You can hold a mouse with three grips playing FPS games. The palm grip, the claw grip, and the finger grip are used with a gaming mouse. Varying from full palm rest to fingertip controls, how you hold your mouse influences both the speed of reaction and the success of your shots.
There are a few settings which need to be adjusted before changing how you hold a mouse for your shooters. First, you need to ensure that you lower the sensitivity of the mouse which will stop it from jumping around left and right with little control. You should also use a larger mouse pad which doesn’t require you lifting it so often. At the same time, you should always remember to also involve your wrist in the movement, especially if you go for the full palm grip.
The three main hand positions you need to master
As seen above, there are various positions you can try to hold your mouse for FPS success. However, some gamers might not be able to hold the mouse in this position. It is estimated that more than 50% of gamers use a full palm grip.
- The palm grip
When you place the palm on the mouse, you’d assume you are ready for a more relaxed game than a FPS. But this grip is still a popular choice for many gamers as they transition from regular computer use mouse grip.
However, this grip is highly recommended for extended periods of gaming. It doesn’t put too much pressure on the hands as the palm and the fingers rest against it. As a result, you may also revert to this grip from other more aggressive grips after a few hours of shooting, as your hands get tired.
- The claw grip
The claw grip is known for the position of the index finger and the middle finger which both rest almost perpendicularly on the mouse. As a result, you can trigger a shot a lot quicker. The bottom of the palm also grips the mouse. However, this might as well be the most tiring grip of them all.
If you want to try this grip yourself, make sure to your fingers arch properly above the mouse buttons to create that square angle which gives you the unmatched speed of reaction. You may need a bit of practice to maintain this grip longer than an hour.
- The finger grip
This is one of the fastest-growing grips, especially since many already use it when working with a small laptop mouse. Your hand hovers in the air for this grip and only the ends of the fingers contact the buttons of the mouse.
How to make the most of your grip
Before actually adhering to one of these grips, you can consider the following tips to make the most of your gaming experience. You may, however, need to upgrade your gaming mouse for some of these tips.
Quick on-the-fly DPI adjustments
DPI stands for dots per inch and it is one of the configurations which define the speed of reaction a gaming mouse has. For FPS games, this means that if you move your mouse to the right 5 inches and the weapon only moves hallway to the right on the screen, you need to increase the mouse sensitivity.
On-the-fly DPI adjustments are possible with a gaming mouse such as the Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum. Most similar designs come in high, medium and slow DPI settings which can be quickly controlled with dedicated rockers. If you don’t have them, you might need to adjust DPI from the mouse settings section of the control panel. However, you need to be quick and having a mouse with on-the-fly adjustments can make the difference when shooting normally or when shooting from a moving vehicle.
Use a mouse with an added counterweight at the back
Weights are added to a gaming mouse for various reasons. You can even purchase separate weights to add to your existing mouse. However, you need to know that extra weight means you’ll need more force to move the mouse.
Depending on the strength of your grip, you should always hold the mouse comfortably. The Logitech mouse mentioned above weighs 121 grams. To this weight, you can add the 5 included smaller weights of 3.6 grams each. At a total weight of 139 grams, the maximum speed of the mouse is 300 inches per second or just above 7 meters per second to put it into perspective. You might need to consider that the finger grip is more demanding in terms of force and energy with such high weights.
Anti-slip surfaces
An abrasive surface where the thumb sits on the gaming mouse is crucial to prevent slips. Rubber is also used in this area. However, you should avoid a mouse with plain plastic in the area of the thumb, even if you think your grip is perfect. When you’ll be ready to make that headshot, your thumb will slip in a fraction of a second.
FAQ
Which grip is best when using a standing desk?
Using a standing desk for gaming is yesterday’s news. However, you still need to expect a bit more pressure on the wrist. But the biggest advantage of this position is that it allows perfect finger positioning for the finger grip, which equates to faster shots in your FPS game.
What is the typical DPI range?
The typical DPI range for a gaming mouse is somewhere between 2.000 and 12.000DPI. The higher the DPI, the higher the chances of finding your groove, depending on the gaming situation.
Do I need mouse weights to hold it better?
Added weights might not be used at all. Some mice such as the UtechSmart Venus come with these weights included from the factory. Used on a good mousepad, they can improve your FPS success.
Final considerations
One of the most important characteristics to think about when it comes to holding a mouse for FPS games is your strength and length of fingers. Someone with short fingers will have considerable problems finding comfort in the finger grip. However, after a few hours of play, most gamers prefer to rest their palm on the mouse anyway.
What is your experience holding a mouse for FPS games? Which finger do you use on the scroll button? Let us know below.