Ultimate Japanese Balltop Joystick Holding Guide

[@blacknerdtalks7921]

Came back here to share your video to new fighting game players. Thanks for still having this one up🙌🏿

[@YaYousef5]

Glad it helps. 😊

[@DuPhoReal]

He's very good at holding the shaft.

[@YaYousef5]

That's what he said! Oh wait... no homo!

[@mylinuxstruggle5495]

I learned arcade stick on this. Video and it's still the best grip. Video i remembered when you posted it

[@SnkrhD13]

This is the first video on gripping the joy stick that actually made everything “click” for me. Thanks!

[@YaYousef5]

Thanks my guy. Can’t believe a video I made when I was 19, 15 years ago, has helped so many people. 🥺

[@LoveXKnife]

this video is still here, amazing

[@YaYousef5]

Ha ha yeppp. Oldie but a goodie.

[@Ultraweedman69TV]

Been recommending this video to people for 12 years. This shit is gold

[@YaYousef5]

Thank you! 😊

[@_Renaissance_Man]

Just so you know Daigo uses the stick in between his pinky and ring finger.

[@YaYousef5]

Daigo can stick his fingers wherever he wants, y'know what I mean?

[@popzvegas88]

holy shit.. dude honestly best video on this subject hands down.. good work

[@YaYousef5]

You know it.

[@bobsteave1236]

2022 I was here Thx for the memes and info

[@YaYousef5]

You know it, homeboiii.

[@BrotherDanTheMan]

"Oh! It's the Grip of Doom! Get out of the way! Don't play him!" lol cracked me up.

[@kellifizw.8846]

can't believe the way of my holding is called "no homo" that's funny af

[@faint255]

This helped a little actually coming from a person who wants to make a transition from the controller pad to arcade stick

[@YaYousef5]

@BigBlueandWhite You have to buffer the motion. During the shoryuken motion, when you're at the down position, hit the kick button, then go to the diagonal and press punch for the shoruyken to come out. You can do the same with crouch into super. Do one qcf motion, then on the second qcf motion when you're at the down position press the kick, go diagonal, then front, then press the punch button for the super to come out.

[@OtakuZerosmia]

You actually got me laughing with your comments about the grip of doom. Very informative, you are getting a like sir.

[@olpdragon]

Thank you for this old video. Everytime there is a topic of how you hold it, most all the things people say are "there is no right way, just do what feels natural and practice". Well I want to know of other ways and see if they are more natural, or just plain superior! Like, You can hold a guitar multiple ways, but it is best to learn a more proper way, and it is up to you if you want to hold it different from a more normally accepted way.

[@Two49]

Always come back to this video as a refresher. I naturally go for eagle grip but it's always good to experiment.

[@tingleyip6787]

You seem really good at gripping the shaft and playing with ball my guy.

[@YaYousef5]

You know it.

[@YaYousef5]

@BigBlueandWhite You have to buffer the motion. During the shoryuken motion, when you're at the down position, hit the kick button, then go to the diagonal and press punch for the shoruyken to come out.

[@aznbreakerboi51o]

First thing I heard when I opened this video? Guile's theme. Sure as hell goes with everything.

[@CodyRockLee13]

More people than you think, trust me. I'm one of those people. It shows you the options out there, things you can try whilst exploring the position that's best for you. I'm honestly new to arcade sticks (getting one in the mail soon), so I'm one of those people who need vids like this. xD

[@Cyrox]

My way; thumb on right side, pokefinger on left side, done. Use thumb for motions towards left side and pokefinger + thumb for right side. Superior tactics.

[@SeanWashPhoto]

I actually recommend getting a Bat-top if you feel that the stick is too short. Many arcade part suppliers sell Bat-Tops for Sanwa/Seimitsu sticks. It's extremely helpful for people used to Happ parts and people with large hands.

[@YaYousef5]

Thanks. I made the arcade stick myself and one of my friends drew the artwork. Slayer is awesome.

[@SSMugen]

Nice for those peeps who aren't experienced with the Japanese style Arcade sticks.

[@EdOscuro]

Be comfortable for gains. I think the way I hold it should be called THE SHOCKER, since it's more or less a cross between the Monkey and the Eagle grip. Magic Fourth Finger down, knuckle more or less free to come into contact with the shaft of a balltop, with the middle and pointy fingers around the ball and the thumb on top. Surprised to see how comfortable most styles are though! Excellent taste in music also; I didn't even know that cover existed.

