How do you hold your striker?

[3bailey3]

Cody calls use to have a video that was very good on showing how to run a pot, from holding it to running it, my index finger only touches the striker at the knuckle and I never put the caller flat in my palm.

[Sir-diealot]

I hold it like a pencil with the index finger down the shaft and the middle finger on the underside of the shaft for support.  Tilt the handle away from my body at about a 10 to 15 degree angle and make elongated circular O's for the yelp.  The cut or cluck is just short quick downward movement with good pressure from my index finger.  And the purr is light pressure in a half circle motion.  My index finger and thumb does most of the motions and the pressure is controlled by the index finger for loud or soft sounds.

That sounds like I have been doing it as well with the exception that my purr is single straight motion maybe slightly diagonal wise with downward motion.

[Sir-diealot]

Cody calls use to have a video that was very good on showing how to run a pot, from holding it to running it, my index finger only touches the striker at the knuckle and I never put the caller flat in my palm.

Sounds neat, post it if you can find it please.

[Sir-diealot]

By the way a question to everyone, does you hand position change if you use different kinds of strikers? By this I mean flared/mushroom tip to straight angle striker to slightly angled to pointed? Picture just because sometimes I don't explain myself well and because I am told I can be confusing so I thought I would show what I mean.

[NCL]

I remember that Cody video, I must have watched it 20 times.

Great topic. I have learned a bunch of new things, thanks yo all.

[bbcoach]

My hold on the striker doesn't change due to the different bulb on the striker just the angle in which I tilt it.  Personally I like and seem to play the straight tipped strikers better.  Also I have found I sound better with the thicker straight tip striker body (5/16 barrel) as compared to thin bodied (3/16 barrel) strikers.

[Sir-diealot]

I remember that Cody video, I must have watched it 20 times.

Great topic. I have learned a bunch of new things, thanks yo all.

You're quite welcome.

[Sir-diealot]

My hold on the striker doesn't change due to the different bulb on the striker just the angle in which I tilt it.  Personally I like and seem to play the straight tipped strikers better.  Also I have found I sound better with the thicker straight tip striker body (5/16 barrel) as compared to thin bodied (3/16 barrel) strikers.

I also feel better with a thicker striker.

[silvestris]

However you hold the striker, it is all in the wrist, all of it.

[bbcoach]

However you hold the striker, it is all in the wrist, all of it.

Maybe I'm the weird one but my wrist hardly moves.  My thumb and index finger make most of my movement.  My thumb and index finger ligament moves but my wrist doesn't move very much at all.

[Spitten and drummen]

However you hold the striker, it is all in the wrist, all of it.

I agree to a extent , however striker holds change the sounds as well as pot call holds. Some are subtle but othertimes it can be quiet significant. I do not use my wrist in running the call. My hand stays planted to the call and my hand makes all the movement. If i attempt to put wrist motion in it , it is not consistant and i lose some control due to lifing my hand up off the pot. Thats just my experience.

[Bolandstrutters]

I messed around with my grip for years before I finally found that consistent sweet spot to hold a striker.  The key is to be repetitive.

[Sir-diealot]

However you hold the striker, it is all in the wrist, all of it.

I honestly do not use my wrists much at all, maybe a bit of the bottom of the wrist. I broke both my wrists and broke on thumb and dislocated the other back in 88 so I don't have much movement at all in the left but somewhat limited in the right so that may be why.

[misfire]

Like a pencil, but with the index finger extended. This allows me to exert pressure with my thumb on the striker which can change the pitch of the call.

Any difference in the way the grain on wooden strikers work?

No difference. Also, to add to your question to spitten and drummin, the index finger is pointed straight out

[Turkeytider]

I don`t know, but personally I haven`t discovered the secret. I cannot make a decent sound with a pot call for love nor money and I know it isn`t the call`s fault. It`s a Crystal Mistress. Watched videos. No luck. Thank the Lord for mouth calls and SS box calls !