Your production quality brings a new dimension to locksport videos. While many pickers seem happy to simply share their experience picking some interesting lock, your videos are filled with content that educates about locksport from a much broader viewpoint.
I've been picking for a little over a month. Although not officially diagnosed, I'm certain that I have carpal tunnel syndrome caused by a career in IT and lots of PC gaming. When I first started, my fingers would go numb after picking little more than one lock; now, that doesn't happen and I guess it's because I gravitated toward this holding style.
There you go - another n=1 experiment that supports the hypothesis. Perhaps in time this kind of fine motor skill work with strengthen/mitigate the damage done? I do hope so - CTS is not pleasant 🙌
This reminds me of when I was having to learn to eat with Chopsticks in Japan, lots of different ways but some are just more refined then others and some work better in certain peoples hand and ability to control the sticks. Great Video thank you for the time and research you put into it.
I know that when I found this grip, it was driven by trying to stabilize the pick in my hand as I carefully searched for each individual pin. It was born out of necessity of precision rather than any conscious effort. And the feedback I got from it was very informative as I started picking serrated driver pins, giving an extra benefit. Great video!
Comparing the grip of lock pickers and dentists... what a brilliant idea. It just makes so much sense. Also: with the sound turned off, this video makes an excellent pub quiz for nerds; can you name the picker just by looking at their hands and picking style?
Haha I almost included a spot the hand quiz at the start but felt I might put off some of the less embedded Locksporters! I realised that I would probably get close to full marks which speaks to how much time I have been spending staring at other men's hands in recent months!!!
😂🤣😂🤣. I def would not win that quiz. Maybe if I started counting arm hairs per sq inch, cross referenced it with freckles and finger length/chubbiness then created a database. I might have half a chance ?
Brilliant information!!!! This explains why I am just a hack picker and not one of the elite pickers 😅 As always great video!!!! Stay safe my friend! 🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾😷
Total nube here, I've only been at it for 2 weeks and am liking the journey so far. Excellent instructional video, I am glad that I found your channel. I always get something useful out of your videos, you do great work and your voice reminds me of someone famous for his nature documentaries. Your use of humour and the examples and diagrams in your videos adds a lot of depth to the content - you make learning fun. Thank you for what you are doing for the Locksport Community.
Well spotted Fish! Perhaps those videos are where I picked it up without realizing it. I noticed in the last couple of weeks that I was unconsciously holding my picks this exact same way. I started paying closer attention to what I was doing and realized that it was improving my feedback so I kept at it. I don't think I was consistently posting my finger on the lock face though, I'll experiment with that too.
That's a very important tip! I never thought about that someone might use a different grip but I'm sure that's a necessary technique to be able to progress quickly🙂👍 Very good video to share with novice pickers! It really made me think if one could spot more parallels when comparing pickers from e. G. the reddit hall of fame 🤔
I think there’s a lot of value in those kinds of cross comparisons for the reasons I mentioned in the video - I think excellence and mastery leave traces we can follow to reduce our own learning curve 😉
@@fishpicks4531 absolutely! I never thought about that but I was lucky to use this technique right from the start and it helped me get a good orientation in the keyway and have a picture of the inside of the lock in my head. On some locks I even feel the core rotation through my middle finger 🙂 That's a very interesting and scientific approach of finding tips and tricks.
It really interesting to watch all the short clips of the different pickers in your video, to see us all using a very similar technique is so interesting, it is all about getting the maximum feedback. I really enjoyed your video Fish. Have a great week.
Thanks for sharing! I was glad to see you share the alternative approaches as well because there are certainly many people that don't adopt that style and do quite well :-)
Excellent description and illustrations! Just wait until you're working with disc detainer picking tools, where you'll find yet another variation of the same thing.
I have picked up a Disc Detainer pick from Sparrows but am still too intimidated to have a go yet! I will get there but feel like I have my hands full with what I am already learning!
