It took me 17 years to figure out I was holding a hammer wrong

Honestly I always wondered why my elbow would ache after a day of framing. Last month my apprentice hands me his hammer and says try holding it closer to the head. I laughed at him at first but I tried it and wow what a difference. For 17 years I was gripping that thing way down at the handle end like I was swinging for the fences. Turns out you get way more control and way less strain on your forearm if you choke up a couple inches. My elbow stopped hurting after about a week of doing it that way. Has anyone else had that moment where some basic tool technique just clicked way later than it should have?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_logan1mo ago

Have you ever tried using a Japanese pull saw instead of a regular one? I spent years pushing and yanking at a Western saw until a buddy handed me a pull saw, and it was like learning to cut all over again but way easier on the shoulders.

veraw471mo ago

My neighbor swore by pull saws for years and I thought he was being a snob about tools. After trying one on a deck repair last summer I get it now, no joke.