Am I just rusty?

[steve45058]

I started to learn and read about lockpicking probably at the beginning of this year. I got the hang of it pretty quickly as I as able to pick all the doors in my house (I know a lot of people say this is bad). I got into lockpicking again recently, and I can't seem to pick anything for the life of me anymore. I always seem to leave one pin down whenever I pick now. I have increased pressure, decreased pressure on the tension wrench and I still fail. Any tips? Is it just mental?

[vitti]

It is mental, and physical. You can indeed lose your touch without practice. Lockpicking is a harmonious combination of thought, sensitivity to physical feedback through the tools, and muscle memory.

All 3 of these can dull or fade with time. The most important part, in my eyes anyway, is the sensitivity to feedback in your tools. That is your "eyes" in the lock. It is also a learned skill.

Try to focus on feeling what is going on in the lock and tune out, or better yet eliminate, any distractions like music, tv, other people, etc. Re-train yourself to focus on the lock without trying to focus on the lock.

[ridderhenck]

You have been punished for breaking the golden rule....DO NOT PICK LOCKS YOU DEPEND ON!!!!!!!!
Seriously,it happens,after a while you will see it was a temporary thing,take your time,and yes listen to what your tools tell you,evrything willw ork ou just fine