@@fishpicks4531 You'll find that you use the distal pad of your middle phalanx to gauge subtle depth changes on the tool as you move between each disc. Don't be intimidated. It's just tools and a machine, and neither will bite you. The most difficult part of it is keeping the tool square to the work.
very interesting, great upload , i noticed the other week watching a vid by Gordon w , how he held the pick looked like poetry and gets great results ,
Thank you so much, mate! I've been picking for a month, and had adopted what I *thought* was the proper technique. The Distal Joint of the middle finger clinched it for me. Cheers!
Fish another very interesting video. I hope your not thinking about changing your picking style, as I see it you seem to be a very capable picker. I would only contemplate a change if you think your style is holding you back, in someway.
That’s a kind observation mate but it is still very early days for me and I don’t want to find that I have to unlearn ‘bad habits’ so am trying to adopt techniques that are proven - if I feel my earlier methods prove more effective, I can always revert back easily 😉
Ah great - let me know how you get on. I am trying to adopt the modified pen grip now and it can feel a little awkward to get used to but I think it is helping.
As a surgeon (not a dentist..!), I have naturally been using that grip for decades, both for surgery and for lock picking. It had never occurred to me that a video to point out this grip was even necessary - until I saw yours. Excellent job, and a point well made. Oh - one little nit-pick: it's "phalanx" not "phalynx" by the way. That's actually the name of the bone in each "section" of a finger or toe. Those of us of a certain age, who hold a pen or pencil properly, should have no trouble adapting to this grip. The ones I think who may have trouble are the more recent generations who hold their writing implements in a sort of claw grip with thumb poked between index and middle finger and who move the instrument entirely by wrist movement instead of finger control. Don't know when that started, but it's a terrible grip!
Thanks for the correction - it’s funny because I kept looking at that word and thinking that I was sure it was a Roman military manoeuvre but I took it directly from the dentistry text online so doubted myself! Should have followed my instinct!
Very well done and I just realized this is how I handle picks (when I don't have ski mittens or taped thumbs for #@%$$ contests). I think the most important factor for me was the lever controlof having the finger resting on the face of the lock to dial the depth. So that makes perfect sense. Keep these video coming!
Thanks Froggy Picker - will do. I have really enjoyed watching some of the no-thumbs challenge picks! At the moment I can barely get an open with thumbs so I have just watched on in admiration!
Great video my friend. When I changed my grip from what I was doing when I first started I ended up with a callous on the side of my pointer finger that then turned into a interal-dermis cyst which I had to have removed by surgery as it was getting quite big and would just continue to grow. I am now left with nerve damage in that finger that may take two years to settle down. It has severely impacted my picking. I used to practice everyday but now only pick at the moment when I have a video to do. I too studied the picking style of quite a number of pickers in search of a grip that didn't require the pointer finger to bend when holding the pick. I found that the way that Cherokee a locksporter locksmith who specialized in picking challenge locks, holds her pick. The pointer finger remains in a horizontal position along the pick while the middle finger still performs the same function you discussed.
I've always wondered how locksmiths in Europe handle regular pin-tumbler cylinders, since most euro profile locks are installed 'up-side-down'. An innocent, easy-to-pick, 'correctly positioned' lock can turn into a completely different puzzle when you can't find the anker point you used to rely on. Not to mention that sometimes they're positioned in narrow or even cramped places.
Another interesting video! I do use my middle finger, in fact I used it quite a few times before I started lock picking. I think a firm grip & the middle finger work together very well and it comes almost instinctively too me.
That explains in perfect detail why I'm Useless at picking.😂🤣😂🤣😂.Another V good video mate. Definitely need to try those tweeks to how I hold a pick. Watch out LPL here I come for a speed challenge.....Well....Maybe.....
Interesting. I seem to have adopted this grip subconsciously. Also, I've always found discussions about handles and their impact on feedback somewhat curious, perhaps as a result of my reliance on the feedback I get through my middle finger's distal phalynx (new word for the day!).
