bigsean: First, welcome to LP101.
To your post: The tool used to manipulate the actual pins/wafers themselves is called a "pick". The tool used to put torsion on the plug of the lock is called the "tension" tool. If the tension tool that your using is rigid (that is, does not bend or bends very little) then it is highly likely that you are using far too much pressure on the tool to turn the cylinder.
If your tension tool is quite flexible (you can bend it more than an inch or two and it returns to its normal state) then it is alright to bend.
In either case you will most likely need to lighten up on your tension as Phoenix stated previously. I'm not sure what your level of experience is, but it is very common for both beginner's and even experienced lock pickers to use too much tension.
This is something every lock manipulator needs to work on continually, the art of tensioning a plug properly.
Good luck and keep us posted. If you have any further questions, post away.
Once again, welcome to LP101.
