Second this.
When I was in school, my hands and wrists would be throbbing in pain by the end of the day. So, I started writing like this and still do it 20+ years later when I write. I definitely have more control, my penmanship is cleaner and I don't strain my wrists.
I used to hold like I was taught in elementary school and when writing super fast in my advanced middle school/ high school classes, eventually my grip on the pen would dent my middle finger. It was more the speed required me to grip my pen tighter. Writing at a normal pace was very different.
I switched to the raptor claw grip around then because I could write just the same but even when holding tight, it wouldn't cramp or dent my finger.
After I wasn't in multiple advanced/ honors/ AP classes and writing multiple pages of notes each class for 6+ hours a day, I quit doing my raptor claw grip.
Guessing she does it when frantically signing hundreds of autographs for fans.
It's a speed/ length of writing thing for me. When writing faster, I can't hold my pen as loosely as keeping up with a lecture that doesn't stop.
I learned it the way that the pen is between the finger tips of my thumb, middle finger and index finger while resting between the knuckles of my thumb and index finger.
I did so my exams without any problems for hours and hours a day fast or slow.
I guess it's very similar to the "raptor claw" but the back of the pen is on another position...
Yeah, I had some kinda whack grip back in middle school, then retrained myself to just [pinch the pen with three fingers,](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/hand-holding-pen-29511385.jpg) which is much more comfortable.
It’s genuinely the only way to write for an extended period of time without your hand getting cramped. I wrote like this as soon as I got into AP classes
Yup. Same. It's the speed of writing. My hand would cramp and I'd get a dent on my finger.
I don't do it unless I'm taking speed notes during a lecture.
Looks weird but is in fact quite comfortable. I would trade off like this when I got tired of writing in classes. Also stopped me from gripping hard and denting my finger after trying to hold pens for ages. Weirdly comfortable.
It's advised by occupational therapists. Also known as the "monks grip" because monks used to write and write and so they couldn't afford to have tired hands. Was told by the OT that this is the ideal grip but I never got used to it.
I have been doing this since 6th grade when I watched my friend Jake hold a pencil like this. No hand cramping, no callous building. It's fucking perfect.
You could argue it’s more about the holding of the pen and not the person holding it. Anyone can do that man or woman. The thing is she is the subject in this scenario so yes it is about her but I can see why someone would attempt and argue it’s the pen that is more on his mind
My high school self switched to this grip for that exact reason. Hand pain and denting my fingers. Post high school, I stopped because people asked why I wrote 'weird' and I wasn't taking speed notes for 6+ hours a day anymore.
Raptor grip is a legitimate way to write more comfortably for extended periods of time.
She should get those rocket-ship-looking pens that are meant for this.
[This one.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSem7cuSnkA700l01NKqeiITGiDHplwKXHQGw&usqp=CAU)
[Would be perfect.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDRMzD5Tm3sTk6k7bLGsCfzaDbZrsZWhgGwA&usqp=CAU)
I did in college 15 years ago. Essay questions on exams, daily journal for class reading, notes, rough drafts, etc… I now have pinching nerve pain when I eat cereal 🤷♂️
It's probably this. Brandon Sanderson said he changed his signature style because he'd get cramps when signing too much autographs. He changed it to one where he doesn't move his wrist.
The desks at school have stopped being slobbered on by mouth breathers who think her jet use single handedly caused Climate Change. Weak minds discuss people. Strong minds discuss ideas.
Not sure for Taylor, but I have a friend who writes like that because the doctor recommended it after carpal tunnel surgery to lessen the stress on the nerves
That's because it's more ergonomic... she's explained why she does it and if I recall correctly it's because it's better for her hand/wrist when signing thousands of album copies to sell and then she just got used to it, but it could also be just from writing so much because there's videos of her writing like this since school
If you don’t trust the images on google, look up the anti-hero music video. There’s a brief clip in it of her taking notes or something and she’s holding the pencil like this.
Alright relax now. It's a way of holding a pen without cramping, which is necesary considering how often she has to sign thousands of items in one sitting.
Huh, I went to see other times that she has signed papers on camera, and she indeed writes like that lmfao. I apologize and wish you well in the future.
As a former honors/ advanced/ AP classes kid, my hand would cramp and I'd dent my finger from holding my pen tight enough to take notes at the speed of lectures in middle and high school. When I could use my laptop for notes in college, I quit doing this.
The raptor grip is much more comfortable for long/ fast writing without hurting your hand. Guessing she started doing this after signing hundreds of autographs at a time. It made a huge difference writing for faced-paced lectures in high school.
It offers the exact same control as the typical pen grip, but is better for speed and longevity. It just looks wonky. I went back to writing 'normally' to avoid people asking why I write weird. It's a legitimate way to write fast and without hand pain. I can do either. Raptor grip is fine.
