In today’s age computers play a huge part in our lives. We sit in front of a computer for many hours.
Perhaps, it is because of the office work or maybe we like to spend our time playing computer games.
However, often when people start computer gaming they face some issues.
Many of them, confront the issue of not being able to play games for a long time because of the sore wrist or strains, and in some cases, they encounter shoulder and arm pain.
While others face the issue of not being fast and responsive enough when playing games like PUBG or Call of duty.
It doesn’t specifically apply to first player shooting games but other slow-paced games as well. People are unable to click the mouse buttons at the right time.
That’s not because any of you are not made for it, but because you’re not holding the mouse the way you’re supposed to.
Apart from that, if you’re using an ordinary computer mouse then it’ll be hard for you to level up.
So the first thing you need to do is purchase a gaming mouse that is specially made for playing video gaming.
Then, you need to learn the right technique to hold your mouse because that affects how fast, and effectively you play video games. Plus it’ll also prevent any potential hand or wrist injuries.
How important is holding a mouse properly?
Purchasing a gaming mouse can make a huge difference but, you can still be playing awfully with wrist pain even after purchasing a gaming mouse. (See RSI mouse for wrist pain)
Besides, not everyone can afford a gaming mouse. But if you learn the proper way to hold the mouse. You can utilize that regular mouse to become a great gamer.
Hence, holding a mouse properly is super important. Yeah, it might seem absurd to you but if you ask the professionals, they’ll agree with me.
You might be thinking that how does all of this make sense? Well, let me make sense out of it for you.
So basically, holding a mouse properly increases the flexibility of your fingers when playing video games and making it easy for you to click multiple mouse buttons.
Moreover, it can really affect the pace at which you click the mouse buttons which could further influence your progress.
Furthermore, holding the mouse properly can make you quicker that will enable you to take quick shots when playing assault games.
It can also save you from injuries and strains that you tend to be more prone to when playing games for a longer period.
Why is the position of the mouse important?
It is important that your mouse is positioned nicely to make your experience more convenient and comfortable.
What does that mean? Just imagine you’re playing a game and, your mouse is placed afar from you, reaching it will take time and cause discomfort hence, making you slower and ruining the experience.
A properly positioned mouse can also save you from getting carpal tunnel syndrome.
Now, let me tell you the ideal mouse position. All you’ve to do is place your mouse 90 degrees from your elbow which will be more comfortable and reduce the risk of injuries.
Additionally, a mouse pad could help keep the mouse in the right position because of the friction between the mouse and the mouse pad. Therefore, a mouse pad will ease your problem of dragging the mouse into the right position again and again.
How to hold a mouse ergonomically?
To be able to hold a mouse ergonomically, you first need to know the grip styles used for holding the mouse properly while gaming.
We’ll discuss the three main grip styles in this article that are Palm grip style, Claw grip style, and Fingertip grip style.
But that’ll take some time so, you folks have to be a little patient and continue reading the article.
Perhaps, before that, you might want to make sure that your fingers are placed over the mouse nice and relaxed rather than resting on the desk.
Or you could just put away your hand if you aren’t using the mouse as it’ll prevent any possible neck and shoulder pain.
Make Changes to mouse Controls:
Without any doubt, using a gaming mouse along with holding the mouse properly is important. But we can’t ignore the fact that adjusting the mouse controls can also do wonders.
Simple changes like adjusting the speed, interval time between the clicks, and cursor size could make a huge difference, and greatly affect the functionality of your mouse.
So, in order to make your experience better, you should consider adjusting the mouse controls settings according to your preferences and improve the whole experience. Look into enhancing precision in Windows for Gaming.
Proper mouse posture for gaming:
Positioning a mouse in the right manner is the first step to holding up a mouse properly.
The second step is to ensure an adequate mouse posture. There must be a question in your mind after reading this.
How does the mouse posture affect me? What do you mean by the mouse posture?.
Well, this simply means sitting in a way that will make it easy for you to move the mouse around using your arm and shoulder.
To do so, you’ve to place your elbow by your side and keep your wrist straight along with keeping your hand on the mouse. Then, use your hand and shoulder to move your mouse.
The best mouse grip styles:
There are three types of mouse grip styles that are termed as the best ones.
One is the palm grip style which is considered as the most common one among all the grip styles, and the other two are claw and fingertip grip styles.
Nonetheless, nobody knows at first which grip style is made for them. One has to try all of them to decide which one proves to be the best for them both in terms of comfort and better results.
So, without further due let’s discuss what is the difference among all three of the grip styles and how can you use these to hold your mouse properly while gaming.
Palm grip style:
Palm grip style is one of the most common grip styles that is used by both amateur and professional gamers.
