How Do You Hold Your Mouse?

[The Damned]

I'm currently in an argument with several friends over how I hold my mouse.

They all say they use only two fingers on top of the mouse, and hold their ring finger on the side along with their pinky.

I put my index on mouse left, middle over the wheel, and ring over mouse right button.

I am now being called a monster and have been "doing it wrong" since I was about 8 years old. (For reference, I'm over 40 now).

So, what the fuck? How do you other people hold your mouse?

[Red Shadow]

i wouldn't say that you're doing it "wrong" but i certainly haven't prior thought about holding the mouse the way you do

[Nase]

developing "three finger technique" with a designated finger for scrolling seems more likely if whatever you do involved a lot of scrolling.

but judging from a quick test, alternating between index and middle finger while scrolling down/up just feels kind of satisfying. being used to that, using 3 fingers instead for a fixed purpose, like you do, seems a little "stiff" to me.

maybe somewhat related, i'm a lefty and also like to switch knife and fork while eating, which is called the "european way" i guess? there's something gratifying about switching function of the hands or individual fingers, i suppose.

it's definitely a matter of "style", and who knows, it might offer some deeper neurological insight.

i definitely use my ring finger for scrolling 5%, also. 45% index, 50% middle, 5% ring.

armchair analysis: i probably like variety. but not enough to employ the pinky at all.

 

[DarkeSword]

Calling you a "monster" is probably your friends just messing with you, but using your ring finger on the right-click (m2) is very uncommon. For most folks it's:

• M1 (Left-click): Index finger at rest.
• M3 (Wheel): Index finger as-needed.
• M2 (Right-click): Middle finger.

Ring finger and pinky rest at the side.

Incidentally, I use a G600, which has a third click button to the right of M2, which I click with my ring finger. It's a modifier button called that Logitech calls "G-shift" and used is to provide secondary functions to all mouse buttons, including the 12-button pad on the thumb-side of the mouse.

[Gario]

Technically I'm a two finger kind of guy, but when I'm using a mouse with more than the left, right & mouse wheel I use three fingers for the three buttons on top (but it's essentially the two finger set-up with an extra button added).

Not something I normally think about, but an interesting question nonetheless.

[yangfeili]

Index on left, middle on right - because that's how it was done in the days before the mouse wheel was common. When the mouse wheel was added, the positioning remained the same and the index finger just moved over to the wheel when needed.

Just tried the three finger method, and it feels like the equivalent of putting your left foot on the brake and your right foot on the gas. I also feel I lose a little bit of the finer control which I gain by having my ring finger on the side of the mouse with the two finger method.

Edited July 20, 2022 by yangfeili

[The Damned]

How can so many people be so wrong...

[Nase]

On 7/22/2022 at 3:04 AM, The Damned said:

How can so many people be so wrong...

"menial gymnastics".

i just made that term up.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Nase

[prophetik music]

On 7/18/2022 at 7:31 PM, The Damned said:

I am now being called a monster and have been "doing it wrong" since I was about 8 years old. (For reference, I'm over 40 now).

why are we using the excuse of your otherworldly mouse holding to call you a monster? we all know what you are.

[The Damned]

Quiet, you!

[timaeus222]

Y'all wild, just make it natural sheesh

I simply use the index on the left button and wheel, middle finger on the right button

Edited July 29, 2022 by timaeus222

[Nase]

3 hours ago, timaeus222 said:

Y'all wild, just make it natural sheesh

I simply use the index on the left button and wheel, middle finger on the right button

it is the year 2022, the future, and the world is running out of topics. a dystopia of digital boredom.

the zombies of this forsaken age don't need "BRAINS"... they're starving for "CONTENT!"

in this barren landscape of "been there done that", a topic like this becomes a singularily tasty morsel of "oh gee, i never thought about that."

[Rozovian]

Oh look there's a trackball option.

Thumbball trackball, 3-finger hold. Had to go and check, on laptop atm.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Rozovian
specifics

[Hypnotikid]

 

My mouse has side buttons too but I just use 2 fingers to rule them all.

 

Optional side buttons I use my thumb and Index. 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Hypnotikid

[WillRock]

By the tail

[Master Mi]

Three-finger technique seems to be the most effective and most comfortable way of holding a mouse...
... whereby you don't have to spread your index and middle finger in an unhealthy-looking way and where you can get a good and fast control over your mouse - especially when browsing through the internet or working with your DAW.

But don't ask me this question when I'm digging some tasty sticky fruits and pounds of fatty sashimi - then I'm suddenly able to control the mouse with just one single finger and the mere palm!

...

But the two-finger technique as the main mouse controlling technique seems to be radically retro to me.

They say that in ancient times people had to work with mouses which only had two buttons - a left and a right button - without a mouse wheel between them.
And in this new Flintstone Age, you really had to push some force in those things like those ancient mouse buttons in order to move something.

So, the only three fingers which could easily manage to control such a Neolithic computer device were the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger.
But the thumb, the strongest of all fingers, was the fat short kid the two longer and less stronger fingers couldn't longer play with (at least up to those glorious reunion days when the mouse side buttons were invented).

But back at the Neolithic days, the thumb became the tragic outsider in the mouse business.
So, just the index finger and the middle finger remained for this strength-sapping task.

I guess, that's how the two-finger technique in the ancient computer age was born.
And many children of this pioneer era learned moving the mouse this way.



**********************************************************************************************************
* And they all lived happily and used their legendary two-finger techique ever after. *
**********************************************************************************************************

Edited August 7, 2022 by Master Mi

[The Damned]

You know what? Screw you guys, I'm getting one of these now.

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by The Damned

[Ghetto Lee Lewis]

The second and third finger don't hold the mouse; they just click the buttons. (sorry, that's piano numbered fingers).  I hold it between my thumb and fourth finger (ring finger).  I think the pinky maybe helps the fourth finger push the mouse a bit.  So do you use your hand to actually hold/move it or your fingers?  Also wow, this is a seven month old thread and still on the first page.  Does everyone Discord now?

[Geoffrey Taucer]

On 2/15/2023 at 9:45 PM, Ghetto Lee Lewis said:

Also wow, this is a seven month old thread and still on the first page.  Does everyone Discord now?

I think so

[Jedimichael]

Despite not as many people using the forms here as much, still, as for a mouse, I use two fingers on top, although totally never thought about it before.  I have the logitech MX518 gaming mouse that my brother gave me.  But it has the two buttons on the left side, but I kept bumping the back button when typing stuff out, like this here, bump it, go back and lost everything I typed.  I tried to disable it and windows kept saying I couldn't do it for whatever reason.  

I got so mad at that stupid button, I took pliers and ripped that whole thing out.  I'm a much happier person now....lol.