Why I Recommend All Magicians Use a Close up Pad
A close up pad is a small mat you place on a table to set the stage for your magic. I bring my close up pad to every performance.
When I first got into magic I did not use a close up pad. I’ll explain why I changed my mind.
What to Look for in a Close up Pad
I prefer a black, dark green, or maroon close up pad with a rubber back, size 18″ x 14″, that rolls up.
Your close up pad should be large enough to spread the cards and easy to carry around.
The back of the mat has to have a rubber surface so it sticks to the table and doesn’t move around. If the close up pad does not have a rubber backing, stay away from it, it is probably cheap and junky.
I highly recommend this $12 close up pad on Amazon.
Why I Use a Close Up Pad
A close up pad looks very professional and opens the door to so many incredible magic tricks. The soft and cushiony surface makes it easy to pick up and manipulate items like cards and coins.
Performing on a close up pad is perfect when spectators gather around. You can control the focus of your spectator’s attention, which is very important.
The mat becomes your stage. It is ideal for spectators who just want to watch, they know exactly where to look.
Tricks stand out nicely on the mat, there are minimal angle restrictions, and I believe close up pads add class to your performance.
Everyone loves to watch visual magic. There is a ton of amazing visual magic that can only be done on a close up pad. Card spreads, coins matrixes, card tricks, 3 shell game, cups and balls, packet tricks, etc.
When performing at a loud event I like to set down my close up pad and perform a ton of visual magic. It saves me from having to scream. I have so many more tricks when I perform on a close up pad.
If there is limited space I place half the mat on the table, the other half hanging off the edge.
Another point is that you never know if a table is wet or dirty. Placing your cards on a soiled surface will ruin them. When you use a pad you avoid accidentally ruining your cards mid performance.
The Benefits of Using a Close Up Pad
I use the rubber surface to perform one of my favorite card tricks:
Why I Was Initially Against Using a Close up Pad
There was a time when I was totally against bringing a close up pad to an event. I used say it was obtrusive to place your pad on the table. I think the real reason was that I hadn’t practiced and perfected any tricks using a close up pad.
When I started practicing good sleight of hand magic using a mat I realized I was missing out on so many incredible tricks.
I learned that spectators don’t care if you put a mat on the table. In fact, most of the time people will help clear the table off to make space for you.
Spreading the Cards Flourish
An amazing use of the mat is for the card spread flourish and flip over. It looks so impressive and always gets a great reaction. This flourish will not work on a hard surface.
Learn it in the video below:
Black Art Magic Using a Black Close Up Pad
There are a bunch of magicians who use black mats not just as a surface, they use it as their method for the tricks. It is called black art. With the correct lighting and filming, the tricks look really amazing.
Performing tricks this way is not practical for real world close up magic. If a spectator was right there and looked closely, they would see exactly what the magician is doing.
You will notice in the video below it is very dark. This helps hide the tricks of the black mat. Personally I think this is cheating. Magic should involve sleight of hand and skill, not black art and computer generated imagery (CGI).
Using the black art principle with your close up pad really limits where you can perform. In my opinion, card magic is amazing and magical without needing a special pad.
Conclusion
I recommend using a close up pad at every performance. There are so many unbelievable magic tricks you can do on the table. I always look for a table, and most of the time find one.
It is important to learn and practice tricks both on the table and tricks off the table so you are ready in any performance environment. Don’t become dependent on the mat, there will be times when you won’t have a table to perform on.
