Spent 20 years hammering hot steel wrong

My grandpa always told me to drive the hammer with my shoulder, not my elbow. Ignored him for two decades until my rotator cuff gave out last summer in Kentucky. How long did it take you to unlearn a bad habit from someone's old advice?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthew3712d ago

How long did it take me to figure out my grandpa was onto something? I used to think his advice was just old timer superstition, like spitting on a tool for good luck. Then I switched from swinging a sledge to running a framing nailer and my shoulder started clicking every time I reached for a top shelf. Six months of that noise and I finally started driving with my shoulder instead of my arm. Still makes me wince thinking about all those years I was basically asking for a blown out joint.

mark_green2d ago

Drive it with your shoulder not your elbow" yeah I heard that one too. Took me about six months of typing with one hand after I ignored it and blew out my wrist. Grandpa was right, but I figured I knew better because I was 22 and invincible.

phoenixk641d ago

22 year old me would've laughed at my grandpa too, but now my left elbow clicks every time I pick up a coffee mug. @matthew371 did your clicking stop after you fixed your form or is that damage just permanent now? I'm three months in with the shoulder drive and still not sure if I'm healing or just managing the noise.