# Hand Position for the First Pull

Unit: Conquering the Wheel
Topic: The First Pull
URL: https://claybook.studio/learn/hand-position-for-the-first-pull/

# Where Your Hands Go

Pulling up the walls is the most exciting moment in throwing. It's also where most beginners struggle, because hand position is everything and very little feels intuitive at first.

## The Two-Hand Squeeze

Every pull is a squeeze: one hand on the outside of the wall, one hand on the inside, pressing toward each other.

**Outside hand**: Curled fingers against the outside of the wall. The main contact point is the side of the middle finger or the bend of the fingers.

**Inside hand**: Usually one or two fingers pressing outward from inside. Your index or middle finger makes contact with the inside of the wall.

## Alignment Is Critical

Your inside and outside contact points must be **directly opposite each other**, or the inside hand should be very slightly lower than the outside. This is a gentle upward tilt, not a dramatic difference.

If the inside hand is higher than the outside, the clay will flare out with every pull and eventually collapse outward.

If the inside hand is lower, the walls rise straight up or even curve inward.

## Starting Position

Begin with both hands at the very bottom of the wall, just above the floor. This is important: if you start in the middle, you leave thick clay at the base that can never be moved later.

## The Squeeze

Before you move upward, squeeze the clay gently between the two hands. You should feel the wall compress slightly. Now you are ready to move.

## First Pull Rehearsal
Before doing a full pull:
* Set both hands at base
* Apply squeeze without moving up
* Release and reset three times

This trains alignment and pressure before risking the wall.

## Explore More

The squeeze between your inside and outside hands creates [shear stress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_stress) in the clay wall, which is what allows the material to thin and elongate upward. Getting the hand alignment right is a matter of [proprioception](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception), your body's sense of where your limbs are in space without needing to look at them.

## Check your understanding

### Question 1: Where should you position your hands to begin the first pull?

- [ ] A. At the top of the wall
- [x] B. At the very base, just above the floor
- [ ] C. In the middle of the wall
- [ ] D. Wherever feels comfortable

Tip: Always start at the very base of the wall, just above the floor. Starting in the middle leaves thick, unmovable clay at the base.

### Question 2: What happens if your inside hand is higher than your outside hand during a pull?

- [ ] A. The walls rise perfectly straight
- [x] B. The clay flares outward and may collapse
- [ ] C. The walls curve inward
- [ ] D. Nothing changes

Tip: The clay flares outward with every pull and will eventually collapse, because the upward force is tilted outward.