Haha yes when I saw that phrase in one of the dentistry text books my eyes lit up - who knew we come to rely on our distal phalanx while palpating the pin stacks?! 😂
i have tried some different grips due to the fact when my carpel tunnels comes to visit, but i use the modified pen mode, first it was a little difficult until i got use to the edge of the metal picks rubbing the middle finger. i still dont get to pick and practice as much as i like, just sometimes the time constraints. well made video again fish, stay safe and stay well
Yes I think it will take me a while to adjust but it’s getting a little easier now. Hope the CTS stays at bay - thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 I imagine it to be like learning to play the guitar it takes your fingers to get acclimated to the strings and used to the edges in the field with the picks. The last set of lock s of my order should be shipping out on the 10th is the estimate. Once it arrives, I will reach out to you and get the needed information to ship out to you. Stay safe and stay well brother
@@fishpicks4531 going after the master lock #19 ( not yet picked ), this is what i have noted since after watching this video and i have had to change my pick holding to to using a different thickness of steel pick, for my pick on the lock mentioned above is a .015" or .381 mm to get into the keyway and to the pins, this is when i noticed my change when working the pick through the warding of the paracentric keyway i had to change not only how i had to hold the pick but my positioning of my middle finger along the lock body. this brings to mind bruce lee, be water my friend!
@@j.gabriel8573 haha not sure if you know this but Bruce Lee was my idol growing up - I’ve read everything he wrote and studied every frame of footage out there. For my 50th birthday I was gifted an authenticated pair of Bruce’s reading glasses which I have in a case with the letter of provenance in my study - so, absolutely - be water, my friend!
I noticed as soon as I switched my grip I was definitely getting much clearer feedback, which is great! I have dainty hands however, so my middle finger is just a hair short for a truly comfortable grip. I’ll be experimenting to find the best grip that will work best for me. Thank you for the video, I was having a heck of a time getting any feedback.
Thank you for that insight! I tried it immediately and I think this will help me a lot! So far I've only used my thumb plus index finger to hold the pick and now that thumb and finger tip have both gone numb it's time to try something new. Thank you for these great videos!
I really appreciate this video. Not many take the time to cover issues like this. Im also looking for info on how the accomplished pickers sit at the bench while they have a lock in the vice. Is the elbow down? Is it being picked from an angle? Im sure so much of it is personal preference, but still, I'd like to know. Im still a beginner, though I've picked Master Locks, Schlage 5 pin KIK cylinders, old 4 pin padlocks, and a few ABUS 5 pin padlocks. But when I see Bosnian Bill, or Lockpicking Lawyer, etc etc, picking a lock, I have never seen what they are sitting on, how high, is the elbow down, etc - those kinds of ergonomics and posturing issues. Again, thank you for sharing to the newbies. It matters!
Fascinating stuff. I'm just starting out, and for some reason even though I'm a lefty, I've been instinctively using picks with my right hand. This is very close to how I hold a pen though. Will have to give it a try
This is some useful information that I will definitely try. I've always used the lock as the pivot point, maybe I'll actually feel what LPL and BB are talking about with security pins. 🤔 Thankyou.
this was so helpfull . i instantly got better just by trying it. its true that you feel so much more . i noticed i feel more when i dont press too hard on the middle finger so i can still have bloodflow
When I moved to this grip, broken picks went way down, and success went way up. This is the stuff that people, especially LPL don't post. I think they like to keep things hid so they can maintain that status. Or, they are just not good teachers. If you notice, LPL does mainly speed videos ( I open 16 locks in 1 minute) or he is on his high horse, ( Inexcusable...junk...lock opened with a piece of dental floss). That is what his fanboys like. But I like your style, class, and insights.
Thanks for your kind comment. I guess it helps not to have a reputation to protect! I’m in the trenches learning alongside everyone else here and I teach kids for a living so I value clarity and transparency in my approach. Really glad it resonates with you 🙌
Been holding picks like a do a pencil all this time. It's worked fine and all, but I can see how this would improve my overall chances of getting more opens. Been trying this out and it's been quite awkward to start, but unlearning something you've been doing so long usually is.
