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Authentically-looking standard grips with weak thumb support

Last Updated on 2021 年 06 月 15 日 by 編輯

Many chopstick users wield authentically-looking Standard Grip, and are able to pick up food items at most eating situations with perfectly-executed alternating motion. However, a large percentage of these users are unable to exert much extension force using their chopsticks. We have named this phenomenon the Weak Standard Grip.

Snapping at the thin air

The standard grip finger posture and dynamics can be learned fairly quickly, if the right principles are taught. Many users are able to then wield chopsticks with finger posture and dynamics that look almost indistinguishable from the standard grip. Often this is demonstrated by having a user snap at the air with chopsticks. We post pictures and videos of such air snapping on this site all the time.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - Weak Standard Grip - User 4 - Snapping at the air, IMG_7472
User 4 – Authentically-looking Standard Grip

The salad tongs test

But snapping at the air does not really require much compression or extension force. In most eating situations, only a moderate compression force is required. Occasionally, one will need to pick up a heavy item, or pry open a food item. That is when the weak standard grip reveals itself.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - Closing salad tongs with inward medium compression - IMG_3374 320x217 15fps
Closing salad tongs using the Standard Grip

We have been conducting salad tongs-based tests lately. Recent articles all feature video clips of users attempting to open and close salad tongs. We especially like the test where a user needs to pry open a pair of salad tongs bound by a rubber band. This difficult task has become our litmus test – it reveals any weakness in a user’s mastering of the twirling of chopsticks. Using this litmus test, we have been able to identify several causes of the weak standard grip.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - Opening salad tongs with forceful outward extension - IMG_3375 320x344 15fps
Opening salad tongs

Authentically-looking grip

But first let’s look at pictures of two more users snapping at the air using the weak standard grip. These too can pass as textbook examples of how to wield chopsticks.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - Weak Standard Grip - User 5 - Snapping at the air, IMG_7466
User 5 – Authentically-looking Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Weak Standard Grip - User 7 - Snapping at the air - IMG_3499
User 7 – Authentically-looking Standard Grip

Unlike the “pseudo” standard grip we’ve termed Idling Thumb Grip, this grip is indistinguishable from the standard grip, given only the above pictures. In fact, videos clips of users snapping at the air also look completely correct. The planetary gear actions are clearly visible.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4, snapping air, Weak Standard Grip, IMG_7472 640x394 15fps
User 4 – snapping at the air
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Standard Grip-Medium movements-slow and fast-snapping air-normal speed-IMG_7971 640x334 15fps
Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 5, snapping air, Weak Standard Grip, IMG_7466 640x352 15fps
User 5 – snapping at the air

Closing salad tongs

Under the salad tongs tests, however, small differences in finger dynamics start to become discernible. The clip below on the left is a slow-motion capture of a user closing salad tongs, with a weak standard grip. Pay attention to the top chopstick in the beginning. The stick slips. Compare this clip to the (stronger) standard grip video on the right. The reason for the slippage is that the top chopstick is no longer securely caged in from three sides by three fingers, tripod-fashion.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip - closing salad tongs under medium compression - front view - IMG_7476 366x566 10fps
Weak Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Closing salad tongs with inward medium compression, slowmo - IMG_3374 640x620 10fps
True Standard Grip

The user on the left isn’t consciously maintaining a finger configuration based on the planetary gear train. Thus, the thumb slips, and the rest is history. The user on the right extends and flexes the tip segment of the thumb, in response to opposing forces presented by salad tongs. This keeps the top chopstick properly surrounded by the three fingers, throughout the alternating motion.

This issue is elucidated by comparing the thumb slip (left) to the equivalent test from Idling Thumb Grip (right). Under stress, users of these two grips end up with similar-looking finger motions.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip - closing salad tongs under medium compression - front view - IMG_7476 366x566 10fps
Weak Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Closing salad tongs with inward medium compression - front view - Idling Thumb Grip - slomo - IMG_7455 640x806 10fps
Idling Thumb Grip

Prying open salad tongs

The fact that the thumb is neglected by the user becomes undisputed, when the the test switches to having the user pry open salad tongs bound by a rubber band. Refer to clips shown below. Note how all standard grip guidelines have been thrown out of the window. The finger motions (left) have become identical to that of a Idling Thumb user (right).

