Snapping my fingers

Splash · 02-11-2009 10:19pm #1

I've no idea what forum I should post this in but "Lifehacking" seems sufficiently vague.

Here's my problem: I can click (snap) my fingers on my left hand no problem but can't do it on my right hand. I know it's a tiny insignificant think but its doing my head in.

Well I can click my fingers on my right hand but not very well at all, its a very weak sound compared to my left and it also hurts my ring finger. It's a very weird and insignificant proglem that's doing my head in lately. I'm losing sleep, lying awake trying to improve my technique

Any help would be warmly welcomed

copacetic · 02-11-2009 11:00pm

hmmm, not sure, I can click either hand pretty loud, so it doesn't appear to depend on whether you are right or left handed. Ever broken your fingers on right hand?

Splash · 04-11-2009 9:24pm

No, Ive never broken fingers on either hand.
Funny thing is I'm normally right-handed (I write, brush my teeth, use a mouse, hold cigarettes, hold drinks, use my mobile, etc all with my right hand) so it's funny that this is the one thing I can't do with my right hand.

Also when I do attempt to click with my right hand I seem to get a feeling of tension all the way up my arm to my torso almost to my ribs and neck (on the right side of my body). And if I try to do something with my LEFT hand that I'd normally do with my right, for instance today I was scrubbing a pot and I tried switching to my left hand; I found it more awkward and I also got a feeling of tension on my right side.

One of the reasons I'm so obsessed with this is because I'm trying to improve my piano playing technique, and in some pieces I can play the left hand part perfectly and the right hand part perfectly but when I try to play them at the same time it all goes awry :mad:

I think I'm getting better though

Arcto · 13-11-2009 2:01am

Im right handed and can only snap my fingers on my left hand.

Could be worse: My mate cant whistle

Capt'n Midnight · 15-11-2009 4:00am

dry hands helps

I can only click with the thumb + middle digit

Mr Benevolent · 20-11-2009 1:16am

Funny enough, the 'click' sound isn't made by the two fingers rubbing against each other, it's made by the middle finger hitting the base of the thumb.

copacetic · 20-11-2009 10:14pm

Confab wrote: »

Funny enough, the 'click' sound isn't made by the two fingers rubbing against each other, it's made by the middle finger hitting the base of the thumb.

it's made more by your middle finger hitting your ring finger at the base of your thumb. The base of the thumb is too fleshy to make a big click without your ring finger there.

aaro26 · 23-11-2009 12:43am

I've never been able to snap my fingers. Or at least its been a weak sound, Now I can in my left but not my right. Seriously Thats gonna do My head in.

stagolee · 29-12-2009 6:07pm

copacetic wrote: »

it's made more by your middle finger hitting your ring finger at the base of your thumb. The base of the thumb is too fleshy to make a big click without your ring finger there.

I dunno about that, i can click my ring finger as loudly as my index finger on the right hand and even if i keep my little finger curled up out of the way it makes a loud snap sound. cant click either of the fingers on the left hand though.

maybe it's something to do with how loose the muscles and tendons are on one hand or the other, I play the guitar so maybe my left hand would be stronger or have tenser muscles?

damnit thats going to wreck my head now too :rolleyes:

amacachi · 09-01-2010 1:36am

Right handed, can only do it with my left hand.

BluesBerry · 09-01-2010 1:41am

My mother can only click with her little finger and it makes a really loud noise I can only click with right hand middle finger (never knew about noise being made by the base of thumb love these type of facts:D)

MrAbc · 09-01-2010 11:06am

I can click with either the middle- or next-to-smallest fingers on both L and R hands. If I time it so that clicks three and four from L-hand follow on immediately after clicks one and two from R-hand then it sounds like castanets LOL :-)

For the novice clicker just starting out, eh, on their chosen career... the most important basic tip I'd say is to concentrate on getting the initial pressure built up properly. The thumb and (whichever) finger must start off stationary and pressing together very hard. This stores up the energy that makes the SNAP... this requires good strong muscles in those fingers... like any muscle training

Then the finger has to roll/slide off the thumb without losing that pressure so as to generate the swift finger motion.

I blame the school system for leaving people (with these idiotic) without these vital skills :-(

Outburst · 12-01-2010 5:48pm

Nothing to be done...

looksee · 15-01-2010 11:36pm

It helps to sort of flick your hand as you do it. Middle finger works best for me, though I can't make as loud a sound as I used to. I have also just discovered it is a very good way of disturbing incipient arthritis.

