Mouse grips. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Especially as an FPS gamer.
With claw grip becoming a pain in the flicking wrists, palm grip is an ergonomic answer for gamers of all shapes and sizes.
So, how exactly do you palm grip a mouse?
Place your palm onto your mouse and let your fingers fall naturally. Your fingers and palm should be fully gripping the mouse without any space in-between.
A palm grip will allow you to make larger, more controlled movements for precise aim and better tracking.
We’ll dive a bit deeper into this subject and decide if it’s a better option for you.
How To Properly Palm Grip A Gaming Mouse
The trademark of of palm grip is how much more surface area is in contact with the mouse at any given time.
Ideal for FPS gamers, DPS players, and more casual gamers alike, the pressure from both your palm and fingers give you massive control over your mouse.
Before you can game like the pros, though, you will need to make sure your mouse fits.
How to Grip The Mouse
To start, you want to find your ideal palm placement.
For most hands, palm placement will be more important for comfort during long play sessions.
To get your ideal palm placement, slightly curve your hand inwards and place the middle of your palm on the mouse. You can either go from the top or from the back.
Let your fingers fall naturally. Your hand and palm should perfectly cradle your gaming mouse.
If your hand and finger position feels off, or if the hump feels noticeably uncomfortable in your palm adjust accordingly until you find the right fit and feel.
There is no single “correct” way to palm grip a mouse, as long as your palm and fingers are both supported by the mouse and feel comfortable.
You can use the guide above to get the ideal finger placement, but here a quick guide (for right-handed gamers).
The thumb: Locate on left side of the mouse. You’ll use this to solidify your grip. Your entire thumb should be in contact with the mouse with little gapping. If you have extra buttons on your mouse, you can reach for those with your thumb.
The index finger: This finger is responsible for left-click. There can be areas of the finger that are slightly raised, but avoid slamming down onto the mouse.
The middle finger: The standard location is on the right click button, but you can be flexible. Some prefer to have the middle finger on scroll wheel, but for most it will feel more natural on the right click. Most of the finger should be in contact with the mouse.
The index finger: Usually located on the right outside of the mouse. Its used to stabilize the mouse for more precise movements. If you place your middle finger on the scroll wheel, you can use this for the right click.
The pinky finger: Located on the right outside of the mouse. Helps grip and control the mouse to offset the pressure from your thumb.
As you can see, the finger placements are quite flexible. The key is to do what’s comfortable and to have as much of your hand and fingers in contact with the mouse at all times.
If you want a more ergonomic option, they tend to have a taller and rounder silhouette than flatter gaming mice or ambidextrous mice.
The raised hump is meant to fit better within the contours of a slightly curved palm.
Some ergonomic mice may also have a cutout and dorsal fin meant to fit your thumb for extra ergonomic control.
How To Game with a Palm Grip
Gaming with palm grip offers excellent accuracy once you develop the technique.
With a palm grip, you tend to play on a lower sensitivity and make large sweeping motions with your mouse.
This will result in better tracking when attempting to follow hard-to-hit targets.
Palm grip is the more ergonomic choice of the three mouse grip styles, and as such focuses on comfort and ease of use.
The play styles that are best usually rely on larger but slower movements that often require more desk space.
Instead of placing added stress on your wrists and fingers, palm grip uses your elbow and shoulder much more to control the cursor.
If you aren’t used to such large range of motion, you may start to feel fatigue in your arm.
A benefit of palm grip is how much more control you have.
Not only control over the mouse itself, but also the ability to actually use all those buttons on your mouse if you need to – something you won’t be able to do with your fingertips only.
Is Palm Grip Good For FPS Gaming?
Palm grip is quite good for FPS gaming, but how comfortable you feel with it will depend on a number of factors including hand size, mouse shape, mouse sensitivity, and character play-style.
If you don’t necessarily need speedy precision but want better control, especially for sweeping movements, then palm grip is a good choice for characters like snipers in CSGO and hitscan players in Overwatch.
Flicking and wrist movements are possible with palm grip, but usually you will feel more comfortable using your entire arm to control the cursor.
If you are sniping, tracking, or just prefer using a lower sensitivity for precision, then palm grip will be preferred for your needs.
Higher sensitivities and flicking motions are possible with palm grip, but might feel less comfortable at first.
Is Palm Grip Better For Your Wrists and Hands?
When it comes to palm grip, ergonomics is king…most of the time.
Traditional palm grip is a much more comfortable long-term choice if you can find an option that’s right for you.
Your palm is supported by the shape of the mouse, and your fingers lay flatter than tensed, curled talons that claw grippers use.
In most cases, using palm grip means that your palm’s heel may make contact with the desk, and your overall position may not work well with wrist movements. For this reason, palm grippers tend to use their elbow and shoulder to aid in moving the mouse.
Using your entire arm though, tends to be slower and may cause more fatigue if you aren’t used to elevating your elbow while gaming, or moving at the shoulder instead of the wrist.
Though you might not have to worry about your hands and wrists being injured, palm grip still has its trade-offs in terms of comfort.
This is especially true for large hands.
Though some mice may be bigger and longer than others, if you have a hand longer than 20cm in length, you simply may not be able to find a traditional gaming mouse that supports your entire hand.
