Conference napalm::guitar

    I don't own one, but I thought I'd mention that the manufacturer seems
    to be marketing it in clever ways.  I have seen it in packaging that
    aims it toward guitar players, as well as in different packaging that
    aims it for drummers and also in a package for rock climbers (sold in
    outdoor sports type stores).
    
    I suppose it's for anyone who wants more hand strength.  Will it make
    you a better guitar player?  Who knows.
    
    	WW
     

    I don't know anything about this particular product, but I read an
    interview with Buck Dharma from Blue Oyster Cult several years ago
    where he said he'd been doing hand strength exercises using a product
    called Power Putty (or something like that) and that he felt the
    additional strength he gained had helped his playing a lot.

    Naturally, being the young impressionable lad that I was, I rushed out
    and bought some of the stuff.  I used it for awhile and it did help my
    hand strength.  At the time I thought it helped my playing as well, but
    at the time my playing was so primitive that I'm not sure how much
    difference it could realistically have made.

    Greg

    I thought about getting one for strengthening my hand, but I think it
    would help me in other ways besides just playing guitar.  I have some
    old basketball injuries, one of which is my left pinky that has a bad
    habit of locking up.  Sometimes when the knuckle locks, I have to use
    my right hand to bend it, can't do it by itself.  I think this might
    help it some.
    
    What's really bad is when it happens at the worst possible times ;-)
    
    Mike

    I bought one last year. It has helped finger strength for bending. Also
    works well as a "warm-up" before playing. I think it helps coordinate
    muscle action, dexterity, and duration. I'd recommend it for guitarists,
    but not sure how well it would work for drummers, or rock climbers.
    
    Bob 

    re .2
    
    I've seen it in pro shops for golfers too. I'm not sure why though
    'cause one of the most common mistakes among golfers is to squeeze the
    livin sh!t outta the club.

    
    
    An old girl friend bought one of these when she got into playing...it
    worked...she accidentally inflicted some severe pain after working with
    the gadget for a couple of weeks...
    
    I used to keep a handball in the car for grip exercise/strengthening. 
    (You squeeze it, you see.)  Started with one that had a slit in it to
    let it breathe.  Worked up to one that didn't have an airhole.  Now if
    I could just get one that said Gibson, or Steinberger, or Kittyhawk on
    it...
    

    For the past 8+ years, I haven't really needed a product like that. 
    Dealing with the daily frustrations that DEC offers usually keeps my
    fists clenched on the average of 4-5 hours a day.  I'm surprised
    corporate hasn't discovered this and advertised it as an `extra'
    benefit for players of stringed instruments ....  8^)
    
    Scary (feelin' that burn from the 3rd cup of coffee !)

    
    I've used one for about a year or so and its been very helpful. I find
    that its improved my bending and my legato quite a bit.
    
    I mainly use it on the way to rehearsal to warm up my fingers whilst
    I'm driving.

    
re .8
I can't imagine trying to drive whilst using this thing, Tony.
Not given the fact that it tends to catapult out of my hand occasionally!

I've noticed that I currently can't squeeze the third-finger button without
also slightly depressing the second and fourth-finger buttons as well.
Is this a sign of my current lack of strength/independence or did you find
the same?
*DC

    
    Well, I do.
    
    Imagine if you will....
    
    "Well officer it was like this....."

    
    	I keep mine by the keyboard and sometimes take it to meetings.
    	Used correctly, with individual finger movement, it can really
    	help finger strength and dexterity.  I am amazed at how nerdy
    	people are when they pick it up for the first time.  Gotta 
    	use fingertips and do the fingers individually.  Hey Mikey,
    	I also have the pinky lock-up problem (football) and it has
    	helped.  I can now fully compress the end button with my pinky.
    	I seen to have less lock-up also.
    
    	-pat

FWIW - The ring and pinky fingers share the same tendon, where the other
fingers are independent...

At least, I've been told that.
jc

RE .11 and finger independence

Should I be concentrating on pressing the third finger 
button on its own, then ? (i.e. taking care that the 2nd and
4th. fingers don't press at the same time)?

Sorry about the stupid questions, but there's very little advice
on how to use the thing on the packaging.
*DC

	
	The one I bought, "Musician's Grip" came with a set of instructions
	and exercise suggestions.  Here are some of the highlights:

	Warm-Up and Cool-Down Examples

	"Any random, constant motion involving all of the fingers in repeated
	cycles will warm-up the finger muscles.  Stretch the fingers repeatedly.
	The following examples are only suggestions.  Do what is comfortable
	for you.  Be creative.

	"'Sweeps', or moving all of the fingers in a 'rolling' motion seems to
	work well.  For example, starting with all of the fingers in the Up,
	or relaxed position, sweep from pinky to index finger, then index to
	pinky, etc.  Do this very quickly several times.  Technique, at this
	stage, is not important, and you need not depress the buttons com-
	pletely.  Warm-Up and Cool-Down should be 1-3 minutes per hand.

	Pattern Exercises

	"In the following examples, there will be several simple hand positions
	illustrated.  For each illustration, there are four different ways to
	perform the exercise.  First, there are two different ways to hold the
	'Grip' - CLOSE POSITION (Figure A) or OUT POSITION (Figure B).

	Note: Figure A shows the appliance held close to the palm, and Figure
	B shows it held on the tip of the thumb as well as the fingers.

