Picking tips for 4 pin padlocks

[AWC]

I've been practicing on a Master Brass #140 pad lock, 4 pins. I've opened it a few times before. Tonight I can now do it on a regular basis. This is how I'm doing it. I'll scrubb the pins with the Half Diamond until a few pins set & the cylinder turns a little. Then I take the hook & find the pins that are binding. It's always the two back pins. I hold a little pressure on the pin with the hook & slowly ease up on the tension wrench until I feel the pin set. Do the same to the second one. It opens every time. Good technique or just lucky?
I'm practicing on a 5pin Dead bolt with 4 pins still in it that I can pick with the hook every time. In about a week I will add back the 5th pin.

[Varjeal]

Obviously that particular technique works on that particular lock, so that's great. If that works on most locks that you come across, then it's good technique. If doesn't, then it needs some work.

[cred]

i have found that out by experimenting with different locks and if you rake it lightly first then use a hook it dose seem that the rear pins are binding, release a bit of tension pick the rear pins and hey presto!!!!!!

[The Key Maker]

Yea, tbh i dont know if this is bad technique or what, but i always start using this method. I get the lock and scrub it twice, it sometimes opens!!!, if not then i rake it and that normally sets a few pins then i swap picks, using a hook or a half dimond i try and feel for the pins and open it that way! Usually works for me. Again i swap picks half way through the process, is this wrong?

[Varjeal]

It's only wrong if it doesn't work.

[Grudge]

I agree that anything that works can't be wrong, but (IMHO) from a practice standpoint you should try to pin pick the entire lock. For instance, I can easily scub open the mighty Kwickset locks on my house with a simple snake. However, that didn't teach me much about locks (except don't buy cheap Kwicksets for home security).

Happy Picking

[The Key Maker]

You see i find by scrubbing a few times it just quickly sets a few pins! i just find it works. To be honest i dont find that scrubbing to opent he lock works well on higher security locks, this is why i was suggesting that i scrub just to bind a few pin """"that wanna bind" if you catch my drift. From then on its easier cuz if allready picked a few pins. Yet if i try to scrub the hole lock, my technique must be wrong but i just end up jamming the driver (they the top pins right?) especially if they got anti-picking pins.

Yes i agree with the last comment, i learn a lot by picking a lock purely pin by pin, but i use my method for enjoyment and just for example when i come accross a lock for the first time, and just wanna quickly open it!

[AWC]

I would like to pick it pin by pin. I practice on my 5pin dead bolt. I have 4 pins in it now that I can pick pin by pin. I plan on adding the 5th pin when I feel more confident with the 4 pins. I can tell the more I pick the better I get. I practice with 4 different locks, 2 Dead bolt, 2 pad locks. I pick at least one if not all of them each day for about 45 minutes. Thanks!