Holding Lockpicks

[hoopy]

I practice card magic and in all card magic books they use a very good convention for describing exactly where your fingers should be when you are doing something. I want to open the discussion up to lockpickers to identify what people do specifically rather than generally. This applies to how people are picking pin-cylinder, padlocks, etc.

The convention is:
Hands - Left or right hand (palm up horizontally, palm down horizontally, palm towards you, palm away)
Fingers - thumb, first or index finger, second finger, third or ring finger, little finger
Phalanges - Taking the average index finger on a palm up hand as an example you can see that there are three 'pads' or phalanges segmenting it.

I want to establish where each finger should be during the operation of lockpicking.

For example:
First phalanges of index finger and thumb of the right hand grip the pick at the joint between the handle and neck. Second finger of the right hand applies light upwards pressure with the nail to neck of pick from below in front of the first and second finger grip.

It might sound a bit cumbersome at first but if accompanied with photographs we can get a very good idea of what experts do right and newbies do wrong when they are learning.

Hope that I get some interesting responses.

Hoopy

[marso]

I try to hold mine like a pencil as much as possible.

So thumb resting on the left side. First resting above. Second is under the pick with the pick resting on it. Btw the very back of the pick is resting on the skin between the thumb and the first finger.

Of course this changes when I am "say" standing up picking a door instead of kneeling. Then I may have Thumb on left side, First above pointing down, second on the right side pointing down and the forth is slightly to the back to change the angle of the pick.

I do not know if this correct but it works for me.

Just another thing, it does depend if I am raking or picking. And also depends on the length of the pick and so forth.

[hoopy]

marso wrote "Just another thing, it does depend if I am raking or picking. And also depends on the length of the pick and so forth."

Good stuff, I think the differing methods should be explored. MIT mentions a hold for raking where you lever the pick between fingers but I wasn't clear what that meant

It is amazing the differences that can be achieved through correct handling. From my experience with cards - it is not just about "the feeling" or "practice". Practice in the first instance indicates that you have to stumble on the hold yourself before you can be any good. You wouldn't do that with golf for instance. Practice is still the most important element but learning from other peoples experience is also part of it. I don't have anyone around who can physically show me so I am suggesting this one to see what folks out there are doing.

Hoopy

[Varjeal]

I'll get the usual out of the way by saying "it depends on your personal preference." That said, I'll attempt to describe my own "pick handling"
with the lock/cylinder in my hands.

Medium tension wrench in keyway of lock, opposite side of the pins, horizontally away from me. Lock is held in left hand, palm down, and held between thumb and middle finger, usually in the "crook" of the first joints. (depends on size of lock though). First pad of index finger applies downward pressure on tension wrench approximately half-way down it's length.

Right hand holds desired pick much like pencil with index finger on either the steel portion of the pick (in my example I'm using Rytan's) or on the very edge of the handle closest to the pick. Thumb and ring finger "pinch" the pick handle, with the pinky and...(what the heck do you call that finger, a ring finger???) supporting the pick.

I shift my hand from palm down to palm facing me depending on my pick motion and mood. The pick handle generally only contacts my palm near the index and pinky fingers of my hand.

When raking a lock, the position of my hand changes to a grip similar to holding a piece of paper using all your fingers. In other words, the fingers are "pinching" the pick and the only palm contact is at the pinky finger.

I add my disclaimer that all this changes depending on what kind of mood I'm in and how much of a hurry I'm in.

I should add also that there is light wrist action as well, especially when individual pin picking.

Hope that makes sense.

[Renotesse]

well... i make my own picks which arent easy for anyone except me to hold.... so i cant exactly help out here

[Grudge]

hoopy thanks for starting this discussion. I too, have been wondering about this (I think my handling style is poor so I won't try to describe it).

P.S. Also a magic freak (mentalism), good to see I am not alone

[hoopy]

Maybe this helps: Palm up hands facing you (a bit messy but should be clear)

....2..3..4..5.....10.9.8..7
.....I..I..I..I.......I..I..I..I
.1...I..I..I..I.......I..I..I..I...6
..\..I..I..I..I.......I..I..I..I../
....\---------.......---------/
.....I.........I.......I.........I
.....I.........I.......I.........I
.....---------.......----------

1, 6 Thumb
2, 7 Index
3, 8 Second Finger
4, 9 Ring, Third Finger
5, 10 Pinky, Little finger