Thanks mate - I am working my way through the back catalogue of your podcasts and really enjoying them so thank you for all your hard work on that project 🙌
Fish, you lock-picking ninja, you’ve got gorgeous hands 😈 Any chance you could up the ante and wear different coloured nail varnish each week? Just to make things a touch more spicy 😂🔥🙈🥰
Lol I have a lovely gold flakes varnish he could borrow for the next one?! He also has a rather beautiful pair of crochet wrist warmers courtesy of his mil!
Ah my bad - thanks for the correction. I noticed that I got hit by a couple of Russian bots that were spamming the messages almost immediately after I uploaded so I blocked them - suspect that had something to do with the dislike!
@@fishpicks4531 or maybe Daz don't like being called Dan lol, seriously though. it was a great vid for a noob and i can why you got nominated for that lockie award thing
I like the analogy however sometimes the path to the summit is chosen to present the best challenge to the climber. Don’t get me wrong I’m not throwing shade, it’s still a good analogy.
Just curious where you found that "Nessie" style pick with the seemingly plain handle? I love my Nessie pro picks from Law Lock Tools with the laminated ergonomic handles but I've been looking for one with a plain handle that I can cut down in length to fit in a specific compact set. I've not seen any like that on Law Lock tools website.
![[188] My Approach to Lock Picking Tension](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9O-CJEwcQnY/mqdefault.jpg)
Your production quality brings a new dimension to locksport videos. While many pickers seem happy to simply share their experience picking some interesting lock, your videos are filled with content that educates about locksport from a much broader viewpoint.
Thanks Richard - I am just trying to bring some of my character and personality to the videos I share - I really appreciate your encouragement.
👍👍👍👍👍
I've been picking for a little over a month. Although not officially diagnosed, I'm certain that I have carpal tunnel syndrome caused by a career in IT and lots of PC gaming. When I first started, my fingers would go numb after picking little more than one lock; now, that doesn't happen and I guess it's because I gravitated toward this holding style.
There you go - another n=1 experiment that supports the hypothesis. Perhaps in time this kind of fine motor skill work with strengthen/mitigate the damage done? I do hope so - CTS is not pleasant 🙌
This reminds me of when I was having to learn to eat with Chopsticks in Japan, lots of different ways but some are just more refined then others and some work better in certain peoples hand and ability to control the sticks. Great Video thank you for the time and research you put into it.
This video is another reason why you are one of my favorite channels!
Boom! Thanks so much John :)
Great information- especially for a new hobbyist, such as myself, still 'getting to grips' with the sport.😉
Many thanks, as always.
Haha I see what you did there! Thanks Peter 😉
Very useful!, nice voice like always, very good explanation!
Thanks for checking it out and for your support.
I know that when I found this grip, it was driven by trying to stabilize the pick in my hand as I carefully searched for each individual pin. It was born out of necessity of precision rather than any conscious effort. And the feedback I got from it was very informative as I started picking serrated driver pins, giving an extra benefit. Great video!
So you learned the hard way by necessity! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment mate 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 it’s just a shame this video wasn’t around back when I started. 😊
Yeah sorry about that - I’m doing my best to make up for lost time!
Excellent analysis. Will have to try this.
Thanks mate - best of luck with it.
So well done. Totally different approach to schooling us beginners.
Clear, concise and easy to understand.
Thanks mate - I am very much learning as I go so I figured I many as well share what I’m figuring out with the team 😉
All your videos are so well done. If you can keep this level of quality up I expect you will have one of the most subscribed to channels.
Thanks mate - well, time will tell! I am very happy to be enjoying the growth I am for now 🙌
Comparing the grip of lock pickers and dentists... what a brilliant idea. It just makes so much sense. Also: with the sound turned off, this video makes an excellent pub quiz for nerds; can you name the picker just by looking at their hands and picking style?
Haha I almost included a spot the hand quiz at the start but felt I might put off some of the less embedded Locksporters! I realised that I would probably get close to full marks which speaks to how much time I have been spending staring at other men's hands in recent months!!!
