This is the attempt to force a cane or billiard cue to the floor across the open palm of the performer. The experimenter grasps the cue A B (in illustration #2) at the spots marked E and F. The performer places her open palm flat against the underside and between his hands as shown in the picture at C. His hands at E and F, with the weight of his body and all of his muscular force exerted at these points, attempt to push the object A B in the direction shown, to the floor. The performer’s hand at C never grasps the object, but rests only against, or under it.
It is well to have the hands examined for adhesive material prior to this test for there are many absurd theories as to its accomplishment. The pressure exerted at C in keeping the hand in firm contact with the object is but a minimum as compared with that exerted by the experimenters perpendicularly. What is it that counteracts all this downward pressure and weight ?
The direction of the force of the magician’s opponents is exerted directly downward, almost horizontally in a line of the object A B. When this force is brought to bear on the object it necessarily presses it in firm contact with the hand at C. The performer’s effort is to keep up the contact at C and thus keep the palm tightly pressed against the object. This brings into play the principle of “Deflection of Force.”
Instead of the force being exerted at E and F operating down the line A B towards the floor, it is deflected as a tangent by the hand at C, and dissipated into the air, in the general direction of X-Y.
This deflection of the force exerted by the experimenter renders it necessary for him to constantly keep changing the position of his body and feet, in order to get a purchase to keep up his pressure, and this necessity to change, which he cannot understand, keeps him excited and bewildered all of the time, which mental condition doesn’t aid him a bit.
Just remember that the force applied along A B when it comes in contact with a slight pressure of the hand at C, glances off and carries the object in a different direction than towards the floor, and hence the result is that no amount of pressure applied can push the object to the floor.
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