Did you know that changing how you hold your mouse can make you a better gamer? The concept of mouse grips revolves around this, and figuring out which one’s best for you can help you aim at your opponents more accurately.
Fundamentally, you can switch between three types of mouse grips: the palm, claw, and fingertip. In this guide, we will take you on a tour of all these mouse grips, explaining their advantages and disadvantages and recommending a few gaming mice that work best with them.
Let’s get started!
Key Takeaways
- There are three mouse grips: palm, claw, and fingertip.
- The palm grip is the most comfortable and suitable for long gaming sessions but is not recommended for high-sensitivity games or precise aiming.
- The claw grip is suitable for high-sensitivity gaming and provides stable control over the mouse, but it can strain your fingers and is not as comfortable as the palm grip.
- The fingertip grip is the best grip for competitive gaming, but it’s uncomfortable and can strain fingers and wrists.
Mouse Grips Table
| Mouse Grip | Description |
|---|---|
| Palm Grip | With the palm grip, your entire hand lays on your mouse. The palm rests on the back of the mouse, and all five fingers are in contact with the mouse. This is the most comfortable grip and is perfect for low-sensitivity gaming.[1] |
| Claw Grip | With the claw grip, your fingers are arched so your hand looks like a claw. The palm still touches the back of the mouse, but not as much as it does with the palm grip. This grip works best with high-sensitivity gaming, where you must make precise micro-adjustments.[1] |
| Fingertip Grip | With the fingertip grip, your palm does not touch the mouse. You will be using just your fingers to control the entire movement of your mouse. This makes it super easy to glide the mouse across the mousepad and make quick flick shots. However, getting used to this grip is difficult and is nowhere near as comfortable as the palm grip.[1] |
Palm Grip
As you can guess by its name, the palm grip involves your entire palm resting on the mouse. Consequently, all five of your fingers will also be in touch with the mouse. For this reason, the palm grip is considered the most comfortable grip. Therefore, the palm grip is considered for long gaming sessions.[2]
Most non-gamers hold the mouse with the palm grip due to its comfort. The palm grip puts the least strain on your wrist and elbow, and you can enjoy games that involve low-sensitivity mouse play. All you need is a large mouse to accommodate your hand, and you can swiftly glide across your mousepad while maintaining comfort.[3]
Advantages
- The most comfortable and relaxing grip.
- Fingers and wrist are not strained.
- Perfect for long gaming sessions
Disadvantages
- Precise aiming can be difficult since you hold the mouse with your entire hand.
- Not suitable for high-sensitivity gaming.
- Not recommended if your mouse is small.
Palm Grip Mouse Recommendations
Looking for a palm-grip mouse? Here are a couple of Tech4Gamers’ recommendations:
Best Mainstream Mouse: BenQ Zowie EC2-B
The Zowie EC2-B is a solid, no-nonsense contender for good wireless mice that works best with a palm grip.[4] It features a moderately curved and elevated back that perfectly fits the palm’s shape. Furthermore, the button position is perfect for the palm grip. It is a great mainstream mouse aimed especially at palm grip users.
Best High-End Mouse: Razer Viper V2 Pro
If you are looking for a high-performance gaming mouse with a palm grip, the Razer Viper V2 Pro is your best option. It has a large, rounded back so your palm can rest on it comfortably. From onboard memory to on-mouse DPI control, the Viper V2 Pro has features like the super precise 30K optical sensor, asymmetric cut-off, smart tracking, and much more to support high-end gaming. This, combined with the 80 hours long battery life, makes the Razer Viper V2 Pro the perfect gaming mouse.
You can read our Razer Viper V2 Pro review for more information.
Claw Grip
A claw grip is a combination of palm and fingertip grip features.[5] With a claw grip, your palm will also rest on the back of the mouse, but not as much as with the palm grip. Furthermore, your fingertips will be on the clicks at an angle, making your hand look similar to an animal claw. So, if you are into competitive FPS games, give Claw Grip a short.
It is perfect for high-sensitivity gaming; hence, all those quick flicks and fast-movement shots work best with the claw grip. You also feel more stability and control as your fingers exert more pressure rather than being relaxed. As a downside, the claw grip is unsuitable for long gaming sessions, as the angle of your fingers will strain them.[1]
Advantages
- You can make quick, precise adjustments and hit fast-movement flick shorts.
- Works best with high-sensitivity gaming.
- You have more stable control over the mouse.
Disadvantages
- Not suitable for low-sensitivity gaming.
- Fingers will feel strained as they are at an angle.
- It’s not as comfortable and relaxing as the palm grip.
Claw Grip Mouse Recommendations
These are our recommendations for a claw grip mouse:
Best Mainstream Mouse: Logitech G305 Lightspeed
Featuring a lightweight body, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed is a great gaming mouse that has a DPI range of 200 to 12000 DPI. Furthermore, it features the HERO sensor, so the mouse is pretty accurate in quick movements. Overall, given its price, solid build quality, and wireless connectivity, the G305 Lightspeed is a good option for a claw grip mouse.
You can read our review of the Logitech G305 Lightspeed for more information.