😂🤣😂🤣. I def would not win that quiz. Maybe if I started counting arm hairs per sq inch, cross referenced it with freckles and finger length/chubbiness then created a database. I might have half a chance ?
@@jeffyates2295 haha finger chubbiness - that might be the way we are identified in public if the mask wearing continues!
Brilliant information!!!!
This explains why I am just a hack picker and not one of the elite pickers 😅
As always great video!!!!
Stay safe my friend!
🐈🐾🐈⬛🐾😷
You can only wish you you as good as me Chris , With many more years of practice you just might become " good " haha
@@1970pizza a truly fine goal to set for myself!!!!
🐈🐾😷🐈⬛🐾
@@chriscapune7873 You have forgotten more than what i know about lock picking
Haha - well if you're a hack, I aspire to be one too Chris! Thanks for checking the video out mate.
you're a joker.. you're a great picker Chris
Andy, well understood, well explained.
Thanks Martin 🙌
Total nube here, I've only been at it for 2 weeks and am liking the journey so far. Excellent instructional video, I am glad that I found your channel. I always get something useful out of your videos, you do great work and your voice reminds me of someone famous for his nature documentaries. Your use of humour and the examples and diagrams in your videos adds a lot of depth to the content - you make learning fun. Thank you for what you are doing for the Locksport Community.
Well spotted Fish! Perhaps those videos are where I picked it up without realizing it.
I noticed in the last couple of weeks that I was unconsciously holding my picks this exact same way. I started paying closer attention to what I was doing and realized that it was improving my feedback so I kept at it.
I don't think I was consistently posting my finger on the lock face though, I'll experiment with that too.
That's a very important tip! I never thought about that someone might use a different grip but I'm sure that's a necessary technique to be able to progress quickly🙂👍 Very good video to share with novice pickers! It really made me think if one could spot more parallels when comparing pickers from e. G. the reddit hall of fame 🤔
I think there’s a lot of value in those kinds of cross comparisons for the reasons I mentioned in the video - I think excellence and mastery leave traces we can follow to reduce our own learning curve 😉
@@fishpicks4531 absolutely! I never thought about that but I was lucky to use this technique right from the start and it helped me get a good orientation in the keyway and have a picture of the inside of the lock in my head. On some locks I even feel the core rotation through my middle finger 🙂
That's a very interesting and scientific approach of finding tips and tricks.
Yeah you highlight a really important point there. That finger to the lock helps tremendously. Really good video as always Fish 👍
Appreciate that - thanks again for taking the time to check it out and leave a comment 🙌
What a great video! You always impress me with your range of topics and insight as well as the quality of your videos.
Thanks mate - probably reflects my grizzled age and life experience 😉
Wow I never thought about this. Had to check my own vids and there it was.
Thanks for this video.
My pleasure. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 🙌
This is the best advice I've seen yet, instantly increased my ability to "feel" what was is going on, thanks for sharing!
Beautiful one to point out. I had to check my grip after this lol
Haha - and how was it? Have a great evening 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 same exact grip I use, didn't know why. Love your videos keep em up. Have a great day lunchtime for me
Excellent video, trying out hold/ grip right now. Many than
My pleasure Peter - let me know how you find it.
It really interesting to watch all the short clips of the different pickers in your video, to see us all using a very similar technique is so interesting, it is all about getting the maximum feedback.
I really enjoyed your video Fish. Have a great week.
Thanks Daz...not Dan...Daz! Appreciate you checking it out 🙌🙏
Thanks for sharing! I was glad to see you share the alternative approaches as well because there are certainly many people that don't adopt that style and do quite well :-)
I completely agree - I just noticed a pattern but not a gospel truth or commandment to be followed 😉
Cheers Fish. Good video. Direct and to the point. Hah! Take care.
Cheers Derrick - you too mate 🙌
Excellent description and illustrations! Just wait until you're working with disc detainer picking tools, where you'll find yet another variation of the same thing.
I have picked up a Disc Detainer pick from Sparrows but am still too intimidated to have a go yet! I will get there but feel like I have my hands full with what I am already learning!
