Weird question... do you rest your mouse arm (elbow) on an armrest?

**Veovis** · 06-02-09, 11:16 AM

Yeh, it sounds weird. But I think it can be somewhat important. I got a new chair recently that's really adjustable and am trying to figure out whether I like gaming with or without an armrest better. For normal PC use I like the armrest. For fine aiming in gaming, I think it helps, but for fast twitch moves it slow me down, and I'm better with only my wrist making contact with the desk. Maybe poor analogy, but it's kind of like aiming a gun while running versus standing still and really taking aim at your target. If you're just making fine adjustments, the more parts of your body you constrain, the better. Right now I have my armrest so that if I need to make a fast twitch my elbow will naturally lift off and I can move faster, but if I am settling in for a precise aim I try to let me elbow fall back into place to stabilize my aim.

Has anybody else ever thought about this shit?

**CheeseLikeSubstance** · 06-02-09, 11:43 AM

I have.

When at school, my desk chair has no armrest. When home for the summer, my desk chair has a non-adjustable armrest. Thus, I had to adjust over the first week or so of being back to the armrest. I still feel as though the armrest worsens my aim and reflexes.

**_BuRn_** · 06-02-09, 11:47 AM

I play with no rest.

Playing with the elbow seated tends to throw off my vertical axis while circle strafing due to the natural pivot effect.

If I were doing a lot of sniping and not circle strafing, yes a rest would probably be wise.

But for most of TF2's high speed movement, rest free is the way to be for me, thank ye.

**HuntnJade** · 06-02-09, 12:08 PM

I rearranged my desk and actually used the desk as my armrest for a little while... it made my shoulder ache so I switched it back. I find myself using it a little when just surfing the net but never in game.

**flame** · 06-02-09, 12:14 PM

lazy ftw... I got a big comfy chair with armrests. my elbow comes up at times but I normally kick back while playing, sub works as a great foot rest.

**sickwookie** · 06-02-09, 12:27 PM

I have thought about this quite a bit actually.

I am a programmer, and like most I have had to deal with carpal tunnel syndrome as a result. It was absolutely crucial for me to use the arm rest while using the mouse to overcome it. When I am gaming I rest about half of my forearm on the armrest at a level such that I have no bend in my wrist when I rest my hand on my mouse. I grip the mouse with my thumb, ring, and little fingers without resting my palm on it generally. This grip allows me to get a good range of motion for very little wrist movement. I pair that with a high resolution optical mouse(logitec mx518) with enough sensitivity in game to allow me to turn 180 with a flick of my wrist.

**Veovis** · 06-02-09, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by sickwookie

I grip the mouse with my thumb, ring, and little fingers without resting my palm on it generally.

Same, this is called the "claw" grip I believe. I use 518 as well, love it.

Originally Posted by sickwookie

When I am gaming I rest about half of my forearm on the armrest at a level such that I have no bend in my wrist when I rest my hand on my mouse.

Wow. This is going to sound really, really dumb, but you just helped me figure out something that should have been blazingly obvious. For years I've been resting my ELBOWS on armrests and dealing with something similar to carpal tunnel in my right hand from all the pressure on my right elbow (it's all the same tendon). I have tried resting my forearms instead of my elbows, but it never felt right. The reason it never felt right is because I had the height adjusted for my elbows (which is too low for forearm). I am at work now (not gaming) but I just raised up my armrests here and tried resting the forearm instead of the elbow and it is 10x better.

For gaming I still prefer no armrest at all sometimes, but that keeps the strain off my elbow since it's touching nothing, and my energy level is high enough when I'm gaming that I don't mind holding my arms up for hours. At work or doing PC work at home (not gaming) I definitely prefer the armrest as I am too lazy to hold my arms up when I don't need the speed, and this elbow->forearm switch is brilliant. God I am an idiot. That also explains why the armrests on most chairs seem to far forward to me...

**Veovis** · 06-02-09, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by _BuRn_

Playing with the elbow seated tends to throw off my vertical axis while circle strafing due to the natural pivot effect.

If I were doing a lot of sniping and not circle strafing, yes a rest would probably be wise.

But for most of TF2's high speed movement, rest free is the way to be for me, thank ye.

Yeh, vertical flicks (required for rocket jumping) are also very hard when your arm is resting.

**Panic** · 06-02-09, 01:04 PM

I rest both my elbows on pull-outs from my desk, I can't play without them

**QuickLightning** · 06-02-09, 01:04 PM

At work I rest my elbow on the desk... At home and gaming, a big negative on that.

I gotta have the freedom to move my hand quickly and effortlessly while gaming.