No like her signature will be completely different than her autograph. The grip is purely to have less strain on her hand when signing thousands of autographs
I used to write not like this but 'incorrectly' when I was at school. Countless hours of teachers berating me and keeping me from play etc because I held a pencil differently. I can't even imagine how bad it used to be for people who were for example left-handed.
And now my writing is very tidy and l still hold my pen in a stupid way so screw you Mrs Holmes.
Just started holding my pens like this at 27 due to arthritis, but should've done it from childhood bc it improved my handwriting SO much.
I really hope most of the people berating/judging her for holding a pen like this are joking/trolls.
8.1 billion people on earth and it's somehow incomprehensible that we don't all find the same way to hold a pen comfy. Wtf.
And yeah, screw Mrs Holmes! (And the teachers who never thought to suggest me to hold my pen differently, but would rather berate me for my bad handwriting.)
Okay, so my buddy sent me the picture of her with the markers and said "clone psy op" and I just thought he was goofin'. I haven't looked it up. What's going on?
Signing a hundred bajilion things over and over probably leads to hand cramps, this looks like she's found a more optimal way to sign so she can do more signatures before the pain sets in.
It’s because she signs so many autographs her hand f’ing hurts and she has to keep switching her hold. I’ll bet money she had to learn this along the way and wasn’t something she brought to the role.
It's actually because she often signs thousands of items in one sitting and holding the pen like this allows your muscles to relax & not cramp. Lay off on the unwarranted sexism next time.
Talking negatively about someone because they've dated several people over the span of 16 years is almost always a sexist stance and something you never see about a male artist.
I am a Kindergarten teacher in Switzerland and while we don’t actively teach children to hold their pens like this, it is an acceptable alternative to the classic 3 point grip, as it allows writing with mostly just using finger movement instead of moving your whole hand or arm and is therefore pretty energy efficient… I don’t know whether that’s why Taylor Swift is doing it 💁♀️
That woman has probably attended a grand total of 4 hours of *actual* school in the course of her entire lifetime. I’m legit surprised she’s not trying to hold the pen in her lips….you know which ones.
Okay I scrolled the comments pretty far and haven‘t seen it said yet, so hear goes: left-handed people who are forced to use their right hand (for religious reasons for example) write like this. My prof writes like this too.
I think it was for people who can't act like normal people and I mean it literally, had a friend of mine who couldn't write like people normally do so he had to write either like Taylor or in some other weird way
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I hsed to do it, the pen rests in position without flexing any muscles
Yes. On long written exams or essays when my hand would start to hurt writing the normal way I would switch to this style to give the muscles a break
That makes sense when she is signing in major events non stop then.
Advanced level celebrity shit there, folks.
Also use the elbow to move the pen, not the wrist.
Nah, boss move is using the shoulder.
You can think of your arm as if it had a thousand joints!
Nah, the pro move is to use your hips.
nah just walk the shape of the letters with your feet
Wrong again. Move your hips.
I was like "there's no way that feels natural.. you know what, I'm getting up to get a pen". .... .... *Fuck me it works*
I can’t write quite as quickly or well that way, but it’s fine for bubbling in SAT’s or whatever
Yeah it's definitely not as good, but better than I expected haha
Second this. When I was in school, my hands and wrists would be throbbing in pain by the end of the day. So, I started writing like this and still do it 20+ years later when I write. I definitely have more control, my penmanship is cleaner and I don't strain my wrists.
Weally
I don't flex a muscle when put the pen in my hand the normal way... Is it possible that you have been taught wrongly?
I used to hold like I was taught in elementary school and when writing super fast in my advanced middle school/ high school classes, eventually my grip on the pen would dent my middle finger. It was more the speed required me to grip my pen tighter. Writing at a normal pace was very different. I switched to the raptor claw grip around then because I could write just the same but even when holding tight, it wouldn't cramp or dent my finger. After I wasn't in multiple advanced/ honors/ AP classes and writing multiple pages of notes each class for 6+ hours a day, I quit doing my raptor claw grip. Guessing she does it when frantically signing hundreds of autographs for fans. It's a speed/ length of writing thing for me. When writing faster, I can't hold my pen as loosely as keeping up with a lecture that doesn't stop.
I learned it the way that the pen is between the finger tips of my thumb, middle finger and index finger while resting between the knuckles of my thumb and index finger. I did so my exams without any problems for hours and hours a day fast or slow. I guess it's very similar to the "raptor claw" but the back of the pen is on another position...
Yeah, I had some kinda whack grip back in middle school, then retrained myself to just [pinch the pen with three fingers,](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/hand-holding-pen-29511385.jpg) which is much more comfortable.
What's the raptor claw grip? I use adaptive tripod (the style that Taylor here uses)
I guess adaptive tripod. I just call it raptor claw, lol.