Best High-End Mouse: Pulsar X2 Wireless
The Pulsar X2 Wireless is a great high-end gaming mouse that works best with the claw grip as it features a lightweight body with a symmetrical shape. Furthermore, it packs features like 2.4Hz wireless technology, a max DPI of 26000, and a 1000Hz polling rate, all of which make it a perfect mainstream choice for gaming.
Fingertip Grip
Now comes the most uncomfortable but the best grip for competitive gaming: the fingertip grip. Unlike the above two grips, where a part of your palm, or the entire palm, rests on the back of the mouse, the fingertip grip involves no palm contact whatsoever. The entire mouse movement is controlled by, as the name suggests, the fingertips.[2]
This makes the fingertip grip extremely efficient for rapid flick shots, as you don’t need to move your wrist. Furthermore, vertical movement also becomes easy because you can pull your fingers up or down to move the mouse. Yes, the fingertip grip is not as stable as the other two, but it is the best for quickly gliding your mouse across the mousepad effortlessly.
Advantages
- Perfect for fast-movement quick shorts.
- Your hand exerts low tension, making the mouse easier to glide across.
- You can make fast micro-adjustments without moving your wrist.
Disadvantages
- It requires practice to learn and master.
- Since your wrist makes most movements, it will be strained faster than the other two grips.
Fingertip Grip Mouse Recommendations
Let’s review a couple of mice that work the best with the fingertip grip:
Best Mainstream Mouse: Glorious Model O
Featuring a honeycomb shell, the Glorious Model O is a very lightweight mouse, which makes it perfect for the fingertip grip. You need the mouse to be lightweight to glide it with your fingers. The mouse features a Pixart PMW-3360 Sensor, a max DPI of 12,000, and a 1000Hz polling rate. Overall, it is a great gaming mouse that works best with the fingertip grip.
Best High-End Mouse: Pulsar X2 Mini
At just 52gm, the Pulsar X2 Mini is an extremely lightweight mouse. Furthermore, it features a symmetrical design, making it easier to handle with a fingertip grip. The mouse has a Pixart PAW3395 sensor that can reach up to 26,000 DPI. With figures like these, you can expect the Pulsar X2 Mini to perform phenomenally well in competitive gaming. Of course, it comes with a slightly increased price tag, which is worth it, given its performance.
Which One Should You Go For?
In the end, it all comes down to your personal preference. You should go with the most comfortable grip that best suits your needs. You can give all three a shot and determine which makes you hit your opponents more accurately.
In addition, many users choose a hybrid approach, like having fingers arched like a claw grip but not resting your palm like a fingertip grip.[6] Similarly, you can switch between the grips depending on your actions. For instance, if you are casually using your PC or playing a slow-paced game, you can use the palm grip. Similarly, if you open a fast-paced FPS gaming that requires many quick movements with micro-adjustments, you can shift to a claw or fingertip grip.
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References:
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Das Keyboard. Claw vs. Palm vs. Fingertip: Mouse Grips Compared. Retrieved from https://www.daskeyboard.com/blog/claw-grip-palm-grip-fingertip-grip-mouse-grips/
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Softpanorama. Mouse Grip types. Retrieved from https://softpanorama.org/Hardware/Peripherals/High_end_mice/mouse_grip_types.shtml
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HLTV. Palm vs Claw vs Fingertip – Grip. Retrieved from https://www.hltv.org/forums/threads/1878751/palm-vs-claw-vs-fingertip-grip
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Rtings.com BenQ ZOWIE EC2 Mouse Review. Retrieved from https://www.rtings.com/mouse/reviews/benq/zowie-ec2
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CPS Test. Mouse Grip Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from https://cpstest.org/blog/mouse-grip-styles/
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HLTV. Your mouse grip? Retrieved from https://www.hltv.org/forums/threads/2726318/your-mouse-grip
FAQs
Yes, determining which mouse grip works the best for you can help you become a better gamer. Furthermore, it can also reduce your hand strain and make you feel relaxed.
Fundamentally, there are three types of mouse grips: the palm grip, the claw grip, and the fingertip grip. You can also use your own grip, which is a mixture of these grips called the hybrid grip.
No grip is the most comfortable for everyone. However, the palm grip usually turns out to be more comfortable than the others for most people as it involves your entire hand resting on the mouse.
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[Wiki Editor]
Ali Rashid Khan is an avid gamer, hardware enthusiast, photographer, and devoted litterateur with a period of experience spanning more than 14 years. Sporting a specialization with regards to the latest tech in flagship phones, gaming laptops, and top-of-the-line PCs, Ali is known for consistently presenting the most detailed objective perspective on all types of gaming products, ranging from the Best Motherboards, CPU Coolers, RAM kits, GPUs, and PSUs amongst numerous other peripherals. When he’s not busy writing, you’ll find Ali meddling with mechanical keyboards, indulging in vehicular racing, or professionally competing worldwide with fellow mind-sport athletes in Scrabble at an international level. Currently speaking, Ali has completed his A-Level GCEs with plans to go into either Allopathic Medicine or Business Studies, or who knows, perhaps a full-time dedicated technological journalist.
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