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Swinging blind for 2 years until a lifter pointed out my hand position

I spent forever thinking I had to keep my hands tight on the levers the whole time. Last month a veteran oiler on a job in Tulsa just looked at me and said, 'You're fighting the machine, let it breathe.' He showed me how to feather the controls and let the swing drift a bit instead of correcting every little move. Has anybody else had that moment where you realized you were gripping way too hard?
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3 Comments
dakota415
dakota4151mo ago
Hold on, gripping tight keeps you ready for the snap load when that boom swings back on you... letting it drift could get you killed if a gust catches you wrong.
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emmaclark
emmaclark1mo ago
Got my hand slapped off the lever by a cranky old operator once. Told me "you're not petting a cat, son, but you ain't wrestling a bear either.
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wood.eric
wood.eric1mo ago
@dakota415 I found a middle ground with a looser grip but my thumb on the lockout.
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