[@captainsynonym]

Dude, thanks a ton for this vid! I just got the Hori real arcade pro sa stick and SSF4 last night. Having grown up on using pads it's a huge obstacle for me to get acclimated to a stick, (I couldn't even do a double qcf motion!) so after watching this vid of yours I can't wait to get home and try out each grip to find the one that works best for me. I really appreciate it!

[@segano1]

Finally at long last someone bothered to upload a video like this, Id go with the glass wine style, most natural to me

[@captainsynonym]

@dragoonerzerg They're awesome, I'm happy to report. I use the "wineglass" technique myself, and was surprised to see how much more often supers and ultras came out just by making sure I was gripping the joystick that way. I'm totally converted now, and am enormously glad I got the stick. Good luck, dragoonerzerg!

[@LadyhawksLairDotCom]

I seemed to have settled on the eagle grip instinctively. I'm still getting used to the stick. From what I've read, it takes practice.

[@YaYousef5]

Yeah I know what you mean. It took me 3 seconds of practice to master all the grips. Shit was hard work.

[@BrattyBekkaGeekstation]

I use a combination of Wineglass/no homo, I think that's the one Daigo ended up using in his tutorial video WHICH I CAN'T FIND (Yours is great for showing ALL the styles though)

[@nic1357]

i certainly grip the shaft and ball in a way i feel comfortable with

[@prayse8292]

The image on your fight stick is fucking godlike dude Im jealous

[@YaYousef5]

Damn right son. To get that art I had to battle 14 wolves. Yeah sure, they were puppies, but they were still wolves, so I'm a hard-ass don't you forget it!

[@deathgunz]

LMAO!! I use the freaking "no homo" grip!! On occasions I would lift both my hands in the air with my forearms scrunched in to my chest. I had no idea it was even called that. No wonder it felt so weird. Great video man!!

[@AereVoS]

Nice video but....i believe that the best way to use a balltop stick is to use it with your RIGHT hand if your a righthanded person and the LEFT hand if you are a lefthanded person. Also the best grip for me is the "eagle" grip as you call it...with the RIGHT hand of course! Cheers! I am from Greece and i remember those days back in the 90s when I was really pissed of when the first japanese style arcade cabinets ( with the buttons on the right, stick on the left...) appeared.

[@Zeronum2]

Guile's theme goes with everything? Nice guide.

[@Ishimarukatio]

as new arcade stick player this video helped me out a lot. Thanks bro.

[@RubbinRobbin]

The 'wineglass' and the 'no homo' are the best ones.

[@sailorenlil]

My style of gripping this type of joystick is in essense a variant of the "Monkey Grip" - variant as in my ring and pinky arern't wrapped around the shaft, but relaxed and free, so only my middle, index, and thumb are actually gripping (the balltop). I also tried the various gripping styies shown here, but I still find the "Monkey Grip" best for me.

[@matteociroldi4034]

This video is still the GOAT

[@Rothbardy]

I see what you did there, Yousef. You're trying to imbue your arcade stick with the power that is Three Wolf Moon.

[@Providenceangle]

I use eagle or no home. Like you described I don't use the thumb much. Perhaps to grab the ball if it gets out of hand. I can't figure out if your stick is small or your hands are big lol. I use a full size desk top stick over a lap size like yours.

[@campos3452]

You forgot the 'Slap Dat Ass WTF? are you doing to my joystiq you're gonna break my S***! hold' LMAO

[@doodleboi]

Still using modified wine glass to this day, thanks to this vid. Thank you sir!

[@LodanZark]

the grip of doom turns functional arcade sticks into broken ones xD

[@DemonmachinE]

Awesome, dude. You know, one comment outside of "great vid". You said Ball and Shaft a lot... and that made me lol hard.

[@YaYousef5]

@FREEBOOSIEboo Definitely go for the one that gives you the best comfort for the amount of precision you get with it.

[@YaYousef5]

@FrozenMutiny Wine glass is a common name for the hold. The others I made up with some friends of mine.

[@Grinch_Asuka]

i just got my first stick a few days ago and im also having a lil trouble with srk input, i play a few hours a day and im getting alot better. Best advice i could give you is just practice hours long ;)

[@johnnylira6238]

This is so funny! He is making those names up. No homo? Lol

[@clairemadeinheaven]

lol is that napoleon dynamites stick?

[@YaYousef5]

@cheeriosNchex Pretty common for people new to joysticks. You haven't practiced enough doing it on that side and that's why you're missing the moves. Try using your thumb more to guide the motion. You need practice.

