WHICH GAMING MOUSE GRIP FITS YOUR STYLE?

WHICH GAMING MOUSE GRIP FITS YOUR STYLE?

As more and more PC games become legitimate esports, extra attention is focused on every aspect of competitive play. Not only is each player’s mouse analyzed, but there’s already a wealth of information about how they hold them. The three most common types of grip are Palm, Claw, and Tip. Each of these styles requires its own type of mouse for optimal play.

THE PALM GRIP

In the Palm Grip, most of the palm contacts the mouse and all five fingers maintain contact along most of their surface area. About 70% of the hand rests on the mouse in this case. Because there’s so much contact between the skin and the mouse, a player’s agility suffers somewhat in return for a greater degree of control. This grip is ideal for games that require long sequences of controlled movement but less “twitch” reflex. If a Palm Grip is right for you, look for a larger mouse. The ideal Palm Grip mouse will be both wider and longer, allowing the player to comfortably rest their hand while playing.

THE CLAW GRIP

The Claw Grip is most easily described as “The Palm Grip, but less”. The last knuckle of each finger maintains contact with the mouse, as does the very base of the palm. However, the middle of the hand is raised, resulting in much less overall mouse contact and the namesake “claw” look. This grip combines the stability of the Palm Grip with the precision of the Tip Grip, aiming for a helpful middle ground that functions well across multiple genres. A good Claw Grip mouse will be lighter than a Palm mouse since it needs to move with less force. Additionally, the size of the mouse will be smaller all around (though larger than a Tip Grip mouse), allowing a Claw Grip on it without discomfort.

THE TIP GRIP

The complete opposite of the Palm Grip, the Tip Grip only maintains five small points of contact between the hand and the mouse: the tip of each finger. At no point does the palm rest on top of the mouse in the Tip Grip. Because players maintain a very light touch, this is the ideal grip for “flick” movements. A Tip Grip mouse will be shorter and less bulky than any other mouse in addition to being even lighter. Tip Grip mouses weigh fractions of a pound, as every gram is critical when a player needs to fly across the screen accurately.

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