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hi
Yesterday I wanted my Diamondback Plasma back, I had exchanged it with a friend for an MSIE 3. Well it wasn't quite a trade, it was more like 'I'll let you borrow the Plasma, let me borrow your MSIE 3.' At that time yesterday I was using the Microsoft Mousewheel Optical [MSWMO 1.1] on my 2.5 year old Icemat Black 2 and I was just plain bored of it, it just looks so plain compared to my DB Plasma.
So since I couldn't get my old Plasma back I pulled my friend's old MSIE3 out and plugged it in and put the MSWMO 1.1 back in the cupboard... Played some Q3 vs bots... WOW :D
Anyway, my first gaming mouse was an MX510. I held that in palm-style. I went on to the DB Plasma, which induced me to hold it in finger-grip style. I then went on to MSWMO 1.1, with which I used the fingertip style. Now I'm with an MSIE 3, and I'm back to using finger-grip style. Right now, dear reader, you might be like WTF?? but that is the exact point of this thread - to analyze different mouse holding styles as I see them.
Remember that the style in which one holds a mouse depends greatly upon the size and shape of the mouse as much as on the size of the user's hand. So, then, how do the three mouse holding styles differ?
Fingertip style
In fingertip style, only the tips of the fingers make contact with the mouse. Fingertip style employs actual movement of thumb, index, middle and ring fingers to move the mouse, as well as some movement of the wrist for larger movements. Also referred to as monkey-claw grip as the index and middle fingers curl up and the very tips of those fingers (the part just below the nails) push downwards on the mousebuttons. This can obviously only be achieved with mice that are too short and narrow for the user to lay his fingers out on them.
Mice with which this grip is most likely:
MSWMO 1.1, Logitech G1/G3 (?), Razer Krait (?)
Finger-grip style
Now, with finger-grip style, a greater surface area of all the fingers is making contact with the mouse, and the fingers are locked into a certain grip (hence the name finger-grip) like a cage around and above the mouse, resulting in a more stable grip. The underside of the mid-digits make contact with the mouse in this grip. The fingers themselves do not actually move - all of the movement is transferred from the wrist or forearm. The palm of the hand does not make contact with the mouse. There is no curling of the index and middle fingers, they are stretched out across the mouse, and the center of the fleshy, finger-print area of the fingers make contact with the mousebuttons.
Mice with which this grip is most likely:
MSIE 3, Razer Diamondback (?)
Palm style
Finally, palm style is when the hand is fully anchored on a mouse that has a back, or hump, big enough to fill the palm of the user's hand. Thus, palm style involves a full-handed grip, which is, of all styles, the most stable, but arguably also the least precise for small movements. Of all three mouse holding styles, this style has the greatest surface area of the hand making contact with the mouse.
Mice with which this grip is most likely:
Logitech MX5xx, Logitech G5
Let me sum up the advantages of each style as I see them.
Advantages of fingertip style:
+ Most precise of all styles for small movements. Fingertips making contact with the mouse and finger movement allows for surgical precision in moving the mouse small distances.
+ Good for light, small mice.
+ Good for mid to high sens / high accel users due to the greatest precision with small or medium mouse movements.
Advantages of finger-grip style:
+ More stable grip than fingertip style, requiring more deliberate movements of the wrist. Some forearm movement involved.
+ Easier to handle mouse when nervous, as individual trembling fingers do not affect overall mouse movement as much as with fingertip style.
+ Combined stablitiy of palm style, and the greater precision of fingertip style.
+ Good for low and mid sens users. Good for low-mid accel.
Advantages of palm style:
+ Most stable grip of all three mouse holding styles. Requires highly deliberate movements of forearm and wrist.
+ Best style for handling mouse when nervous, as a full handed grip is most stable.
+ Good for uber low sens users (e.g. refer to the video of mew playing - he has palm-style grip).
+ Good for uber-low sens users, as the stable grip of palm style can allow for huge swipes with wrist and forearm.
Legend
(?) Some mice, like the DB, can be held in different styles... The mice marked with this are worthy of discussion on which style they are held with.
Now, a big issue steps in: hand size. There might certainly be variations in how each of you hold your respective mouse and what sensitivity you use, so please discuss and comment.