It is common because it is the easiest grip style among the three of them. However, professional gamers mix this grip style with other grip styles to get an edge over the opponent.
Here is how you can hold the mouse in the palm grip style. You’ve to hold the mouse in a manner that all of it is covered with your hand. The buttons should be covered with your fingers and the back of the mouse with your palm.
By doing this, you’ll have a nice grip over the whole mouse but keep in mind that it isn’t as fast as fingertip grip, and as accurate as claw grip.
Moreover, this grip style is considered to be good for people with long fingers as they can reach the buttons easily. Nevertheless, people with short fingers will have trouble using this grip style.
Claw grip style:
You already get an idea of this grip style by just reading its name. Yes, you’ve to make a claw and then hold the mouse.
The index finger and middle finger are used to hold the mouse buttons and the rest of the fingers are bent.
Some people use the ring index finger instead of the middle finger and use the latter for macro.
This claw grip gives your fingers more flexibility to click multiple buttons and make you more accurate when it comes to first player shooting games.
Moreover, it also increases your pace of clicking the button which in return helps you in quick response during the game.
That’s not all, the claw grip style assists in making the mouse movement smoother and makes your wrist more comfortable on the mouse that could possibly prevent wrist strains and injuries.
Claw grip style is good for people with big hands as arching the fingers and holding the mouse as a claw gives them more room to reach the buttons.
However, people with long fingers can also go with this grip style if they’re comfortable using it.
Many professional gamers use claw grip style alongside palm grip style to have a competitive edge over their opponents.
And if you can also pull it off then you’ll be hard to defeat and what would be more fulfilling than that.
Fingertip grip style:
The fingertip grip style is a rare grip style used by most professional players. I mean it’s not even common with the pro players.
In the fingertip grip style, people just use their fingertips to click the buttons and the mouse made for this style is different from the conventional gaming mouse.
This mouse is flat and less heavy than the other gaming mice. It just has two buttons on the front so that the person using it could easily snap his/her fingers on the buttons.
Fingertip grip style is definitely not suited to people with small fingers as they won’t be able to reach the buttons until and unless they get themselves made a custom mouse which would cost them a lot.
Nevertheless, it is a more convenient grip style for people with long fingers as they can simply rest their hand on the mouse and use their fingertips to snap the buttons.
The advantage of using this type of grip style is that it is relatively faster than the other two grip styles and if you’re able to master it then you’ll have a competitive edge that very less people hold and this could make you a strong opponent.
Nonetheless, not everyone is comfortable with this grip style and it is a bit difficult to get hold of and the fingertip mice are also rare to find.
The grip styles are only made for gamers?
Now, if you were reading this article and got a thought that the grip styles are only made for the use of gamers? Then I want to tell you that isn’t true.
Anyone can use these grip styles to induce efficiency and effectiveness in their work.
Moreover, using the right grip style that is more comfortable and convenient for you can save you from injuries and other problems such as sore wrists.
FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions):
- Are smaller mice better for gaming?
- Well, without a question a small mouse will take less place on your desk or mouse pad providing more room for keeping your arm on the desk. However, the mouse size doesn’t significantly make your gaming better.
- Should my wrist touch the mousepad?
- When you’re aiming and taking a shot, it is important that your wrist is touching the mouse pad. Because your wrist touching the mouse pad will provide you more support and make it easy for you to aim and click the buttons at the right time.
- How hard should I grip my mouse?
- There isn’t a definite answer to this question. However, you can apply the amount of pressure that is comfortable and is providing you better results while using the mouse.
- How do I prevent carpal tunnel?
- In order to prevent getting the carpal tunnel syndrome, you can try keeping your hand in a position where your fingers aren’t extended upwards or lying down on the desk.
If you’re using the mouse then place your hands and fingers in a relaxed manner on the mouse. If not, then simply remove your hand from the desk to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
Conclusion:
By the time you end reading this article, I’m sure you’ll be equipped with the right information to choose yourself the right mouse and trying different hand grips to understand which one is best for you.
Before ending the article I want to shed some light on different types of ergonomic mice. There are a bunch of ergonomic mice out there to fulfill your needs and making it easy for you to buy the best mouse type suited to your grip style.
Whether it’s gaming or office work there is a whole variety of ergonomic mice for instance if you want to prevent pronation then you should go for the vertical mouse or if you scroll a lot then the trackball mouse is best for you.
Also, if you specifically want to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome then you can opt for an ambidextrous mouse that is specially designed to prevent diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
But all of it depends on your needs and preferences and what goes along with your grip style. With that said I’ll conclude the article here. If you’ve any questions then feel free to reach out to us in the comment section below.