Using Finger Joints (by Horie)
DP Expert
Table of contents
Using finger joints?
Conventional recommendation is to use the finger tips to press the buttons in IIDX - but a small population of players also use their finger joints.
This is sometimes criticized by some; they say it’s a bad habit to use your joints - but I don’t really agree, in fact I know a few DP good players who use this style.
The video above is from Doomsday, a highly ranked DP player from Korea.
As you can see, he demonstrates a smooth play style using finger joints. He does not move the finger tips very much, which can be a huge benefit for charts with many stairs, such as Mare Nectaris DPA.
The critical issue of what to do with your ring finger
Double Dribble DPA
Your index finger and thumb can hit button 3, but you can only use your ring finger to press 5 and 6. It can be quite clumsy when they show up at the same time though (like 5+6 pills). These chords are uncommon, but when you reach a point where you are playing with RANDOM often in DP, it will be more common – and painful.
Middle 5, Middle 6, Pinky 5 techniques can be adequate solutions, but they are difficult to learn.
Pros and cons of using ring finger joint
Using the ring finger joint can be less demanding compared to other techniques (middle 5, 6, pinky 5). Plus, you can use it without deviating away from the basic hand position (12467 / 13457).
It can be especially effective when the middle finger cannot move away from the home position due to notes.
As a con, since you need to stretch out your ring finger, your hands can get tensed up. These moves would be often required when playing DBR, quickly overwhelming your hand muscles. Luckily, this is not a major problem, and could be overcome with practice.
The biggest downside is when 5,6 notes show up like above. Because the ring finger is forced to handle two lanes, it’s more difficult than using two fingers for them. Ring finger slide technique might help here, although not all that much.
Conclusion
There are many resources that explain about Middle 5 / Middle 6 / Pinky 5, but not much for ring-finger-joint playstyle. In that way, this style is a lot like becha-press (TAKA.S) from SP, except in DP.
Maybe it looks ridiculous, but there is a ranked player(Youtube) who uses this playstyle. Regardless, there is considerable evidence that this is a viable technique.