What is Misdirection in Magic – Everything You Need to Know

Misdirection in magic is the choreography of a routine that helps focus the attention and interest of your spectators away from something sneaky or secretive. Here are some examples of misdirection:

• Asking a question
• Doing a flourish
• Waving a silk
• Talking fast
• A beautiful assistant
• Saying something funny

Being a full time magician for over 20 years I have studied, considered, and performance-tested all forms of misdirection in magic. Here is what I have learned.

Misdirection in Magic

Technique and choreography, in my opinion, are the most important parts of a trick.

I think of misdirection as managing your audience and directing where their focus is. One of the late great magicians, Tommy Wonder, said it best- think of it as direction, not misdirection.

Misdirection has a negative feel to it, like misfortune or misunderstanding. Direction seems more positive to me. Through good choreography and routining you can control or influence where your spectators look.

Wherever you look your spectators will look. During a trick, when I look up, my spectators look up. Things you don’t call attention to or put importance on won’t be noticed.

Spectators will watch the hand that is actually empty if they are convinced that it is really holding something. If you believe, your audience will believe.

How Important is Misdirection?

Certain magicians say misdirection is the main component of magic. They say nearly the whole art of sleight of hand is focusing people on the wrong hand. This is not what I have found.

I believe most of these magicians either don’t perform much or performed a very long time ago when times were different. Entertainment has changed drastically.

I believe the biggest component of magic is skill and good routining. With YouTube and other platforms magic is readily available nowadays. People love magic yet they have short attentions spans.

You have to keep it moving and keep your spectators engaged. You cannot tell long stories and ask a million questions. If you point at your hand they will probably look at the other hand.

Your audience needs to be guided properly. This requires you to be a confident performer and leader, which only comes from experience.

It is crucial that you first perfect your tricks. Then you can learn to engage and command the attention of your audience. This takes practice and performance experience and develops over time.

Magic Trick Misdirection

Misdirection happens naturally when there is good routining. Your spectators will be convinced you are holding the coin if there was a good reason for placing it in your other hand.

For example, I place the coin in my left hand so I can reach for the magic wand with my right hand because it is on the right side of the table.

Misdirection is not a substitute for technique and no form of misdirection will make up for a lack of skill. If you cannot perform a move flawlessly don’t perform the trick.

Practice, practice, practice. Trust in your technique. The truth is, sometimes misdirection should not be used to draw attention away.

One of my favorite tricks is a rope trick The Professor’s Nightmare. It takes a minimal amount of sleight of hand, and no misdirection. Your technique needs to be good enough so that the moves can be done under scrutiny.

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Another example is a fake take of a coin. If you misdirect your audience when you perform the move, and they look up, it will ruin the routine.

Your sleight of hand technique must be good enough so that your audience can watch you perform the move and be fooled.

Patter as Misdirection

Just because you are a magician doesn’t mean people want to hear you talk.

Everybody loves watching magic tricks, it is a part of being human. We all like the feeling of awe and wonder that magic gives us. People will watch your trick not because of the patter, because of the magic.

Spectators will put up with your patter. Long stories and intricate explanations lose spectators interest. Leave it out and just do your tricks!

Magician Misdirection

The best forms of misdirection are naturally woven into your performance. Nobody is watching closely when there is no importance put on the moment. Here are some good examples of misdirection as part of your routine.

• Your spectator is coming up to the stage.
• Your spectator is picking a card and showing it around.
• Your spectator is shuffling or examining a prop.

After something magical happens, there is what is called an “offbeat.” This is when you lessen the intensity of your focus and relax your body, as if the trick is over.

Everyone reacts to the magic, relaxes, and looks up. This is a great time to casually place your hand in your pocket to steal out a coin.

Time Misdirection

Time misdirection is when you wait a second before showing something so your spectators forget the details. For example when your spectator cuts the deck and you mark the cut with the other half – The Cross Cut Force.

You end up showing them the original top card and tell them that is the card they cut to. It isn’t true yet they won’t exactly remember. So it will fly. Time misdirection, like all other forms, is not a substitute for good technique.

Movement Misdirection

Eyes will always follow the moving hand or object. When I lift a cup and tip a ball off of it, all eyes follow the rolling ball. When I place a coin in my hand and bring my hand up to blow on it, all eyes follow my moving hand.

Use this to your advantage, as long as your technique is flawless.

Eye Contact Misdirection

Another example is making eye contact. When you look at your spectators they will look at you. This is great for connecting, yet at critical parts of the routine you do not want to make eye contact.

If you execute a move while your spectator isn’t looking they might not catch it yet they will know you did something, which is just as bad. This is the reason you must perfect your sleight of hand and be confident with the moves.

Misdirection Psychology

Psychological misdirection is when a magician leads his/her spectators down a path so they are convinced they know how the trick is done. If they think they know the method a spectator will relax and not try to figure it out.

By the time your spectators realize they were wrong you are so far ahead of them. It is too late to backtrack and they cannot help but be fooled badly. Here is an example:

When I perform the rising card it doesn’t matter if I see the selected card. Spectators don’t know what I am about to do when they pick a card so they always try to hide it so I can’t see it.

Since it doesn’t matter if I see the card I usually look at the card and show it around. Spectators relax when they see me look at the card because they “saw me look at it.”

When your spectators let their guard down, and tune out, it is the perfect time to do the dirty work. You can do anything at this point, when your spectators have tuned out. It is the perfect time to do the dirty work.

Misdirection Misinformation

While researching for this article I found websites where real psychologists discuss misdirection. You can check one out here. What amazes me is that psychologists give magicians way too much credit.

When someone says they are a magician most people assume they are a master of misdirection. Not true! Most tricks don’t even use misdirection. The ones that do take routining and practice, two things many magicians don’t spend time on.

Misdirection is something you have to study and work on. It takes practice, performance, and trial and error. Over time you get better and better, like anything else. Being a great magician is not easy.

Pickpockets Use Misdirection

If anyone has to be a master of misdirection I would say it is a pickpocket. The success of them taking people’s personal items depends on misdirecting attention.

Pickpocket’s methods involve a lot of touching and fast talking. This is completely different than what a magician should be doing.

Years ago I got into stealing watches during my performances. It is one of the strongest things you can do and gets a tremendous reaction. I got pretty good at it yet never felt 100% comfortable.

Pickpocketing involves a technique that has to be done under heavy misdirection. I felt there was too much touching which is not my style.

Conclusion

Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. And then learn to be smooth with your presentation. Misdirection will naturally get woven into your performances .