When i was a youth, i used to insert my fingers the exact same way as Tommy Jones does.. Thumb in first with a slight angle of about 45-60 degrees, then twist the hand over towards the holes and then grip the fingertips.. This gave me a feel of a stretched span, when in fact it wasn't.. That was the time when i started to grow really fast.. I couldn't afford having my grip changed all the time, so i kinda figured out a way to keep that stretched feel..
But then again, TJ would probably have figured out a way to get that relaxed or stretched feel he's looking for by now, with all those reps and whatnot..
Untill last year i had a stretched span, and started to feel pain in my finger joints.. I have now gone more relaxed, and no more pain...
I now have it all pretty much figured out, except for the lateral pitches in my thumb.. I'm currently testing with 1/8 to the right..
I'm 5'10'.. And my span is 4'1/2.. Everybody's different..
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Tough times don't last, tough people do...
Aggression is an attitude, not an emotion...