Yesterday I wanted my Diamondback Plasma back, I had exchanged it with a friend for an MSIE 3. Well it wasn't quite a trade, it was more like 'I'll let you borrow the Plasma, let me borrow your MSIE 3.' At that time yesterday I was using the Microsoft Mousewheel Optical [MSWMO 1.1] on my 2.5 year old Icemat Black 2 and I was just plain bored of it, it just looks so plain compared to my DB Plasma.
So since I couldn't get my old Plasma back I pulled my friend's old MSIE3 out and plugged it in and put the MSWMO 1.1 back in the cupboard... Played some Q3 vs bots... WOW :D
Anyway, my first gaming mouse was an MX510. I held that in palm-style. I went on to the DB Plasma, which induced me to hold it in finger-grip style. I then went on to MSWMO 1.1, with which I used the fingertip style. Now I'm with an MSIE 3, and I'm back to using finger-grip style. Right now, dear reader, you might be like WTF?? but that is the exact point of this thread - to analyze different mouse holding styles as I see them.
Remember that the style in which one holds a mouse depends greatly upon the size and shape of the mouse as much as on the size of the user's hand. So, then, how do the three mouse holding styles differ?
Fingertip style
In fingertip style, only the tips of the fingers make contact with the mouse. Fingertip style employs actual movement of thumb, index, middle and ring fingers to move the mouse, as well as some movement of the wrist for larger movements. Also referred to as monkey-claw grip as the index and middle fingers curl up and the very tips of those fingers (the part just below the nails) push downwards on the mousebuttons. This can obviously only be achieved with mice that are too short and narrow for the user to lay his fingers out on them.
Mice with which this grip is most likely:
MSWMO 1.1, Logitech G1/G3 (?), Razer Krait (?)
Finger-grip style
Now, with finger-grip style, a greater surface area of all the fingers is making contact with the mouse, and the fingers are locked into a certain grip (hence the name finger-grip) like a cage around and above the mouse, resulting in a more stable grip. The underside of the mid-digits make contact with the mouse in this grip. The fingers themselves do not actually move - all of the movement is transferred from the wrist or forearm. The palm of the hand does not make contact with the mouse. There is no curling of the index and middle fingers, they are stretched out across the mouse, and the center of the fleshy, finger-print area of the fingers make contact with the mousebuttons.
Mice with which this grip is most likely:
MSIE 3, Razer Diamondback (?)
Palm style
Finally, palm style is when the hand is fully anchored on a mouse that has a back, or hump, big enough to fill the palm of the user's hand. Thus, palm style involves a full-handed grip, which is, of all styles, the most stable, but arguably also the least precise for small movements. Of all three mouse holding styles, this style has the greatest surface area of the hand making contact with the mouse.
Mice with which this grip is most likely:
Logitech MX5xx, Logitech G5
Let me sum up the advantages of each style as I see them.
Advantages of fingertip style:
+ Most precise of all styles for small movements. Fingertips making contact with the mouse and finger movement allows for surgical precision in moving the mouse small distances.
+ Good for light, small mice.
+ Good for mid to high sens / high accel users due to the greatest precision with small or medium mouse movements.
Advantages of finger-grip style:
+ More stable grip than fingertip style, requiring more deliberate movements of the wrist. Some forearm movement involved.
+ Easier to handle mouse when nervous, as individual trembling fingers do not affect overall mouse movement as much as with fingertip style.
+ Combined stablitiy of palm style, and the greater precision of fingertip style.
+ Good for low and mid sens users. Good for low-mid accel.
Advantages of palm style:
+ Most stable grip of all three mouse holding styles. Requires highly deliberate movements of forearm and wrist.
+ Best style for handling mouse when nervous, as a full handed grip is most stable.
+ Good for uber low sens users (e.g. refer to the video of mew playing - he has palm-style grip).
+ Good for uber-low sens users, as the stable grip of palm style can allow for huge swipes with wrist and forearm.
Legend
(?) Some mice, like the DB, can be held in different styles... The mice marked with this are worthy of discussion on which style they are held with.
Now, a big issue steps in: hand size. There might certainly be variations in how each of you hold your respective mouse and what sensitivity you use, so please discuss and comment.
Edited by ioz at 12:21 BST, 8 October 2006 - 25340 Hits
