Hand position and posture when playing

[Tinybitt]

Hey all!

Writing this post since #1 I can't seem to find a comfortable position to play in and #2 I attended Gridlock 2024 and a lot of people were holding the controller in a different way, so I also want to hear opinions why people hold it like that.

Anyway, I finally enabled motion controls somewhere around November 2022 (I played with sticks and somehow beat After Alterna like that. I still don't know how lmao). The first problem I got into is that I felt like I needed my hands to rest on something, since that gives you another 2 points of stability when playing. I tried putting my hands on my wooden desk and that was not super comfortable since my hands would stick to my desk. After tinkering a bit more I found out that the best setup is to put my mousepad where my hands lie, that way they don't get as tired, my hands can slide more and I still get my stability from putting two hands on a solid surface.

But I also see a lot of people hold controllers with their hands on their legs when playing. Especially after seeing top performers at Gridlock almost universally preferring this setup. I tried it a bit today and I could kind of see why since I feel like you get slightly more freedom of movement, especially for looking up and down. But I also found that my controller (Regular switch pro controller) is constantly decentered and I have to reset its position. Also I feel like this position locks up your shoulders and flicking is harder than the "desk" setup, especially since I feel like it's way more easier to overshoot. Also just for knowledge my sens is +5 sticks and +1.5 motion.

Interested in what you guys think. I feel like both of these setups have their own advantages and disadvantages.

 

[DzNutsKong]

Leg reveal I guess. I had to hold my phone up with my chin and put it on a timer to snap this lmao. Anyways, I have a gaming chair that kinda puts me like almost halfway laying down?? Plus the monitor needs to be on the ground which makes my knees get ever so slightly in the way of the screen.

 

[C-53]

As a gyro player, this matters to me. I am not very good at the game, but my posture and controller position do affect how well I play.

I used to sit cross-legged on a couch or bed, with fore-arms on legs, and kind of hunch over in the way that most people do when sitting cross-legged for a long period of time.

At some point, though, I played in a nice stable office chair, and now I can never go back. Now my back is always straight, and my feet are flat on the floor.

I still keep my forearms braced on my legs, but I no longer hunch forward, so there is no weight on my arms and my wrists feel more mobile as a result.

The chair is basically essential, and I am at the point where a less stable chair causes a noticeable downgrade in my ability to play the game (such as a folding chair at a friend’s house).

I think that Dude might have a video that touches on this subject. Even if he doesn’t, he gets into this kind of physical behavioral stuff in his x-rank progression vids where he has a controller cam and eye tracker set up, so that you can see where he is looking and what he is doing with his hands while he plays. Apparently people find this entertaining and/or informative?

 

[Mp3]

I just sit upwards on my couch. I only play handheld though.

 

[QuagSass]

I have the curse of "switch lite with joycon drift" so my posture while playing is automatically nerfed. But like someone already mentioned above, a good chair goes a long way. If I couldn't rest my elbows on my chair's armrests, I'm sure I would've become stuck in a fetus position a long time ago. My chair is an old hand-me-down office chair that's slowly falling apart, so it doesn't even have to be some high-end gamer chair. Just something with solid support.
Still need to figure out something for my neck tho, I always gotta lean forward a little because of the tiny screen. One day I will grow a the neck of a giraffe or something

 

[Tinybitt]

Yeah, sitting cross legged is definitely a no-go. Same with having no elbow support. I used to have to sit on a foldable chair and that was a nightmare, especially for precision charger shots.

I guess I haven’t really clarified but my current posture is to put my elbows on the adjustable arm rests that are in level with the height of the desk. I place my elbows on the armrests and put my palms on the desk with the mousepad, making my hands bend 90 degrees at the elbow. That way you get even more stability since there are now technically 4 points of contact. (Also I really wish I could attach a picture but squidboards is freaking out for some reason when I try. I suspect that maybe it’s too big or something)

 

[Tinybitt]

Hand reveal lol.
It's incredibly hard to demonstrate the 90 degree angle I was talking about. Also I was basically laying on my back when I took this to fit in my elbow and hand on the mouse pad. But yeah, usually I sit in the upfront position with a 90 degree bend in my elbows and my hands resting on the mouse pad

 

[youre_a_squib_now]

I play with my legs crossed and my arms lightly resting on my legs. If I put weight on them it starts to restrict my movement, but just having them there makes my aim steadier because it's a good reference point.

 

[smarfdurden]

I have a butt cushion I sit on (my computer chair isn't the most comfortable). I arch my back so I'm slightly shrimp-like and play on my monitor directly in front of me. I also use an 8bitdo controller with backpaddles and I assigned both the back paddles to jump

 

[9DB]

ngl If I'm uncomfortable I just end up playing in handheld and curling into a fetal position
¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

 

[NumberOneAries]

I hold my controller like you would a go kart steering wheel. It's the easiest on the wrists IMO since they aren't upright all the time. In terms of posture, I just sit up in a chair. That's taken me this far lol

 

[Tereox]

Precursor: I play handheld.

I usually sit in an office chair and have my elbows propped up on the armrest. Spinning in the chair helps me with movement (cause that counts as turning the controller)

If I'm not in that chair, my playing always feels off XD