Learning Bad Habits

[Turtle0Monkey]

Hello, well I have been practicing SPP for a few months now on Master Locks. I normally can pick them, but in my cheapo kit I got off Amazon I found a "City" pick . I have a tenancy to lean more on it than improving my skills in SPP. I haven't been able to rake pick yet, just using the city rake to bounce it up and down off of the pins to get the pins to set. I am probably not using it properly either, but it seems to work on most of my master locks and a few door locks. Would this be considered a bad habit or should I try setting time to practice each style of picking before relaying on one heavier than another?

Thank you for your helpful tips and comments.

Turtle

[MHM]

Nope, not a bad habit, just a personal preference.

Locksport is an incredibly broad set of skills and interests; guys specialize in the things that interest them or they enjoy. Single pin picking isn't any *better* per se than raking; some blokes just love to rake stuff, some SPP, some like dimples / automotive / levers / safes / whatever.

In general, a good SPPer will get into more locks than a good raker...but it ain't a competition - it's all about having fun. Personally, I can't rake for shit.

Hope this helps mate. Best wishes,

Michael.

[Pick-Fu]

I use the zipping technique and can open most locks I come across.. its worked on Master, Schlage, American and all sorts of other locks. Just cant get it to work on a Medeco yet..

I really need to spend more time working on SPP

[Turtle0Monkey]

Thank you for the replies.

MHM, I look at it now as a foundation aspect of skills. Take what method you enjoy and works for you best, but being able to fall back to SPP is where I want to be. I try to practice that now. I try rake picking first and if that doesn't work I fall back to SPP, but I need to practice a lot more on SPP before I start trying other methods or I will just get frustrated.

Pick-Fu, I haven't heard of the zipping method. Is that like taking a hook and zipping it across the pins while holding slight tension?

[madsamurai]

I agree, there's no bad habits if they work to open locks... For me, when I first started I couldn't do much with rakes, but after I got better at SPP rakes started working for me. Zipping works well for me, too, and is just like you said... slight tension and pull quickly across the pins with a rake or hook. Scrubbing works pretty well, too -- lightly back and forth with light tension, gradually increasing tension and pick pressure. I find with a lot of locks with security pins it's much faster to rake/zip to a false set first then SPP the last one or two spools.
That said, when I practice I spend most of my time focusing on SPP, even on locks I know I can rake open quick... I don't feel like raking needs a lot of practice (once you've got the hang of it) and I want to be confident that I'm able to manage locks that don't rake open.

[Turtle0Monkey]

MadSamurai, Thank you! I will have to try some of that on the few locks I have I can't pick, but I know they are not difficult.

[macavity]

I know this sounds nuts, but I think master locks and other crappy locks are pretty hard to SPP because they feel like mash mellow inside.

I find medium quality locks to be easier to SPP because the feedback is more consistent and pronounced. Get a Kwikset and a Schlage and pick them in that order. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to read the nice sharp clicks and little "gives" on the core.

I am currently practicing picking the dreaded Ruko 540s in a reasonable amount of time (It's not that hard a lock, it just takes ages to pick), and I use raking to get to the first level false set to shave 5 minutes off because I start over every time i make a mistake.

Personally I think its fun to rake and zip a cheep lock for giggles, but to me it doesn't compare to the feeling of being bad ass when I KNOW that when this pin clicks I get an open.. CLICK -> YAY!

I am not there yet with the Rukos... every open is a complete surprise to me still

My point being: Every technique has its place, otherwise it wouldn't have been invented. It's entirely up to you to chose the best technique for the given situation and practice that.

[Josephus]

I use the zipping technique and can open most locks I come across.. its worked on Master, Schlage, American and all sorts of other locks. Just cant get it to work on a Medeco yet..

I really need to spend more time working on SPP

Set sidebar, heavily angle pick to one side. Anything not setting rotate back and try again. It's a bad habit. Faster and more reliable to spp in the long run.