Unconventional ways of holding a controller. Do you ever do anything "weird"?

[RH | 4,908]

Let's face it, ever since the PS1 Dualshock controller, controllers across all systems have generally kept the same shape.  D-pad and analog on the left with option buttons on the right with another analog stick just under those, and usually 2 left and 2 right buttons at the top.  Sure there are variations of this, but once this formula was crafted it set the standard because it's an excellent layout.

This style control lends itself to an obvious way of holding the device--each hand grips one side, with the thumb focused toward the middle for easy access to all of the buttons.  You hold it like you are holding the top of a steering wheel.

This is convenient and feels right to me 95% of the time.  However, when I go to play a fighting game I never hold the controller that way. instead, my left-hand takes a standard grip but my right-hand puts my thumb under the controller and I "claw" the controller, wrapping my fingers over the top of the controller.  (See image below.)

I have no clue how I learned to do this.  I think I just intuited that it makes it easier to precisely hit 2-3 buttons with 2-3 fingers, rather than trying to wrap my thumb around any given combination when it's required.  Does anyone else do this?  Or, do you somehow hold a controller in a different, weird position for any specific game or type of game?  I own this craziness.  It works for me. 

How about you?

[twiztor | 851]

way back in the day, i had a babysitter that played NES using your claw method, but with both hands. sometimes when i am having an especially hard time with a game, i switch to that method to change it up. It hasn't helped yet, but maybe some day!

[ifightdragons | 234]

I used to hold the original N64 controller with my left hand on the leftmost prong, which was intended for D-pad usage.

I then stretched my thumb over to control the joystick on the middle prong. It provided more support and control over the sensitive joystick. I've since switched to the much more comfortable Brawler64 Wireless.

I've seen others play this way, although most of my friends found it odd.

Edited February 22, 2022 by ifightdragons

[RH | 4,908]

6 minutes ago, ifightdragons said:

I used to hold the original N64 controller with my left hand on the leftmost prong, which was intended for D-pad usage.

I then stretched my thumb over to control the joystick on the middle prong. It provided more support and control over the sensitive joystick. I've since switched to the much more comfortable Brawler64 Wireless.

I've seen others play this way, although most of my friends found it odd.

That' a rare positioning but I have seen this.  Curious, you have big hands?  I've tried it.  I can do it but I just have to stretch my thumb a bit to much to be comfortable.  Also, how would you use the Z-button like that.

[ifightdragons | 234]

1 hour ago, RH said:

That' a rare positioning but I have seen this.  Curious, you have big hands?  I've tried it.  I can do it but I just have to stretch my thumb a bit to much to be comfortable.  Also, how would you use the Z-button like that.

Right middle finger on the Z-button. Try it and see how it works, haha.

I have normal sized-hands, though rather long, piano fingers.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

4 hours ago, RH said:

Let's face it, ever since the PS1 Dualshock controller, controllers across all systems have generally kept the same shape.  D-pad and analog on the left with option buttons on the right with another analog stick just under those, and usually 2 left and 2 right buttons at the top.  Sure there are variations of this, but once this formula was crafted it set the standard because it's an excellent layout.

This style control lends itself to an obvious way of holding the device--each hand grips one side, with the thumb focused toward the middle for easy access to all of the buttons.  You hold it like you are holding the top of a steering wheel.

This is convenient and feels right to me 95% of the time.  However, when I go to play a fighting game I never hold the controller that way. instead, my left-hand takes a standard grip but my right-hand puts my thumb under the controller and I "claw" the controller, wrapping my fingers over the top of the controller.  (See image below.)

I have no clue how I learned to do this.  I think I just intuited that it makes it easier to precisely hit 2-3 buttons with 2-3 fingers, rather than trying to wrap my thumb around any given combination when it's required.  Does anyone else do this?  Or, do you somehow hold a controller in a different, weird position for any specific game or type of game?  I own this craziness.  It works for me. 

How about you?

I do that same type of grip whenever I'm playing a game that requires a lot of button mashing, or if I'm just at a part in the game that requires button mashing. It makes sense to hold it like that for fighting games and such too.

[Brickman | 3,990]

This isn’t an unconventional way to hold the controller but a tip that some might not know about.

