Quadrupod Grip

[duboing]

Well, I've been reading "The Missing Ink" by Philip Hensher, and found that he's actually my writing twin, holding his pen so it rests on his ring finger. I've long since learned to tune out the people who seem to equate my grip with a) terrible writing, and b ) stupidity, but it's rather nice to have some moral support.

 

Anyway, I now wonder if anybody else on here uses an unorthodox grip, either by accident or by design. And if so, have you had any problems with it?

 

I've never had any trouble with writing neatly or fast, but I do find that I get cramp if I write for a long time - two-hour lectures were a bit of a chore in my undergraduate days.

Edited January 10, 2013 by duboing

[iliadodyssey]

As a middle school teacher, I see LOTS of unorthodox grips from my students, you are not alone.

[thang1thang2]

Most architects I've seen (most being the size sample of one: Dad) use the quadrupod grip. My friend rests it on his middle finger while the superior among us rest it on our index fingers like normal and rational thinking people. (I'm kidding, of course...)

 

I don't think the "grip" has more of a thing to do with the cramping, but you should definitely not squeeze your hand, it should be doing very little work. The 'tripod grip' that "normal" people use makes it very hard to do that and write smoothly and 'flowingly'. Just learning to relax your hand should help a lot no matter what grip you use.

[FatherofOdin]

Most of my students put the pen between the ring finger and the finger you wave at people you don't like. Then they wrap their thumb as far around the pen as they can. The result is that they write with a monkey fist, their writing is horrible, and their hands cramp. But trying to convince them that they are doing it wrong is like trying to argue with a brick wall. It goes something like this.

 

"You're holding your pen wrong."

"But that is the way you hold it to write Thai." (it's not, I checked with many older Thai teachers.)

"But you're not writing Thai, you're writing English."

"Yeah, but this is the way we do it for Thai writing."

"But you're not writing Thai, you're writing English."

 

This is followed by a blank confused stare and me screaming in frustration.

[thang1thang2]

Most of my students put the pen between the ring finger and the finger you wave at people you don't like. Then they wrap their thumb as far around the pen as they can. The result is that they write with a monkey fist, their writing is horrible, and their hands cramp. But trying to convince them that they are doing it wrong is like trying to argue with a brick wall. It goes something like this.

 

"You're holding your pen wrong."

"But that is the way you hold it to write Thai." (it's not, I checked with many older Thai teachers.)

"But you're not writing Thai, you're writing English."

"Yeah, but this is the way we do it for Thai writing."

"But you're not writing Thai, you're writing English."

 

This is followed by a blank confused stare and me screaming in frustration.

 

Threaten to break their middle finger if they hold it like that. If they can't bend that finger, they can't write like that!

 

... Wow I'm evil