@@fishpicks4531 You'll find that you use the distal pad of your middle phalanx to gauge subtle depth changes on the tool as you move between each disc.
Don't be intimidated. It's just tools and a machine, and neither will bite you. The most difficult part of it is keeping the tool square to the work.
very interesting, great upload , i noticed the other week watching a vid by Gordon w , how he held the pick looked like poetry and gets great results ,
I don’t think I have come across Gordon W - can you let me know the channel name and I’ll check it out 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 just looked it's Gordon w
Thank you so much, mate! I've been picking for a month, and had adopted what I *thought* was the proper technique. The Distal Joint of the middle finger clinched it for me. Cheers!
Excellent video again Fish! I’m always looking forward to more.
Thanks Andrew - working on episode 016 now - all about managing the lockpicker’s equivalent of writer’s block 😉
@@fishpicks4531 Sounds like a good one already!
Fish another very interesting video. I hope your not thinking about changing your picking style, as I see it you seem to be a very capable picker. I would only contemplate a change if you think your style is holding you back, in someway.
That’s a kind observation mate but it is still very early days for me and I don’t want to find that I have to unlearn ‘bad habits’ so am trying to adopt techniques that are proven - if I feel my earlier methods prove more effective, I can always revert back easily 😉
Really well done explanation on the why! Good job addressing the caveats at the end too. I'm going to test out this grip style.
Ah great - let me know how you get on. I am trying to adopt the modified pen grip now and it can feel a little awkward to get used to but I think it is helping.
As a surgeon (not a dentist..!), I have naturally been using that grip for decades, both for surgery and for lock picking. It had never occurred to me that a video to point out this grip was even necessary - until I saw yours. Excellent job, and a point well made. Oh - one little nit-pick: it's "phalanx" not "phalynx" by the way. That's actually the name of the bone in each "section" of a finger or toe. Those of us of a certain age, who hold a pen or pencil properly, should have no trouble adapting to this grip. The ones I think who may have trouble are the more recent generations who hold their writing implements in a sort of claw grip with thumb poked between index and middle finger and who move the instrument entirely by wrist movement instead of finger control. Don't know when that started, but it's a terrible grip!
Thanks for the correction - it’s funny because I kept looking at that word and thinking that I was sure it was a Roman military manoeuvre but I took it directly from the dentistry text online so doubted myself! Should have followed my instinct!
Another excellent production.
Thanks Philip 🙌
Very well done and I just realized this is how I handle picks (when I don't have ski mittens or taped thumbs for #@%$$ contests).
I think the most important factor for me was the lever controlof having the finger resting on the face of the lock to dial the depth. So that makes perfect sense. Keep these video coming!
Thanks Froggy Picker - will do. I have really enjoyed watching some of the no-thumbs challenge picks! At the moment I can barely get an open with thumbs so I have just watched on in admiration!
@@fishpicks4531 hehe, you would be surprised how good is the "basic instincts ice pick grip technic" on dimple locks 😂
Great video my friend. When I changed my grip from what I was doing when I first started I ended up with a callous on the side of my pointer finger that then turned into a interal-dermis cyst which I had to have removed by surgery as it was getting quite big and would just continue to grow. I am now left with nerve damage in that finger that may take two years to settle down. It has severely impacted my picking. I used to practice everyday but now only pick at the moment when I have a video to do. I too studied the picking style of quite a number of pickers in search of a grip that didn't require the pointer finger to bend when holding the pick. I found that the way that Cherokee a locksporter locksmith who specialized in picking challenge locks, holds her pick. The pointer finger remains in a horizontal position along the pick while the middle finger still performs the same function you discussed.
Oh so sorry to hear you have had that challenge and I hope you continue to heal. That sounds really tough 🥺
@@fishpicks4531 Occupational hazard of being lockpicker!
Amazing, I've never given it much thought, but automatically applied that grip.
