Holding the pick

[weilawei]

I'm still very confused as to how to hold the pick.. my hands are fairly large and holding it like a pencil doesnt seem to work at all. I've been putting my index finger on top of the lock, the back end of the handle in my palm, and my thumb and middle finger on the handle... but this hurts quite a bit after a while. Are there any pictures or can someone make one quickly illustrating how to hold it in a common way? I think that it would definitely help my picking..

[frostbyte]

I could send you pictures of me holding my pick, but since it sounds like we hold them the same way, there wouldn't be much point. I've tried changing how I hold my pick, but I've been doing it for so long this way it's hard to make the change.

[Dr Money]

i pinch the pick with my thumb and index finger, it gives me a lot of feedback and control, i usually hold it somewhere in the middle but closer to the pick end of the handle.

[Romstar]

The pencil techniques is pretty much all I use.
It's been known to cause a callous on my second finger very much the same way a pen or pencil would.

I've been playing around here, and I don't think I can do it any other way. I have large hands as well.

Romstar

[Mad Mick]

I have very large hands, and the pencil grip is the one that works for me.

[CaptHook]

For most work, the pencil grip is the most useful. You need to keep doing it, your hands will get used to it over time.
Sometimes I pinch the pick from the top if there is a deadbolt or kik lock I have to open and am feeling too lazy to kneel down.
Chuck

[Project]

i use my thumb and grip the shaft with my middle finger, and put my pointer finger on the edge of the pick =(

[maldotcom2]

I pinch the the centre of the pick handle with the thumb, index and middle finger. And use my ring finger to push up on the bottom of the tang.

[skold]

i happen to have the same style as maldotcom2

[WhiteHat]

when picking pins on the top (pointing down) I use my thumb on the tang of the pick to push it up - sort of holding the the pick like you would hold the bottom chopstick, with my index finger on top as a sort of lever and my middle finger resting on the lock plate to steady the pick. when the pins are on the bottom (pointing up) I put my ring finger on the lock to steady and push down with my middle and or left fingers, pivoting on my thumb....

[Fallen_Pin]

Well now I feel rather fortunate about having my feminine hands *laughs* Seriously though, I have chick hands o.o ,For the most part, I dont like em, I'd rather have big burly manly hands >=) , but since I've taken up lock picking I'm rather fond of my dainty digits

[Chucklz]

If anyone has ever read "La Casa de Bernarda Alba," you know what I'm talking about when I say I want the grandmothers hands.

[frostbyte]

[DomoKun]

One of the obvious and definatly most important things about how to hold your pick is to make sure its your accurate and dexerious hand (Your handwriting hand). Don't be discouraged to use it just because the hand holding the tension wrench doesn't have much space to move because of the position of the lock is on the door.

I like to hold it like a pencil tho in 3 various ways. Between the Thumb and Index. Between the Index and Middle. Between the Middle and Ring.

[Cman22]

I hold it like a pencil.