Ergonomics , picking and the lLock Vise

[fritzthecat52]

Ergonomics and Lockpicking in the seated position .
Weather its tennis or martial arts, body position when appying yourself to sport activities is very important . I suspect the same is true in the sport of lock picking . I realize that one should train in all positions for instance right at a door, kneeling at a motercycle, or doing a Houdini act all chained up . But for this possible discussion we can keep it simple at first and explore the seated position . I've been watching a lot of YouTube and I noticed that vaccum based vises are popular . Usually the vise is set up at around 45 to 60 degrees and if the author is right handed the vise is turned on its base ccw for the pick right hand to access with ease. But that's where I don't see the rest of the body as the camera is focused on the lock , tools and hands .
So here's the question . How do you rest your arms ? I noticed that the tension tool hand in the top of the lock position rests on the back of the vise . Do you rest your picking hand and arm on the elbow . Or do you hold it against your body for support . Is there a favorite height to where you get minimum distraction ? Has someone explored this already . I checked and hand positions on holding the pick is the extent of discussed ergonomics.
I'm going to pick up a vaccum based vice from Harbor Freight as they are on sale now and I'm exploring methods to make my picking sessions more easy at first I'll try off hand positions later .
I'm fustrated with holding the lock in my left hand and getting this vise should help . I need some practice locks and start out at 2 pins. Gotta get off this stagnet level.

[Korver15]

How you pick depends on the lock and what is comfortable. I bought a PanaVice Jr and I think it works great. All the vice really has to do is keep the lock in a fixed position. The panavice is less than 10 inches tall and I rest my picking had on the table. Or, sometimes I take my vice to the couch and I hold both. Some locks I find are easier to pick without the vice, while some I can only pick in the vice.

The vice is really just another tool in the arsenal, but what makes a huge difference in picking is having the correct tension wrench. Each keyway is different and thus the ideal tension tool is different. tension tools could have thick metal, thin metal, wide, narrow, bends, but what matters is that you have access to the pins and you can supply adequate torque to the plug. Bosnian bill goes over tension tools in great detail in the youtube link below.

Hope this helps some!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd_77po2iXY

http://www.amazon.com/PanaVise-Model-Junior-Miniature-Vise/dp/B000B61D22

[fritzthecat52]

I've seen Bosnian Bill vid on tension wrenches . I think its a great tek vid on tension wrenches but very little of what I'm after in my practice . I'm very familiar with picking padlocks with the lock in my left hand . Bill goes into hand positions and how he prefers bending his wrench in such a way that is more comfortable. Yet I don't know if he rests his elbow on the table or when he rakes does he lift his arm off the table so he can complete the pulling action of the rake.

In every sport I know of there are some who profess certain techniques . Some pickers probalbly don't even think what position they are in because they do it naturally after extensive practice with hit or miss techniques.

Now if I watched a lock picking contest I know I could spot some common techniques and body positions. But there are no tornaments in the area nor proficient pickers I can watch.

Perhaps a tornament player could pipe in and examine his style. I bet there are styles also. We just hav'nt discussed them and catagorize them.