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There isn’t just one way to hold your mouse. Knowing how to hold your equipment is essential before looking into the software and exercises to work the AIM. In this article, we will see the different ways of handling it, and in particular, we will look at the one used by many professional players: the claw grip.
What is the claw grip?
This position is sometimes referred to as a “spider position”. As in the traditional posture, it consists of placing the palm of your hand at the end of the mouse. Where there is a difference is in the fingers. They must be folded in on themselves. The pressure on the buttons must be done directly with the fingertips or even the nails.
What are the advantages of the claw grip?
Using a claw grip mouse is best for users who need to make fast and precise movements. While stabilizing the back of the mouse with the palm of the hand, the fingertips can perform small movements. Concretely, in a video game, only the wrist has to move. The fingers are used to target the enemy well and to shoot. Obviously, all this is also possible with the traditional mouse position, but the claw grip is more optimized!
Another point to note is the speed of execution of clicks. The grip means that the number of clicks per second can be much higher. This is due to the position of the fingers which reduces the bearing surface and gives the user the possibility of increasing the frequency.
The number of games requiring quick clicks (to type faster for example) is significant. And the claw grip can really give a huge advantage! For all FPS requiring fast movements, this mouse grip is the most effective.
What are the disadvantages and contraindications of claw grip?
It also has some disadvantages. Already, if you are not used to it, it will take you several hours of play to really see what this position can do for you.
Then, some players do not get used to it and have the impression that the mouse is escaping them. Control is reduced and they lose performance.
Finally, and this is probably the most important element, in addition to being uncomfortable at first, muscle tension can appear. Indeed, the wrist is overexploited, unlike the classic support style. If you play for long periods of time, it is not recommended to use this position all the time, as it may cause tendonitis in the long term.
Which mouse for the claw grip?
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of mouse models. Obviously, no matter how you use the mouse, some features are a guarantee of quality, such as the sensor.
However, in our case, it is recommended to choose a gaming mouse with particular characteristics. It should be neither too light, to be precise, nor too heavy to reduce the strain on the wrist. The back of the mouse should be slightly rounded to allow a better hold, and that the palm can rest well on it.
Other mouse grips
There are two other mouse grips.
The Palm Grip : This name has been given to the most famous and traditional grip. The hand covers the smile, from the palm to the fingers. This position is not the most recommended for playing video games, however, it allows for very ample movements. By using the arm and shoulder, you will be able to turn around quite easily.
It has the advantage of not causing any muscle tension. The wrist is spared because the efforts are also distributed between the arm and the shoulder.
The Fingertip: This position is suitable for fast and wide movements. Unlike the Palm Grip, the goal is not to cover the mouse. Only three fingers should touch the equipment, the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. Very difficult to master and unnatural, it is difficult to have a good AIM and a good TRACKING with this grip. It is only recommended in a few situations, and for experienced players.
What to remember
The claw grip is used by a lot of players, especially at a high level. It is to be favored by the majority of FPS. Getting started can take a bit of time, and is not suitable for everyone. Most mice are compatible.
The only downside is in terms of health. In the long term, tensions and tendonitis can appear, so they should not be overused.
