Product description : Sponge ball magic is one of the few domains in which gimmicks can be counted on the fingers of a hand (I don’t know if the French expression translates well in English, anyway). Innovation in sponge ball magic has been quite limited, but now, J.T. have found a new gimmick which will allow you to do many routines. I guess we could call this the Flipper Sponge Ball, meaning you can show 2 balls and in a blink, only have one ! I’m sure your mind is racing with ideas, let’s find out if this is good or not !
Price and where to buy it : This is sold at $34.99 and you can find it on Ellusionnist website.
What you get : You get a plastic tube with a sticker on it, the packaging is not the best of the world but it does the job. Inside, you’ll find 4 regular red sponge balls as well as your Baller gimmick. The sponge balls seem to be Goshman, as is the gimmick. The gimmick is really well made and is much more invisible than I expected, kudos to the maker of this one (maybe it’s J.T.). You also get an explanation video, which you can find online. It’s quite simple but well shot and everything is taught in great details : 3 routines, live performances, tips etc.. I’m very happy with the video. Overall, you get a full set, a great gimmick and a nice little video, I’m definitely not disappointed with Baller so far !
The pros and the cons : Here is the core of my review, let's begin with the cons, as I will usually be doing, I prefer to keep the good things for the end.
THE CONS :
[if !supportLists]– [endif]The gimmick is not 100% invisible, which is like an invisible thread, people won’t notice it but it can be seen if know where to look at.
[if !supportLists]– [endif]I’m a little bit concerned about how the gimmick will age through the years, due to its nature.
THE PROS :
[if !supportLists]– [endif]I think this is the most impressive sponge ball gimmick I’ve seen since the color changing sponge ball by Bizzaro. It’s ingenious and it makes me wonder : “why did I never thought of that ?”
[if !supportLists]– [endif]I know the first con is a little bit weird since people won’t stare at your hands during the routine, J.T. has constructed them so there is at least one regular sponge ball with the gimmick, which means people will have balls in their hands. So they won’t want to examine the one which you are holding.
[if !supportLists]– [endif]You’re provided with 4 matching sponge balls, so you don’t have to find the exact ones that matches your gimmick in size and colour.
[if !supportLists]– [endif]The effects are really unlimited, you can do a sponge ball across, a ball through window or table or add the gimmick into your existing sponge ball routine.
[if !supportLists]– [endif]The craftsmanship in the gimmick is exceptional, it works every single time and works well.
[if !supportLists]– [endif]The tricks are insanely visual, the illusion of the 2 balls becoming 1 is really impressive and you will stay in front of your mirror doing it again and again.
[if !supportLists]– [endif]The price is right in my opinion, you get enough bang for your bucks.
Overall rating : This is something “revolutionary” in the sponge ball gimmick field. However, I won’t go into the trouble of carrying an extra gimmick to add a little touch of visual in my existing routine. Really cool and great gimmick, not for me. 3/4 hearts.
As for the difficulty level, the knack is quite easy to get, I would say 2/5 stars.
Similar products : There is no other gimmick like this on the market, Baller is a real innovation !