CLIP SPLIT
By Richard Robinson

A sponge ball is split into two at the magician's finger tips. This effect is used in many sponge ball routines and generally worked very quickly with a ball visible in one hand, a second ball finger palmed in the opposite hand, the hands brought together and pulled apart to create the illusion of splitting one sponge ball into two.

Clip Split takes a different approach making the effect into a display trick. The magician appears to rip a sponge ball into two pieces. The two pieces are then rubbed together in an effort to restore the sponge ball, but the rubbing action results in each torn half becoming a complete sponge ball.

Clip Split Handling

One sponge ball is compressed and clipped between the right second and third fingers with a second sponge ball resting on it and hiding it from the spectators.

The left hand turns palm up, fingers together as the right hand moves towards it, the right hand turning at the wrist to keep the palm of right hand visible and prevent the back of the right hand from being seen.

The right hand comes to rest on the left palm near the base of the left fingers.

As the hands come together, they are also moving up, so that by the time the right hand is behind the left hand, the back of the left hand is downstage directly facing the spectators.

Behind the left hand, the right second and third fingers spread apart. The right thumb, while continuing to press one side of the visible sponge ball, presses down on the expanding clipped ball, at the same time revolving up and to the right.

Done correctly this move results in the right hand swinging the two sponge balls into position against the fingers of the left hand. The expanded clip ball held by the curled left second and third fingers; the side of the right thumb resting lightly on the top of the clip ball with the bottom of the visible ball resting on the top of the right thumb, the right first and second fingers resting on the top of the visible ball. The visible ball is just above the left first finger, the left thumb to the left side of the ball, the left first finger to the right side of the ball.

From the front it appears that the right hand swings over to the left hand placing the ball between the left thumb and first finger, at the same time turning the right palm towards the spectators, the fingers spreading apart, then moving away.

The left hand holds the ball between the left thumb and first finger. As the left hand moves up and right towards the center of the body, a small portion of the ball is pinched between the first and second fingers allowing the thumb to move down and then up, pressing the hidden ball against the visible ball.

The right hand moves left so the finger tips of both hands meet at the center of the body. The ball is visible at the left finger tips, the second ball compressed behind it.

The right fingers and thumb take hold of one ball, the left fingers and thumb take hold of the second ball, both balls are squeezed and pulled back behind the fingers slightly as the hands are jerked apart as if ripping the ball in half.

In creating the illusion of ripping the ball it is important to make a sudden, jerking motion, crumpling both balls so they appear distorted and smaller than an expanded ball. Once the hands jerk apart they should stop abruptly and pause.

The magician considers the two pieces of torn sponge. The hands move back together and the sponge pieces are rubbed against each other, at the same time the fingers slowly relax their hold on the compressed balls so they expand.

Once the balls are fully expanded, the hands stop moving so the spectators can see a complete ball held at the finger tips of each hand. The hands then move further apart, open out and allow the balls to rest on the palms for a moment before whatever effect follows.

Performance Notes

Keep in mind that the spectators have no idea what you're going to do so the ripping of the sponge ball will come as a surprise.