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Bouncing the Pick
This
exercise helps you
learn the
skill of
applying a
fixed pressure with the pick
independent of how the
pick moves up and down in the
lock. Basically you want to learn how to let the pick
bounce up and downaccording to the
resistance offered by each pin.
How you hold the pick makes a
difference on how easy it is to apply a fixed
pressure. You want to hold it in such a way that the
pressure comes from your
fingers or your
wrist. Your
elbow and
shoulder do not have the
dexterity required to pick locks. While you are
scrubbing a lock notice which of your
joints are fixed, and which are allowed to
move. The
moving joints are
providing the
pressure.
One way to
hold a pick is to use two
fingers to
provide a
pivot point while another
finger levers the pick to provide the
pressure. Which fingers you use is a matter of
personal choice. Another way to hold the pick is like
holding a
pencil. With this
method, your
wrist provides the pressure. If your wrist is providing the pressure, your
shoulder and
elbow should provide the force to move the
pick in and out of the lock. Do not use your
wrist to both
move the pick and
apply pressure.
A good
way to get used to the
feel of the
pick bouncing up and down in the keyway is to try
scrubbing over the pins of an open lock. The pins cannot be pushed down, so the pick must
adjust to the heights of the pins. Try to feel the pins
rattle as the pick moves over them. If you move the pick quickly you can hear the
rattle. This same
rattling feel will help you recognize when a pin is
set correctly. If a pin
appears to be set but it doesn't rattle, then it is false set.
False set pins can be fixed by
pushing them down farther, or by releasing
torque and letting them
pop back to their
initial position.
One last word of
advice.
Focus on the
tip of the pick. Don't think about how you are moving the
handle;
think about how you are moving the tip of the pick.