The N64 and GameCube era had some ridiculously annoying mash A button to make something happen. A good trick to this is to quickly rub a pen across the button.

This is very useful for Starfox Adventures on GC. I almost rage quit that game until I discovered I could button mash really quickly with a pen.

[fox | 1,667]

My bear claw is stronger 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

I use the claw for fighters and on fight pads. It's one of the reason the Sega Saturn controller is my favorite of all time. It's such an easy controller to claw.

[SilverspoonGaming | 332]

When we were younger, my friend placed his index, middle, and ring fingers on the A, B, and C buttons of the Genesis 3 button controller.

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

I played and finished every Tony Hawk game on PlayStation and PlayStation 2 by using my index finger on the triangle button to grind. I would hold the controller normally and whenever I needed to grind, I'd drop my index finger down from the R button to hit the triangle button.

[Tanooki | 4,934]

Controller, rarely unless it's some very specific type of game where super fast finger tip tapping would work, but that's rare.

Arcade though, I found over the years if I got going for awhile on something the arms can get a bit tired if its repetitive and fast enough, so I got myself where I can play with my wrists crossed using the opposite as intended hands to play on the buttons vs joystick.  That has some advantages.

Oh and when I was a kid to add challenge to an old NES game I got very good at, I'd pop out the NES advantage and try and play using my toes which at times was pretty fun.

[LostLevel83 | 85]

Nothing grip related to add, but a friendly reminder of the control setting that is available in N64 Goldeneye that allows for using two controllers for dual analog play. Two-handed controls is a little “weird”.

 

[RH | 4,908]

54 minutes ago, LostLevel83 said:

Nothing grip related to add, but a friendly reminder of the control setting that is available in N64 Goldeneye that allows for using two controllers for dual analog play. Two-handed controls is a little “weird”.

 

I've seen speed run videos of this.  It's wild to me how fast some people can beat some games, but for those same people to get bored and pick up the dual-controller mode is just crazy.

[croagunk | 798]

I tend to get a blister around the knuckle of my ring finger from pressing it against the back of the controller. Same issue with pencils and the DS stylus.
 

According to this image I do the lateral quadrupod when I hold a pencil. It apparently isn’t that common.
 

[T-Pac | 7,560]

14 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Oh and when I was a kid to add challenge to an old NES game I got very good at, I'd pop out the NES advantage and try and play using my toes which at times was pretty fun.

 

[T-Pac | 7,560]

23 hours ago, ZeldaFreak said:

I do that same type of grip whenever I'm playing a game that requires a lot of button mashing.

Last month when I was diving into Spider Fighter on the 2600, I tried button-mashing with my index finger on a classic Atari joystick, but it didn't work haha. Not enough stability.

-CasualCart

 

33 minutes ago, croagunk said:

I tend to get a blister around the knuckle of my ring finger from pressing it against the back of the controller. Same issue with pencils and the DS stylus.
 

According to this image I do the lateral quadrupod when I hold a pencil. It apparently isn’t that common.
 

Whoa - this is the first time I've actually seen someone holding a pencil the same way I do! The dynamic quadrupod.
I never learned how to write "properly".

-CasualCart

[PII | 1,886]

Similar to what Code Monkey was describing except with regard to the N64 Controller, I'll often use my forefinger for the C-buttons.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

54 minutes ago, croagunk said:

I tend to get a blister around the knuckle of my ring finger from pressing it against the back of the controller. Same issue with pencils and the DS stylus.
 

According to this image I do the lateral quadrupod when I hold a pencil. It apparently isn’t that common.
 

I just held a pen in my hand to see how I hold it because I got curious, and apparently I'm a combination of dynamic tripod and lateral tripod. When holding a pen or pencil, my fingers are positioned very similarly to dynamic tripod, except I don't position the pen itself up against the space between my thumb and index finger, it's usually leaning up against my index finger like in lateral tripod. I think it's mostly because I have very small hands, I think the size of your hands may play a big factor in how you hold pens and pencils.

[Tanooki | 4,934]

@CasualCart  Haha nice -- you know I've already saved that.

[JamesRobot | 5,804]

So I have to do this hybrid claw/standard grip playing Mega Man X and it drives me crazy.  But there's no other way to do the dash wall jump while charging the buster.