of the smoothest sleights and palms known to man, as early as today (for the deranged and obsessed).

…how to perform the five essential grips in cardistry.

These 5 grips are all really simple to learn but they are the keystone and pillars behind the subtle art of card flourishing and will set you up for success down the road.

Make no mistake, Cardistry is hard.

While the flourishes are visually stunning, the process of learning is tedious and difficult.

This is an art, where only the very patient come out on top…

That is why I am in the process of creating a 90 Day Cardistry Email Series (inspired by Lotus in Hands cardistry bootcamp) which will turn even the very clumsiest aspiring Cardist into a full-blown master that will have people dropping their jaws in awe.

…so if you can:

Read the post, learn the grips and practice the moves for the next 5 minutes, then maybe, just maybe you have the potential to master this art and unlock a new level of magic to your repertoire.

“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”
Norman Vincent Peale

With that said,

Let’s get straight into your first Cardistry lesson…

The 5 Essential Cardistry Grips:

Lotus in Hand

The 5 Types of Grips:

The Dealers Grip
The Straddle Grip
Biddle Grip
End Grip
Z Grip

You’ll be holding most of these grips in your non-dominant hand!

The Dealers Grip

The Dealers Grip, also known as the mechanic grip is the first grip you should learn in this lesson. That is because Dealers Grip will get you to most of the other grips.

This is a very simple grip:

You want your thumb aligned on the left edge, index on top, and the middle, ring and pinky on the right.

Pro-Cardist Tip: Make sure you keep a little bit of space between the bottom and you’re palm.

The Straddle Grip:

The next grip you’re going to learn is the Straddle Grip. The main difference is that the pinky finger shifts from the edge to the bottom of the playing card as seen in the video.

The Biddle Grip:

The third grip you are going to learn is the Biddle Grip.

With this grip you’re going to use your dominant hand with your thumb on the bottom and your index, middle, ring, and pinky finger on the top and you’ll be using this grip for swing cuts.

The End Grip:

This is one of the few grips in which you use both hands. To get to this grip you want to start with your left hand in the dealer’s grip…

…Then you’re going to curl your index finger under the deck as seen in the video and you’re also going to have your right hand come over and put your thumb on the bottom, index curled on top, and middle, ring and pinky on the top short edge.

The Z Grip:

Finally we have the Z Grip. This grip looks the hardest but it doesn’t take too long to get comfortable with.

All you have to do is first start in the dealer’s grip…

…Then you’re going to take your thumb and middle finger of your right hand and you’re going to break off part of the deck from the bottom using your thumb. You want to be sure that the index finger of your left hand is touching the top of the other packet.

What you’re going to do next is use the middle finger of your right hand to break off another packet so you the deck is sliced up into three packets leaving you in a v-shaped position and that is why (spoiler alert) this is called the Z Grip.

You’ll be using this grip for two hand cuts like symbols.

These are the most common grips in cardistry and they are essential to learn if you want to progress…

That is why, while you’re here now, focused on learning Cardistry, I’ve attached a 5 minute countdown timer to help you have some time to practice and get familiar with the grips…

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this post, and hopefully get familiar with these five essential grips for mastering cardistry…

If you’ve seen your way to the end of this lesson, and are committed to learning how to master cardistry than I suggest you make an investment on the type of cards your using to practice…

Lesson 2: The 9 Best Cards for Cardistry & Flourishes