[@legendofsource]

I like how instead of getting transparent seimitsu buttons you used grey plungers for sanwas.

[@illyillyill]

Grip of doom works ok, but i like the wineglass spliced with the eagle i guess.

[@goatphew]

Is that altered beast as the picture? You're OG dawg.

[@xyanide1986]

Haha awesome video, I had no idea there were actually so many grips used. I just found out I use a variation on the No Homo, but I tend to just rest my thumb over the top. I tried the wineglass but it really wasn't comfortable for me because my hand's aren't small enough or something. When I just started with mine I tried the monkey grip just by intuition but it was hard for me to do half circle movements. Video Fave'd.

[@andy7666]

Nice vid man! In all my years I've never used any of these - I can see how using the pinky more may help.. Will have a go! ^_^

[@lepruk86]

@ Lurkerrekrul I am a very strong left handed person. But I think for anything that is dual handed (IE gaming as an example)... Your mind sort of compensates... I have never felt disadvantaged against a right handed player and likewise I was ranked very highly on some classic PC shooters just playing the right handed way.... Bottom line both hands are doing something important so it makes sense for everyone to play the same way. I even Play the guitar *right handed*....

[@ChronoTriggerX]

Yah I bought an official one without the cruddy 6 buttons and nice art.

[@hammerinhand]

I usually cross my right and left arm because its what's comfortable for me. My grip wasn't mentioned. I take my pointer finger and my middle finger and put it on the bottom of the shaft so my hand is flat. I really need to get a Kthulu board so I can play on my Ps2!

[@michaelbardock8675]

The grip I use is not in this video 😆 so Idk what I'd even call it. It's like the wine glass I guess but it's just my fingertips, I don't have the stick all the way between my fingertips touching my palm like the wine glass. My ring and pinky are behind the stick my middle is touching the front of the stick and at the bottom of the ball and my index and thumb touch the ball around the middle and towards the top.

[@YaYousef5]

Give it a name and watch your opponents cower when you say it. 😈

[@LimitxKing]

guile theme goes with everything

[@NotMecha]

Seems I'm using a variant of the eagle, I'd use the wineglass but the TE's shaft isn't long enough (made in japan!)

[@ake-mtsobdkvwn478]

Been using the wineglass one without even knowing if it was a normal grip or something

[@Harutjun]

I say try the standard way & the wineglass first & then the rest

[@cheeriosNchex]

@CantoV Thanks for the reply back, it's greatly appreciated. I really do prefer the arcade joystick because it feels like I handle movements better. I shall keep practicing!

[@SPyoutube42069]

this does not deserve negative thumbs

[@aceshayan7583]

Watching this after 13 years

[@YaYousef5]

My man.

[@Gorillazareking]

Is the wineglass typically played palm-up like that? I've been playing a middle-fingered wineglass, resting my hand on its side. Great video though, it really helped me out months ago when I first got a stick. Thanks!

[@ELMDaihen]

I just got my stick a few weeks ago so this is awesome for me! Thanks.

[@Caramel1901]

I'm trying to learn how to play with a arcade stick for SFV but I can't do special moves or super moves on the 1 Player side. I'm going to try a few of these grips and see if they work. Thanks

[@YaYousef5]

It takes practice grasshopper. Remember the first time you tried to take a shit? It just went all over your pants and the floor. But with practice, you learned to hold the kaka in your intestines until you got to a toilet. Think back to that day while you practice. Think of taking your first shit on a toilet.

[@willbm6836]

I could not do the supers too, especially in emulators, but now I can easily

[@whistel5445]

Que zarpada esa musica recuerdo a la epoca dorade de las maquinas arcade

[@josephhryann]

puberty strikes again 3:51

[@YaYousef5]

But I'm man enough to leave it in the video. One take baby.

[@YourDaddysBelt69]

Been playing on a stick for 10 years now. I dont use any of these grips but wonder what my grip is called. I switch between holding ball top with the tip of my middle, index, and thumb with ring finger under it to do inputs then use the middle part of my middle and index finger for movement while keeping my thumb on the ball top

[@YaYousef5]

Give it your own unique name!!!!

[@BigBlueandWhite]

@CantoV Wow, that was fast. I just keep my old comment few second and remove it to fix it, but you catch to answer it. Thanks!