I've always wondered how locksmiths in Europe handle regular pin-tumbler cylinders, since most euro profile locks are installed 'up-side-down'. An innocent, easy-to-pick, 'correctly positioned' lock can turn into a completely different puzzle when you can't find the anker point you used to rely on. Not to mention that sometimes they're positioned in narrow or even cramped places.
Yes I agree - a lock in situ is (I imagine) a whole different story!
Another interesting video! I do use my middle finger, in fact I used it quite a few times before I started lock picking. I think a firm grip & the middle finger work together very well and it comes almost instinctively too me.
Very pleased to hear that! May it continue to serve you to equal satisfaction for many years to come!
That explains in perfect detail why I'm Useless at picking.😂🤣😂🤣😂.Another V good video mate. Definitely need to try those tweeks to how I hold a pick. Watch out LPL here I come for a speed challenge.....Well....Maybe.....
Let me know how you get on Jeff - I am remembering to adopt this grip perhaps 80% of the time but it’s definitely not hard-wired yet!
Holding a pick that way is quite similar to how you hold the top chopstick (the one that does the moving).
Yes I thought about that too - probably with many of the same reasons for why it has been selected for - control and functionality :)
I hadn't thought of that, but yes. 👍
Interesting. I seem to have adopted this grip subconsciously. Also, I've always found discussions about handles and their impact on feedback somewhat curious, perhaps as a result of my reliance on the feedback I get through my middle finger's distal phalynx (new word for the day!).
Haha yes when I saw that phrase in one of the dentistry text books my eyes lit up - who knew we come to rely on our distal phalanx while palpating the pin stacks?! 😂
i have tried some different grips due to the fact when my carpel tunnels comes to visit, but i use the modified pen mode, first it was a little difficult until i got use to the edge of the metal picks rubbing the middle finger. i still dont get to pick and practice as much as i like, just sometimes the time constraints. well made video again fish, stay safe and stay well
Yes I think it will take me a while to adjust but it’s getting a little easier now. Hope the CTS stays at bay - thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 🙌
@@fishpicks4531 I imagine it to be like learning to play the guitar it takes your fingers to get acclimated to the strings and used to the edges in the field with the picks. The last set of lock s of my order should be shipping out on the 10th is the estimate. Once it arrives, I will reach out to you and get the needed information to ship out to you. Stay safe and stay well brother
@@j.gabriel8573 sounds perfect - have a great weekend mate 🤙
@@fishpicks4531 going after the master lock #19 ( not yet picked ), this is what i have noted since after watching this video and i have had to change my pick holding to to using a different thickness of steel pick, for my pick on the lock mentioned above is a .015" or .381 mm to get into the keyway and to the pins, this is when i noticed my change when working the pick through the warding of the paracentric keyway i had to change not only how i had to hold the pick but my positioning of my middle finger along the lock body. this brings to mind bruce lee, be water my friend!
@@j.gabriel8573 haha not sure if you know this but Bruce Lee was my idol growing up - I’ve read everything he wrote and studied every frame of footage out there. For my 50th birthday I was gifted an authenticated pair of Bruce’s reading glasses which I have in a case with the letter of provenance in my study - so, absolutely - be water, my friend!
I noticed as soon as I switched my grip I was definitely getting much clearer feedback, which is great! I have dainty hands however, so my middle finger is just a hair short for a truly comfortable grip. I’ll be experimenting to find the best grip that will work best for me. Thank you for the video, I was having a heck of a time getting any feedback.
Great job with your research, and Thank you so much for sharing this!!! See you at the Top of the Mountain.
Very informative mate ! Learned a few things.
Cheers Bear - appreciate you taking the time to check it out 🙌
Thank you for that insight! I tried it immediately and I think this will help me a lot! So far I've only used my thumb plus index finger to hold the pick and now that thumb and finger tip have both gone numb it's time to try something new. Thank you for these great videos!
Great point. But it’s different strokes for different folks. Lol
Agreed Jon - hope I made that clear towards the end?