Silverfish · 23-01-2010 3:21pm

I'm right-handed but eat left-handed, and can click my fingers with both hands....though I remember not being able to some years ago.

copacetic · 23-01-2010 3:27pm

Silverfish wrote: »

I'm right-handed but eat left-handed, and can click my fingers with both hands....though I remember not being able to some years ago.

Eat left handed? Tell me this ain't for the opposite reason that they only eat with right hand in India:eek:?

Or are you just showing off that you were brought up to hold your fork in the correct hand??

Silverfish · 23-01-2010 3:30pm

I don't know! The correct table setting is knife to the right, but I find I can shovel food more effectively with the fork to the right, so I switch them over.

Apparently that's uncouth.

Posy · 30-01-2010 1:19am

I too am then uncouth as I have to switch the knife and fork between hands while eating.

copacetic wrote: »

it's made more by your middle finger hitting your ring finger at the base of your thumb. The base of the thumb is too fleshy to make a big click without your ring finger there.

I never knew that before. I could never click with my left hand (I'm right handed most of the time) but just concentrated on the middle finger 'hitting' the thumb and IT WORKED!! I got a good loud click! Copacetic has actually changed my life a little tonight. I clicked with my left hand, eeeeeek!

:D

*scurries off to practice clicking*

Junco Partner · 18-02-2010 12:06am

you can only click your left hand!? thats the devils hand you must be the devil

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 05-03-2010 1:19am

I'm really cool, I cam click with both hands and I have this special skill where I use my middle finger(on either hand), and put it between my thumb and index fider on the opposite hand, and press it there really hard till that flap of skin gives way and it makes a SUPER loud click.

Hard to explain really, I should probably put it on you tube

Reeni · 06-03-2010 3:42am

Silverfish wrote: »

I don't know! The correct table setting is knife to the right, but I find I can shovel food more effectively with the fork to the right, so I switch them over.

Apparently that's uncouth.

Do you shovel with fork on the right while using the knife in your left hand? Or is this only when not using the knife at all? Cuz I prefer to eat with the fork in my right hand too but only if I'm not cutting/stacking food with a knife. If I am I have to switch back!

On topic, I'm right handed, but can click louder with my left.

Silverfish · 06-03-2010 11:07pm

Reeni wrote: »

Do you shovel with fork on the right while using the knife in your left hand? Or is this only when not using the knife at all? Cuz I prefer to eat with the fork in my right hand too but only if I'm not cutting/stacking food with a knife. If I am I have to switch back!

On topic, I'm right handed, but can click louder with my left.

Always shovel with the fork in my right, and the knife in my left hand, but it stays on the right if I'm not using a knife.

Nulty · 26-03-2010 3:48am

I do the fork switch too, only when not using the knife of course.

OP, practise is everything. I'm not a premier league player or anything but when I was a kid (and older) I'd practice with my left foot all the time. I'd go over to the park and shoot at an open goal with nobody else there. Short story even shorter...I'm pretty deadly with my left and its got a better shot than many people's right (that I've played with).

Also, I can click ring and middle fingers on both hands. It's good to get a rhythm going. How can I do this? To much time on my hands:rolleyes:

dr.fuzzenstein · 29-03-2010 12:45am

Arcto wrote: »

Im right handed and can only snap my fingers on my left hand.

Could be worse: My mate cant whistle

Is that whistle in general or that really loud whistling on your fingers?
I can't do that to save my life.
Any tips? Been trying since I'm 10, now 40, still can't get the hang of it.
Sometimes wonder if there's something wrong with me...;)
Also eat with knife and fork reversed, I must be a weirdo.

Antrim Hotels · 07-05-2010 2:12pm

isnt hacking illegal?

WindSock · 05-06-2010 1:01am

Antrim Hotels wrote: »

isnt hacking illegal?

Only if you are looking to gash up someone elses computery things.

I can only snap my fingers on my right and click with my left.

Capt'n Midnight · 05-06-2010 9:22am

Antrim Hotels wrote: »

isnt hacking illegal?

Au contraire

Until recently it was a precondition of the radio experimenters license that you had to commit to trying to improve the technology. The government insisted on hacking.

Oddly enough there was a guy in Germany fined €100 for having his wireless access point open such that a cracker could connect :rolleyes:

Snapping my fingers

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