[@TheSoufiane]

I use the eagle grip, minus the thumb, sometimes I use the thumb to jump but qcf's and qcbs just without thumb

[@PantheonLincoln]

Useful video. Once I've got my shitty MadCatz SE Fightstick fixed (i.e. put a decent stick and buttons in it), I will start fully re-learning how to play Street Fighter on a stick, after many many years of pad-based action. This will be useful for finding a technique that works for me, as I'm finding the transition very difficult. I can't help feeling like the joystick itself is too short for my hands. Experimentation is the key...

[@garougt]

lol now I know that I actually use the no homo. Thanks for the info!!! This video is very useful and I'm glad you made it!

[@b7ray32]

@nagger221 lmao man when i read your comment i fell on the floor laughing

[@budojon]

when i played in montreal at the arcade against an asian, he was holding the stick with the right hand with his fingertips and the left he was pushing the buttons, so his hands where crossed. besides, i also saw some people use the jang iksu grip, which basically only touch the stick when to do a motion.

[@EadricRicmund]

I play cross handed when I play grapplers.. Then again that is only because a) I am majorly a PC gamer, me using my left hand instead of my right hand for directional controls never really made sense to me. b) easier to do circles.

[@timebandit1266]

love the video! Props how you beat your arcade stick up! i’m too scared with mine 😂

[@Aberusugi]

@CantoV Dude, it's funny, it's framed in wood, like BAD wood, and there is some furry fanart werewolf howling reminiscent of the three wolf moon shirt. It's a pretty ridiculous looking stick. Props to you for custom making, but like, wow it's really really ridiculous looking.

[@spambucket99]

the wineglass hold looks like the hamburger helper mascot

[@YaYousef5]

Grip of doom of course! Try Eagle, works wonders for me.

[@YaYousef5]

@EdOscuro That sounds pretty awesome.

[@Matsute]

Hmm, the wine glass works great, but the eagle grip seems to work great for me too.

[@maxgunn555]

@segano1 this videos been there since may 09. i use a mix of eagle and grip of doom which i call the pistol grip style - fuck what he says about whatever you feel comfortable for shoto characters that is the best cherry top grip.

[@gateofbabylon9177]

I lol'd at this video, especially the no homo grip. also as a fellow SRK member, just saying hi. I go by the name 'the middle east guy' on SRK, so send me a message if you want to say hello!

[@furyboy38109]

You forgot the pointer finger and thumb grip, with the other three fingers kinda resting on the side. Thats how I use it

[@ImLoviinIt]

that wolf is trying to deepthroat that joystick

[@ICalverz]

LMAO that was well funny. I actually use the No Homo! Except I use my thumb all the time. Want to use grip of doom though lol

[@Jacob.Streiff]

after all that my grip wasn't in there...didn't think it was too unorthodox... Pretty much index and middle fingers together and ring and pinkie finger together...stick goes in between with thumb on top pretty much

[@SpoonOfHawaii]

@mdupre0423 keep at it friend, i was in the exact same position as you when i got my stick this past spring. i was at the point of regret and despair because i couldn't do well or do any of the things that i could on a controller. however i kept at it and now using a stick just feels natural for me. while not COMPLETELY on the same level like when i was on the controller, i'm getting pretty close. so my advice is just keep at it, play against friends on the stick, persist... you'll get it.

[@slim3710]

SpoonKai how long it took . I'm good on controller but two days in I can't evev do a shoryuken.pwt alone a simple combo cause I have 8 buttons on my stick lol.

[@JambalajaJimbo]

"Japanese players are superfast [...] and they're crazy" man i almost peed in my pants :)

[@lurkerrekrul]

What difference does it make what side of the brain controls which hand? The fact is that in right-handed people (who in in the majority), the *RIGHT* hand is the most coordinated hand. That's why right-handed people write with their right hand, they use the mouse with their right hand, etc. However, when it comes to video games, they're expected to play with their left. Serious question: If you're right-handed, do you use the mouse with your left hand while playing FPS games? If not, why?

[@frankiebloodshed2ndchannel]

Which grip is best for Tekken players?

[@MarklarRavencrest]

@Skullomaniaaaa I have the same problem though I never used any other sticks in my life b4.

[@XxDeViLBrInGeRxX]

anyway, can you tell me what grip is better for the diagonals? cuz i have to use the a lot on Blazblue. the only thing I know is that I close my full hand, just surrounding the balltop Thanks 4 the vid PS:Guile´s theme always goes with everything!! xD

[@jaytothelu]

It's all about that eagle dawg

[@YaYousef5]

@ThePsychoSavage Yes, correct.

[@Ratikal_]

What's the best way to hold a stick for shmup players?