The Death Grip

[holgalee]

Is the grip of death common on this forum? While I can write fairly lightly--no table shaking business--I've observed that when I'm in a hurry to write something down, I tend to grip my pen quite tightly, leading to aching fingers. This happens whether I'm taking notes during a lecture or just copying some information.

 

What can I do to counter that, other than repeatedly telling myself to relax the grip? As for the design of the pen, I find that straight and fairly wide, non-metal sections do seem to help a little.

[mstone]

Is the grip of death common on this forum? While I can write fairly lightly--no table shaking business--I've observed that when I'm in a hurry to write something down, I tend to grip my pen quite tightly, leading to aching fingers. This happens whether I'm taking notes during a lecture or just copying some information.

 

What can I do to counter that, other than repeatedly telling myself to relax the grip? As for the design of the pen, I find that straight and fairly wide, non-metal sections do seem to help a little.

mostly, practice. also, how do you hold your pen?

[macaddicted]

I had a similar problem so I changed to a wider nib. It forced me to open up my writing, and over time changed my grip. Now instead of griping tightly near the nib I grip more loosely much higher on the section. It was easier for me than trying to force a grip change.

[sombrueil]

get an expensive super-flex pen. After you ruin it you'll learn to lighten up.

 

okay, maybe that's not such good advice.

 

but seriously, practicing with a real flex pen, which enforces a light and precise pressure, might help you. I don't use such pens for fast writing like note-taking (although virtually all my pens are at least semi-flex) but since I write long letters with them, I think they have changed my writing in general for the better.

[rwilsonedn]

One way to approach this is as an exercise in awareness (or presence, I suppose, if you are a fan of westernized Asian religions.) If you think about how you are holding the pen periodically--say at the end of every line--you eventually become aware of your grip as part of your writing style. Then you can consciously choose to hold the pen only enough to guide it. You might try visualization as well--think of the pen as made of something squishy that will deform and get all over your fingers and leak ink if you squeeze it. At any rate, it is good to become aware of what your fingers are doing rather than letting them run on fully automatic. I've been told by calligraphers that this change is necessary in order to progress from just writing to writing well, but I can't testify to that personally.

ron

[Zaarin]

I eliminated the 'death grip' and anything approaching it from my technique several years ago, but I still find it difficult to truly use a pen with virtually no finger pressure on the barrel at all - the last step towards using an FP as it was meant to be used, gliding rather than being forced in any way.

 

Owing to my having formed the 'muscle memory' of my writing technique with ballpoints & rollerballs many years ago, my hand worsens drastically when I write at any speed in a truly pressureless fashion, which makes it difficult to practice doing so whilst writing letters.

[Lloyd]

Squeeze a ball (or exercise putty) very hard just prior to writing to tire your grip?

[GraceThroughFaith]

A while ago I read that serious caligraphers often use a grip where their middle finger is under the pen, as opposed to on top of it. My grip often approaches the "death grip" if I don't focus on using light pressure, but when I use this grip, it's a whole different story. Give it a try.

 

You also might need a pen which is a bit larger. That seems to help.

[Possum Hill]

See that your grip is the classic "tripod grip", then work on relaxing. You'll find yourself writing comfortably for longer periods.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The Death grip or normal Pinch grip is what we took from Crayons, pencils and ball points...and use on fountain pens.

 

About a year ago, a good poster had found another, I doubt if he invented it, but as a piano player; needed a softer easier grip.

 

He had a brilliant post with pictures, and a description of a much less stressful method of grasping a fountain pen.

The Forefinger Up method, that I keep ranting about.

 

Send me a PM and I'll give you the whole smear.

 

But over the last couple of months I think I have gone over board, telling every one to give up that Old Fashioned and Out of Date Death Grip Pinch for Life on a cliff edge grip.

 

And to use the Modern, Up to Date, less stressful Forefinger up method, that also puts the barrel of the fountain pen where it belongs, in the web of your thumb and allows one to balance a back heavy pen.

 

I have instructions of how to link...but the time I tried it it did not work.

 

You can also put in search Forefinger and my name and get a number of variations of the theme. You may get unripe versions. Use the latest.

 

I do have a best model I copied.

PM me and I'll paste it in.

 

At the start of two grips I used each as I wished. Now I find out side my US Silver Parker- 75 with the triangle grip, I use forefinger up well over 95%.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[drifting]

Some good advice from this forum (I can't remember who to credit, specifically) that works for me is to extend and straighten your fingers while writing. Same grip, but when your fingers are nearly straight, it isn't possible to create the crushing death grip pressure that curled fingers can. It helps with learning to write with a light hand, as well.

 

Ryan.

[nxn96]

It's actually pretty much the same advice you'll get from any good book about how to hold a golf club: the harder you hold it, the less real control you have over it.

 

The pen should nest in your hand, almost to the point that it could slip out if someone grabbed at it. If you are "gripping" it, you are applying too much pressure on the point. Think about this in reverse: why does the nib matter so much if all you plan to do is shove it into a piece of paper? The job of the nib is to do the writing; your job is to guide the pen so that the nib does its job. Think of the "nest" as a cradle made by your thumb, index and forefinger; the other two fingers being the "cushion" between your hand and the paper. The pen should be between a 45 & 60 degree angle from the paper; under 45 will likely interrupt ink flow and over 60 encourages the desire to push the pen.

