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Why I hate the index finger (1980)

(pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
255 points consumer451 | 1 comments | 19 Nov 24 00:35 UTC | HN request time: 0.209s | source
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nurbl ◴[20 Nov 24 08:41 UTC] No.42191913[source]▶
The hammer example made me remember something. I did some Aikido long ago, and the instructor spent quite a lot of time showing us how to grip things like sticks. As I remember it, instead of the instinctive way of just forming a fist around it, we should instead start from the little finger, wrapping the fingers one by one, but letting the index finger actually rest more along the handle than wrapping it. That way, supposedly, the grip is just as good, but more flexible and the index finger can help with control.
replies(3): >>42192628 #>>42196725 #>>42196799 #
1. hinkley ◴[20 Nov 24 18:23 UTC] No.42196725[source]▶
Most martial arts teach something like this.

Typical civilian relies too heavily on the index finger when grabbing for instance your arm, and that makes it easier to twist out of the grapple, by using the shoulder and the bicep to lever out along the line halfway between the thumb and the index finger. Usually these are stronger muscles than the forearm, possible exception of rock climbers.