Hand cramps

[xylac]

Hey all,

Lately when I've been picking, after a few minutes my pick hand begins to cramp up. I use a homemade pick most of the time, which only has a small handle (think a three layer stack of drain snake). Have you guys run into this problem before, and what did you do to get around it? I'm wondering if it's worth my time to invest in making a better handle. Let me know what you guys think!

[billdeserthills]

Sounds like you need something larger to hold onto, so I think your pick handle idea is right on the mark. You don't hafta make a big project, even wrapping wire or duct tape or twine and tape should help you determine if this is the solution to your problem, or if you need to add potassium or just more water to your diet, as there are many possible reasons for your cramping. (I would bet the handles tho)

[Squelchtone]

Hey all,

Lately when I've been picking, after a few minutes my pick hand begins to cramp up. I use a homemade pick most of the time, which only has a small handle (think a three layer stack of drain snake). Have you guys run into this problem before, and what did you do to get around it? I'm wondering if it's worth my time to invest in making a better handle. Let me know what you guys think!

HPC sells a multi pack of foam sleeves to go over the popsicle style pick handles. They feel like a dream and I can use my half diamond for hours.

it is the top one in this photo:
http://nynex.s5.com/lp101/bogota_rake_next_to_other_picks.jpg

hope that helps,
Squelchtone

[YouLuckyFox]

When I worked at a machine shop, every little thing I did involved precise hand movements. When I would come home and pick a lock, my hands would get cramped horribly because of the amount of stress I had already put on my hands. This is when I really started getting involved in LP101, so I was picking just about every day. I started resting the lockpick handle between my index and middle finger and pressing my thumb against the bottom of the pick. This helps with any hand cramps and doesn't seem to affect picking performance. Your mileage my vary, but this was my solution!

[xylac]

Thanks for the tips, all! I'll try out making my own handles and see if that does the trick.