Why does nobody talk about the way they hold their shears?

I used to think how you held your shears was just personal style, as long as the cut looked good. Then I watched a guy at a shop in Austin for a full hour. He had this super light, almost floating grip, and his hand never looked tired. I tried to copy it and my thumb started cramping after ten minutes. I realized I was gripping way too hard, like I was trying to strangle the tool. I switched to a lighter hold, focusing on letting the shears do the work, and I can now get through three more haircuts a day without my hand feeling like a rock. It seems like a tiny thing, but it changed my whole day. Has anyone else had to unlearn a death grip on their tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_craig42mo ago

What was the biggest thing you had to change about your grip to make it work?

iris_mason882mo ago

Honestly, I'm going totally against the grain here. I changed nothing. The whole "you must change your grip" advice is overblown. I stuck with my weird, comfortable grip that everyone said was wrong, and just practiced with it until it worked. The problem is rarely the grip itself, it's a lack of consistency. People chase the perfect form instead of just getting good with what feels natural. I think a lot of coaches push changes that just make things harder.