 

In fairness, this is easier done when you're writing on an 8.5 x 11 or A4 sheet, as opposed to something on a small notepad; but anything jotted on a small notepad shouldn't tire out your hand.

 

Hope this helps.

[Possum Hill]

I have institutions of how to link...but the time I tried it it did not work.

 

You can also put in search Forefinger and my name and get a number of variations of the theme. You may get unripe versions.

 

I do have a best model I copied.

PM me and I'll paste it in.

Using your own post as an example and assuming you're attempting to link to a post and that you're using a windows machine, right click on the post number (#10) in the upper right corner of your post and choose "Copy link location". That will copy the necessary URL to your clipboard. Then click the "Reply" button at the bottom of that post. In the reply box, type in some text to describe the post, like "here" or "this post" or "John Doe posted". Highlight that text. Just to the right of the smiley icon above the text box there's a icon that is supposed to look like three links of chain. Its tool tip when you put your mouse cursor on it should be "Insert link". Click it. There will be two text boxes in the little dialog that pops up.

 

Insert the URL from the clipboard in the top one (the usual CTRL V is a convenient way). The bottom one should already have your highlighted text. Click the "Insert link" button. You should end up with something like -- Bo Bo Olson's post

 

Add whatever other text or additional links you want.

[Bo Bo Olson]

My link

 

 

Hurray. It just looked so big. and shrank to My Link.

 

Ok my cheat sheet more or less

 

Pick up pen, unscrew pen, scribble forefinger up as happy as a three year old playing in a mud puddle.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[777]

My link

 

 

Hurray. It just looked so big. and shrank to My Link.

 

Ok my cheat sheet more or less

 

Pick up pen, unscrew pen, scribble forefinger up as happy as a three year old playing in a mud puddle.

 

Any pictures for this "grip" of yours? I'd love to see how to do it properly but can't understand it in writing.

[jomielll]

Bo bo's link is https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/162134-hello-recommend-me-a-pen/page__p__1616696#entry1616696 if the one in his post didn't work for you.

[777]

Bo bo's link is http://www.fountainp...96#entry1616696 if the one in his post didn't work for you.

 

The link works fine. I'm just having a hard time understanding what he's describing without seeing a picture.

[Possum Hill]

My link

 

 

Hurray. It just looked so big. and shrank to My Link.

 

Ok my cheat sheet more or less

 

Pick up pen, unscrew pen, scribble forefinger up as happy as a three year old playing in a mud puddle.

The link comes up all sorts of funny for me -- there's an extra "http://" in there somehow. It might be that the pasted URL followed the "http://" that appears highlighted in the link box, rather than replacing it.

 

Is this the correct target? (I find the "Preview Post" button handy for checking links.)

[wallylynn]

To avoid a death grip, I've tried several techniques (many already mentioned)

- grip a higher part of the pen. Doesn't help my death grip too much, but the pressure on the point is less.

- place the barrel above the knuckle, instead of in the web. My finger just doesn't have the strength to grip tightly in this position. I find that much less stable though. The pen want to slides into the web. I need to compensate by offsetting my thumb position.

- change your arm/wrist position. I write mostly on the side of my hand, as if I were holding a cup. The more I shift to a computer mouse position, the tighter I grip.

 

Have you been to the penmanship subforum?

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/forum/12-penmanship/

Changing your writing technique also helps. I really like this advice:

http://www.paperpenalia.com/handwriting.html

 

Personally, my natural grip is a death grip: the tripod with extra pressure on my pointing finger. I have a long fingernail so I'm unable grip with the tip of my finger. I need to use the fingerprint part. Once upon a time, I had a decent callus on my middle finger. However, when I was using pencil in grade school, I broke enough points to write with a light touch. This became lighter after going to mechanical pencils with their tiny leads that really can't stand pressure. I still use my natural light touch death grip if I'm not consciously avoiding it.

 

In grade school, I also learned that a rubbing (pencil, crayon) on the sheet under could reveal writing from the pressure. Being a sneaky fellow, I tried to avoid letting that happen.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Yep..that's the place....all that trouble....sorry about that. I just did not want to bore everyone so much.

 

I find I like the fountain pen in the web of my thumb. I do not need it high unless I'm using a calligraphy pen.

 

I have two pens that would allow me to write like a ball point but I don't. I have an old MB 234 1/2 with a bent up tip, KOB 15 degree (K-kugle=ball) and a Geha 790 with a true kugle or ball tip. Both are semi-flex.

About the only pen I still pinch is the triangle sectioned P-75.

 

I like my pen in the web of my thumb....I post all my pens, except three super heavy metal pens,(Townsend, Persona, Fake Dupont) and I can post them if I wiggle my hand up the barrel of the pen to balance them too.

 

I'll see if I can make some pictures I just got a new camera, so I can sell my wife's demi-cups or Mocca cups on Ebay.