In this situation, using palm grip on a mouse that is too small for your hands may actually be doing more harm than good.
Why Choose Palm Grip Over Other Grip Styles?
With so many ways to hold a mouse, why should you choose palm grip?
With a plethora of options to choose from between claw grip, fingertip grip, and even hybrid styles, let’s talk about why palm can be a good option.
Long-Term Comfort
The most important reason is that palm grip feels comfortable and familiar to you.
Depending on your hand size, your mouse may feel uncomfortable to use with palm, claw, or finger grip, so be sure to try adjusting your grip until something feels right for you and your gameplay.
Fitting Your Playstyle
You may find that certain mouse grips just feel more comfortable depending on the weapon, role, or character you choose. Whether it be FPS or MMO, palm grip could be right for Y-O-U.
Perfect For FPS
This holds especially true for FPS games like CSGO, Valorant, and Overwatch.
Even professional gamers like Sinatraa have been known to switch between multiple grips.
Snipers and DPS characters that use larger sweeping movements and lower sensitivity will appreciate palm grip for the amount of control it gives you in larger range of motion.
Playstyle considerations like flicking, mouse sensitivity, and aiming with your wrist vs arm are also big considerations when choosing grips.
Though flicking is more common with claw and finger grips, using the right combination of sensitivity, palm grip, and arm-aiming can be an extremely viable option…with enough desk-space, that is.
You can even aim with your wrist in palm grip like some pro’s do, but it might feel awkward at first.
If you prefer to aim with your arm with lower sensitivity, palm grip is the way to go.
What if You Play MMORPGs?
Don’t play FPS? Even more reason to consider palm grip.
Many genres like MOBA and MMORPG require many macros, and some MMO-focused mice may have a ton of thumb-buttons.
These mice are more difficult to use with claw grip, and extremely awkward with fingertip.
Palm grip will make using these mice easy, as you will have more control over the mouse while clicking those buttons.
Ergonomics and Health
If you’re concerned about constant wrist flicks, strained fingers, and even RSI, then you might want to consider using palm grip with an ergonomic gaming mouse.
By having your whole hand supported, and using your entire arm to move the mouse, you are minimizing the risk for injury to such small joints like in your wrist and fingers.
Mouse Style + Hand Size
Speaking of ergonomics, it is impossible to game comfortably if you don’t have a mouse than suits your hand, or a grip that suits your mouse.
Flatter mice may have the length required for palm grip, but the overall shape might not provide the support you need.
Taller mice with bigger humps may be more ideal for palm grip, especially if the mouse is more ergonomically shaped.
Smaller and average sized hands will have an easy time with palm grip, but larger hands should consider a modified or hybrid palm grip.
Recommended Palm Grip Mice
Choosing the right mouse is as important for gaming as choosing the right shoes is for running.
Without comfort, without the right fit, and without the right design for how you do things, you may as well throw potential and peak-performance out the door.
Here are a few palm-grip mouse recommendations for you to consider:
Best Palm Grip Mouse for Gaming: Razer DeathAdder Elite
Razer Deathadder Elite is a versatile premium wired gaming mouse that is designed for right hands.
Featuring one of the best tracking sensors on the market and durable Omron switches, the Deathadder Elite has a simple design that suits not only palm grip, but claw and fingertip as well.
Versatility, reliability, and ergonomics come together in this well-balanced mouse.
Check it out on Amazon for a great price.
If you’re left-handed, consider Razer’s Deathadder Left-Handed Edition.
Best Palm Grip Mouse for Small Hands: Glorious Model D-
The Glorious Model D- is an ultra lightweight ergonomic mouse that suits all grip types.
The Model D- features a reliable 12,000 DPI Pixart gaming sensor and PTFE skates on the bottom of the mouse for super smooth tracking and gaming.
Weighing in at only 61g or just over 2 ounces, the Model D-‘s versatile shape is a great choice for FPS games, no matter your playstyle.
Ascend with the Glorious Model D- on Amazon.
Best Palm Grip Mouse for Large Hands: Corsair Ironclaw
The Corsair Ironclaw is a large, ergonomic mouse that is fairly comfortable for big hands.
Those of us with large hands don’t have very many choices when it comes to palm grip mice, but the Corsair Ironclaw is one of the best choices.
The Ironclaw uses an 18,000DPI Pixart sensor that makes tracking performance impressive for a gaming mouse at the price point.
At 130 grams or 4.6 ounces, the Ironclaw is not a light mouse, those with larger hands that prefer palm grip might prefer a heavier mouse for smoother control.
Go big with the Corsair Ironclaw on Amazon for an excellent price.
Conclusion
Palm Grip is perfect for those looking for greater control, and gamers who have an affinity for smooth tracking and maybe the occasional dungeon raid.
Though not the perfect fit for everyone, palm grip is the more ergonomic choice and may be better for your joints in the long-run. Not to mention excellent for deadlock aim.
Whether you choose palm, finger, claw, or something in-between, the most important part of mouse-grips is finding one that is comfortable and usable for you and your favorite games.
Don’t be afraid to change it up, because life, like gaming, is all about adaptation.
Thank you for reading, and we hope you find your fit.