@@fishpicks4531 you definitely did mate. And always pleasure to learn even though Iam set in my ways of picking. Great vids👍
I really appreciate this video. Not many take the time to cover issues like this. Im also looking for info on how the accomplished pickers sit at the bench while they have a lock in the vice. Is the elbow down? Is it being picked from an angle? Im sure so much of it is personal preference, but still, I'd like to know. Im still a beginner, though I've picked Master Locks, Schlage 5 pin KIK cylinders, old 4 pin padlocks, and a few ABUS 5 pin padlocks. But when I see Bosnian Bill, or Lockpicking Lawyer, etc etc, picking a lock, I have never seen what they are sitting on, how high, is the elbow down, etc - those kinds of ergonomics and posturing issues. Again, thank you for sharing to the newbies. It matters!
Fascinating stuff. I'm just starting out, and for some reason even though I'm a lefty, I've been instinctively using picks with my right hand. This is very close to how I hold a pen though. Will have to give it a try
This is some useful information that I will definitely try. I've always used the lock as the pivot point, maybe I'll actually feel what LPL and BB are talking about with security pins. 🤔 Thankyou.
this was so helpfull . i instantly got better just by trying it. its true that you feel so much more . i noticed i feel more when i dont press too hard on the middle finger so i can still have bloodflow
Your channel is amazing!
Found you from the helpful lock picker and had to subscribe right away
Much appreciated Thomas - welcome aboard 😉🙌
When I moved to this grip, broken picks went way down, and success went way up. This is the stuff that people, especially LPL don't post. I think they like to keep things hid so they can maintain that status. Or, they are just not good teachers. If you notice, LPL does mainly speed videos ( I open 16 locks in 1 minute) or he is on his high horse, ( Inexcusable...junk...lock opened with a piece of dental floss). That is what his fanboys like. But I like your style, class, and insights.
Thanks for your kind comment. I guess it helps not to have a reputation to protect! I’m in the trenches learning alongside everyone else here and I teach kids for a living so I value clarity and transparency in my approach. Really glad it resonates with you 🙌
Been holding picks like a do a pencil all this time. It's worked fine and all, but I can see how this would improve my overall chances of getting more opens.
Been trying this out and it's been quite awkward to start, but unlearning something you've been doing so long usually is.
Another excellent video. 👍
Thanks mate - I am working my way through the back catalogue of your podcasts and really enjoying them so thank you for all your hard work on that project 🙌
Fish, you lock-picking ninja, you’ve got gorgeous hands 😈
Any chance you could up the ante and wear different coloured nail varnish each week? Just to make things a touch more spicy 😂🔥🙈🥰
Haha for you Marcus, it’s a definite maybe 😉🎉🙌
Lol I have a lovely gold flakes varnish he could borrow for the next one?! He also has a rather beautiful pair of crochet wrist warmers courtesy of his mil!
@@suzy9311 Yessss! Make it happen! :D
xx
Great content
Much appreciated George 🙌
should be thanks
who the fuk would dislike this?? its DAZ Evers by the way mate...great video fella
Ah my bad - thanks for the correction. I noticed that I got hit by a couple of Russian bots that were spamming the messages almost immediately after I uploaded so I blocked them - suspect that had something to do with the dislike!
@@fishpicks4531 or maybe Daz don't like being called Dan lol, seriously though. it was a great vid for a noob and i can why you got nominated for that lockie award thing
I like the analogy however sometimes the path to the summit is chosen to present the best challenge to the climber. Don’t get me wrong I’m not throwing shade, it’s still a good analogy.
What's the deal? You are pointing things out that we can't see? This is basically an audio file uploaded as a video.
Lol its just common sense.
Cant believe anyone needed a tutorial on how to hold a tool
Just curious where you found that "Nessie" style pick with the seemingly plain handle? I love my Nessie pro picks from Law Lock Tools with the laminated ergonomic handles but I've been looking for one with a plain handle that I can cut down in length to fit in a specific compact set. I've not seen any like that on Law Lock tools website.
That was from the Law Lock Valyrian Euro set - I just applied a little shrink tape to aid the grip. Love that set.
@@fishpicks4531 Thanks.