Preferred hand-hold?

[David_D]

There's a thread on RAD that made me wonder. When I learned, it was with the pistol-grip hand-hold (index finger out, using middle, ring, pinky fingers to connect to the follower's hand.

Leaders: What hand-hold do you use?
Followers: What hand-hold do you prefer?

Dave

[Dima]

Pistol for regular lead/follow (no hitchhicker thumb though)
Flat for water skiers.

[christina]

I like all four fingers. Nothing like having a lead speed me up and try to stop me quickly with only two fingers communicating to me. The more surface space touching - the more I have to understand your intentions with. Plus - I had physically disconnecting from a partner because all I had were those two little fingers (happens often) - too much stress on the finger joints too.

[whipkitten]

I have really small hands - one instructor mentioned that my hands were like her 10 year old daughter's once. Heh. Anyway, as a result, i tend to like the pistol grip more than all 4 fingers. but that is a physical issue more than anything else. all 4 fingers are simply not as comfortable for me - shoot when i hold hands with my husband, half the time i only grip one of his fingers there too! :shades:

[Dancelf]

Pistol when leading...

To make my signals as clear as possible, I want to maximize the surface area I have at contact. Since my middle finger is longer than my index finger, that's the one I want pressed into the transverse fasciculi (http://www.bartleby.com/107/illus425.html).

The index finger along the side of the hand gives me better lateral control than I can get with the palms alone, and it allows me to reach past the exterior carpi ulnarus (http://www.bartleby.com/107/illus220.html) when I need extra control.

When following? Dude, whatever works....

[David_D]

I think I'm going to have to play with this at the next dance.
Interesting, this forum seems to tilt in the opposite direction from R.A.D.

Dave

[vegas4x4]

I originally learned the pistol grip, but I found out later that this instructor was primarily a lindy hop instructor. He said lindy or WCS you have more control with pistol grip and that's why he liked it.

I used the pistol grip until I had a few privates with an instructor suggested to go to the full four finger handhold. It felt weird at first, but now I definitely prefer the four finger handhold. I notice using the pistol grip I would often drop to just one or two fingers at times and often drop to one finger in turns. I didn't realize it at the time but one finger feels a lot less stable in turns and also I heard it's easier to get a broken finger if something happens in the turn.

[David_D]

So I played with this on Tuesday, alternating 3 and 4 fingers during a dance, and I can't say I noticed much of a difference at all.
*shrug*

[WestieTash]

Last night I decided to pay attention to this as well. In general, the guys I had the best connection with used a pistol grip (which is the grip most people learn around these parts).

[westcoastjunkie]

As a follower I definitely prefer it when a leader uses the pistol style (I don't like the word "grip"). It's more comfortable, usually clearer and easier to move within.