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Hand stretches

Lucky13the2nd

Smash Cadet
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
49
NNID
josiahs13
So I have been using some moderate stretching before my Fox techskill practice sessions, and they are working. However, as I ramp up the difficulty of attempted techniques and session intensity, I feel a slight cramping/pain in my wrists. Does anyone have a list of stretches or something of the like that could help prevent my acquiring of carpal tunnel?
 

Bones0

Smash Legend
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
11,153
Location
Jarrettsville, MD
1. No amount of stretching can replace breaks imo. 5-10 minutes every hour is reasonable and what I try to do. If it's a long session, like 8+ hours, I will try to take a longer, 20-30 minute break in the middle.

2. Regardless of what techniques you are performing, you should not be tensing your arms, hands, or fingers. If you have to tense up in order to multishine, for example, you need to retrain your muscles to relax while multishining. It feels weird, but I have found that my consistency, precision, and speed only increase when I learn to relax my muscles. Pay attention to other players, especially new ones, next time you go to a tournament. Players that look like they're spazzing out on their controller tend to have haphazard control over their character. Players with masterful control will tend to perform inputs with smoothness and fluidity.

3. Pay attention to posture. If you've followed any of Caitlin McGee's stuff (check out her Twitter if you haven't), you'll know posture is important because it's essentially the foundation for everything else. If you lean forward with your forearms pressed against your legs, that alone could be a major contributor to forearm/wrist pain.

4. This is a no-brainer at this point, but document what kinds of pain/sensations you're experiencing and try asking your doctor about them. If you have a condition that makes you particularly vulnerable to hand issues, it might not matter how you take care of them. If your hands are ticking time bombs, it's better to know now than later. I bring this up mainly because your join date is fairly recent, so I imagine you haven't been player for very long. I'm sure you've played other games, so that could be part of the reason, but Melee is much busier than any other game. It's only been in recent years that older players have started to have hand pain at a notable rate, but after just a few months to a year, I wouldn't expect any hand issues unless you have terrible form.

5. Finally, an actual answer to your question. ;) Here are videos of the stretches I've been using, and I'm really satisfied with the results (I do 20 reps instead of 15 for the stretches in the second video though).


 

Lucky13the2nd

Smash Cadet
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
49
NNID
josiahs13
Thanks very much for all the advice. I don't exactly have a super convenient setup for form yet, and my chair I use is kinda crappy. Should I place the controller on my lap, or is it alright to hold it in the air like I do now?
 

Bones0

Smash Legend
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
11,153
Location
Jarrettsville, MD
Thanks very much for all the advice. I don't exactly have a super convenient setup for form yet, and my chair I use is kinda crappy. Should I place the controller on my lap, or is it alright to hold it in the air like I do now?
Don't know for sure, it depends what exactly you mean. My arms and the outside of my hands rest on my legs, and the controller rests in my hands. The controller isn't technically on my legs, but if I fell asleep while playing, it wouldn't really change positions, if that makes sense.
 
Last edited:

Lucky13the2nd

Smash Cadet
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
49
NNID
josiahs13
Don't know for sure, it depends what exactly you mean. My arms and the outside of my hands rest on my legs, and the controller rests in my hands. The controller isn't technically on my legs, but if I fell asleep while playing, it wouldn't really change positions, if that makes sense.
alright, thanks for the insight and thanks so much for all the advice! Perhaps this should be more widely shared, because I hadn't the slightest clue before you suggested breaks and focusing on releasing tension.
 
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