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip - opening salad tongs under medium tension - front view - take 1 - ring finger slips - slomo - IMG_7477 338x566 10fps
Weak Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Opening salad tongs with outward medium compression - side view - Idling Thumb Grip - slomo - IMG_7458 640x683 10fps
Idling Thumb Grip

Note the lapse of proper finger motions in this weak form of standard grip, shown in the clip below to the left. Compare it to the (stronger) Standard Grip equivalent shown below to the right. The user on the left has abandoned the tripod hold on the top chopstick. The user on the right continues to maintain a good tripod hold throughout the alternating motion.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip - opening salad tongs under medium tension - front view - take 1 - ring finger slips - slomo - IMG_7477 338x566 10fps
Weak Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Opening salad tongs with forceful outward extension, medium, slowmo - IMG_3375 480x673 10fps
True Standard Grip

Turning into Vulcan Grip

In an attempt to generate a significant extension force, some users turn to Vulcan Grip for inspiration. In the left clip below, the user changes the role of the ring finger. Instead of supporting the bottom chopstick with its distal knuckle, the ring finger now uses its pulp area to try to push the bottom chopstick away. Compare the left clip to the Vulcan Grip picture to the right.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip - opening salad tongs under medium tension - front view - take 2 - becomes pulp-first grip - slomo - IMG_7477 338x566 10fps
Weak Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Vulcan Grip - Open Posture
Vulcan Grip

Turning into Chicken Claws

Sometimes this struggle makes a user turn to Chicken Claws Grip for inspirations. Note what happens in the clip below to the left. Compare it to the equivalent test with the Chicken Claws grip on the right. This is an outright abandonment of the tripod hold duty of the thumb, with respect to the top chopstick.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip - opening salad tongs under medium tension - side view - take 3 - becomes Chicken Claws Grip - slomo - IMG_7478 390x440 10fps
Weak Standard Grip
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Opening salad tongs with weak outward extension force - "Chicken Claws" grip (a variant of the "Idling Thumb" grip) - slowmo - IMG_3394 320x472 10fps
Chicken Claws Grip

Coping with duress

The following illustration summarizes the three different ways with which a user attempts to cope with stressful situations requiring a large compression or extension force.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 4 - Weak Standard Grip user adopts other alternative grips under significant compression and extension stress
Weak Standard Grip user adopts alternative grips under compression and extension stress

We have now discussed three grips that derive from Standard Grip, all involving a neglected thumb tip, to one extent or another. In the order from the the closest to the most distant in relatedness, they are: Weak Standard Grip (the present topic), Idling Thumb Grip, and Chicken Claws Grip.

But technically the Weak Standard grip is not an alternative grip, unlike Idling Thumb and Chicken Claws. Its users do already practice the right Standard Grip finger postures and alternating motion. The weakness stems from a lapse in upholding key principles of Standard Grip, in stressful situations.

Negligence of the 1-on-2-support

The lapse in engaging the thumb tip in twirling the top chopstick is not the only cause for a weak standard grip. There are other ways to weaken the standard grip. The following slow-motion clip shows a different user who can generate enough compression force, to confidently close salad tongs. The tip segment of the thumb properly engages the index finger and the middle finger to twirl the top chopstick. However, as we will see later, opening chopsticks under stress is a different matter.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 5 - Weak Standard Grip - closing salad tongs under medium compression - front view - IMG_7470 640x587 15fps
User 5 closing salad tongs

The following video clip on the left is a slow motion capture of the same user prying open salad tongs. Note how the user starts out with the standard grip finger configuration, for the bottom chopstick. But very little extension strength is generated, because the thumb and the ring finger have temporarily forgotten how to securely hold the bottom chopstick in place, using the 1-on-2-point-support principles. As an alternative, the user reconfigures the ring finger to adopt the Vulcan Grip instead, in a successful attempt to gain purchase. Compare the left clip to the Vulcan Grip picture to the right. This gain comes at great costs – see the Vulcan Grip article for details.

Chopsticks Marcosticks - User 5 - Weak Standard Grip - opening salad tongs under medium tension - side view - becomes pulp-first grip - slomo - IMG_7471 640x551 10fps
User 5 opening salad tongs
Chopsticks Marcosticks - Vulcan Grip - Closed Posture
Vulcan Grip

Learn new grips

Users of a weak standard grip can adopt the (stronger) standard grip by first identifying their weaknesses via the salad tongs test. If the root cause is a neglect of the thumb, then simply learn to better make use of the tip segment of the thumb, and to maintain a tripod hold on the top chopstick throughout the alternating motion. If the root cause is a neglect of the 3-point-support for the bottom chopstick, then practice snatching the bottom chopstick until the bottom chopstick can no longer be snatched away. Learn to twirl chopsticks, if you are interested.

Taiwanese: 無力標準法

This grip is known as 無力標準法 (bô-la̍t piau-chún hoat) in Taiwanese.

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