	"Furthermore, there are two positions that you can start your fingers
	at - Fully Up and relaxed, or Fully Depressed and tense.  From these
	starting points, you move your fingers according to the pattern illus-
	trations.  Let's see Hand Position 7 in the four different ways:

	Note:  Hand Position 7 shows the index and ring fingers being depressed
	while the middle and pinky fingers are relaxed.

	"1) Close Position - Relaxed:  For this exercise, hold the 'Grip' in
	close to your palm.  Now, with all of the fingers in the fully Up
	relaxed position, depress the index and ring finger only.  Now allow
	the fingers to come back to the starting position.

	2) Out Position - Relaxed:  Same as above except that you hold the
	'Grip' out on your thumb.

	3) Close Position - Tense:  Hold the 'Grip' in close to your palm.
	With all of the fingers depressed, allow only the index and ring
	finger to come up to the rest position (fully Up).  Now bring the
	fingers back to the starting position (all fingers fully depressed).

	4) Out Position - Tense:  Same as number 3, except that you hold the
	'Grip' out on your thumb.

	On the following page are several drawings (14) of various finger
	positions (index up, others down - middle up, others down - index
	and pinky up, others down, etc.), accompanied by the following
	note:

	"In order to properly train the fingers to be independent, you
	*must* (emphasis theirs) keep all of your fingers on all of the
	buttons at all times while practicing patterns.  For example, if
	you are practicing Hand Position 3 (3rd finger down, others up),
	then you should depress the ring finger only.  Do not allow the
	other fingers to move down, away, or off the buttons in any way!
	Train the non-moving fingers to remain completely stationary when
	not commanded to move."

	

    
    re: .13
    
    	exactamondo!!!

    re .14
    
    Many thanks for taking the trouble to type all that in.
    Here in the UK the Grip-Master is packaged in a plastic bubble
    on a card, and the back of the card contains only minimal
    instructions.
    
    *DC

    I presume this toy is for the neck hand...how about the pick hand?
    
    Dave'
    

re < Note 2363.17 by VCSESU::D_SMITH >

Since it's supposed to help the wrist muscles as well, I think you use it
on both hands.... to help build right hand stamina......?
*DC

    re:- No doubt agree...my latest comeback to strings has my right
    picking thumb in a twitch, where as my left feals no pain so far, other
    than blistered finger tips.
    
    Dave'
    

    
    Its good for getting your fingers used right hand taps. but I'm
    buggered if I can get my 3rd finger to do much and as for my forth
    finger - it just sits there and sez "Uh-Uh - no way pal!".
    
    Seriously, it does help your right hand.
    

re: .2 (or so):
>>    I don't know anything about this particular product, but I read an
>>    interview with Buck Dharma from Blue Oyster Cult several years ago...

   Yeah, I read that interview.  I ran out and bought some of that power
   puddy stuff too.  I think the power puddy stuff helped quite a bit.  I'm
   sure this gizmo does too.

   One thing though, I think the power puddy has an advantage because you
   can also use it to provide resistance when opening the hand or pushing
   the fingers up (like when bending the high B or E strings, for example).
   I found this type of exercise wonderful for improving reach and for
   bending... it also seemed to help my vibrato.  As I understand it, the
   gizmo you guys are using is only good for squeezing, no?

   steve

    I would be careful about such devices. A lot of replies have said it
    helps and that's fine, however different anatomies behave very
    differntly and yours might sustain damage, like the guy whose
    girlfriend hurt her hand? (did I read you correctly). Sometimes these
    types of devices can take a lot of time to have an adverse effect.
    Hanad strength is definetly needed but dexterity is more important and
    the amount of foot/inches that the spring demands is manyt orders of
    magnitudes greater than that needed to press every heavy gauge strings
    down. Any sign of pain, immediately stop uising the device. Your hands
    are strong and can be used to dig ditches but thats collectives all ten
    fingers. YOu dont need to 'lift weights' with individual fingers. I
    think that's dangersous. I dont remember the composer I think it was
    the 18th century pianist Franz Schubert (I maybe wrong about the
    individual but this is definitely a true story) invented a complex
    mechanism with springs that hovered over the pianist and offered
    resistance to bothe the upward and downward movement of fingers. the
    composer used the device for some period of time and eventually
    suffered permanant disability in his technique. I think what should be
    emphaiszed is finger independence and smooth motion. I'm having pretty
    good luck by simply adopting 'finger drumming' i.e. lightly but
    deliberately and, most important, rhthymically 'typing' on a table or
    whatever say 4,3,2,1 - 1,2,3,4 (guitar finger numbers where 1 is the
    index finger of the left hand for right-handed players) or say 4,2,3,1
    -1,3,2,4. take those two patterns and then invent rhythms triplets,
    straight eighths, staggered etc. Of course thats only half of the
    technique. You have to develop good right hand pick technique as well.
    I have seen another product that is a hand grip which is a sponge
    material. I think this would be much better for the hand and less
    likely to have adverse effects.

    
>    I would be careful about such devices. A lot of replies have said it
>    helps and that's fine, however different anatomies behave very
>    differntly and yours might sustain damage, like the guy whose
>    girlfriend hurt her hand? (did I read you correctly).
    
    Nope, you didn't.  She didn't hurt herself, she hurt me!  And it
    wasn't my hand!
    
    Jeez, can you imagine the product liability suit you could dream up
    with this one?  "I had a promising career as a superstar guitarist,
    worth millions of dollars, but your device crippled me...that'll be
    10 milllion dollars (per year) please!"
    

I'll stick with the power putty. It's not only improving my hands but
it's also fun to sculpt stuff in it.

ccb

    ...and you can transfer cartoons from the newspaper to it!