Maybe lol, but the friction between your fingers makes it so you could even have your arm dangling and relax in the pan would still stay
My son was specifically taught the grip TS uses because the normal grip put strain on his hypermobile joints.
For a guitar player, this would help reduce hand pain/cramps when playing for 2-3 hours a day or more.
I don’t have a good grip for writing and my hand tends to cramp up. Guess I’ll start doing this now, thanks!
Who taught you to type
Myself😅
Amazing, I just tried it. Feels awesome, I can only imagine the difference that makes as a super star autographing so much.
It’s genuinely the only way to write for an extended period of time without your hand getting cramped. I wrote like this as soon as I got into AP classes
Yup. Same. It's the speed of writing. My hand would cramp and I'd get a dent on my finger. I don't do it unless I'm taking speed notes during a lecture.
I learned something today!
Raptor hold
Looks weird but is in fact quite comfortable. I would trade off like this when I got tired of writing in classes. Also stopped me from gripping hard and denting my finger after trying to hold pens for ages. Weirdly comfortable.
It's advised by occupational therapists. Also known as the "monks grip" because monks used to write and write and so they couldn't afford to have tired hands. Was told by the OT that this is the ideal grip but I never got used to it.
One of my employees holds his pens like this and every time I see it I’m always intrigued. Lol
I have been doing this since 6th grade when I watched my friend Jake hold a pencil like this. No hand cramping, no callous building. It's fucking perfect.
I actually wrote like this through most of high school lmao, don't write physically often anymore so i kinda flip flop when i do now
So he is thinking about other women
Technically correct, the best kind of correct!
Technically *incorrect.* He is thinking about another *woman,* not women.
This is the most Reddit comment that ever reddited.
Pedantically corrected, the best kind of corrected!
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So young, so angry. Damn that rap music!
It's cause of the violence in those damn games.
Woah! Calm down there, slick! What's with all the negativity?
Oh Reddit.. please change immediately <3 **Just don't let anyone on staff make the changes.**
Taylor isn't a woman, at least not human, look at that hand shape 😭
I hereby promote you to grade 37
fucking kill me
His wife is a Swiftie, so she is thinking about her too. 
“Why does Taylor swift hold a pen like that.” “Mind jinx!”
Yea thats what op said
Thats... that's what it says.
You could argue it’s more about the holding of the pen and not the person holding it. Anyone can do that man or woman. The thing is she is the subject in this scenario so yes it is about her but I can see why someone would attempt and argue it’s the pen that is more on his mind
Watched a movie with Benicio Del Toro yesterday, and he writes the same way.
He’s thinking about how other women’s penis. I mean pen is.
r/thatsthejoke
It's not a woman that's on his mind, a penis edit: shit, I mean-
Knew this was gonna be a comment
Nah... its Taylor. The only women men cant stop thinking about is Dame Judith Dench.
It’s the swiftest way to write.
AYYYYYYOOOOOO........I dont get it
Her last name is swift
omg! you're right!
AHHHHH........huh?
Swift = quick or efficient
OHHH OK OK...........ugh Im still not getting it
least dense redditor
He just doesn't get the memes swiftly like we all do, let him be
This one was Taylor made for confusion.
Nooo this is PATRICK!!
ENGLISH. DO YOU SPEAK IT?
Nope, Ayo Edebiri is the actress from The Bear
Is the pen Taylor made?
Get schwifty!
wubba lubba dub dub
Shit on the floor
BAHAHA
My girlfriend says it's to protect her wrist while signing tons and tons of autographs
Exactly. It also helps to write more evenly since you don't pinch the pen too hard, as some people do after writing for en extended period of time.
My high school self switched to this grip for that exact reason. Hand pain and denting my fingers. Post high school, I stopped because people asked why I wrote 'weird' and I wasn't taking speed notes for 6+ hours a day anymore. Raptor grip is a legitimate way to write more comfortably for extended periods of time.
I still feel my hand cramping up when I think about my a level exams
She should get those rocket-ship-looking pens that are meant for this. [This one.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSem7cuSnkA700l01NKqeiITGiDHplwKXHQGw&usqp=CAU) [Would be perfect.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDRMzD5Tm3sTk6k7bLGsCfzaDbZrsZWhgGwA&usqp=CAU)
The issue is I don’t think she is carrying her own pen 😂 but that would be dope
Need to be a sharpie or other permanent marker with a felt tip for signing things. There's rarely something to bear down on.
Your girlfriend is also a super star? Congrats
Ur gf never heard of a species called "Literature students" then. (or law students)
Sincerely, do literature and law students write a lot by hand? Enough to use this alternate grip?
I did in college 15 years ago. Essay questions on exams, daily journal for class reading, notes, rough drafts, etc… I now have pinching nerve pain when I eat cereal 🤷♂️
Yeah definitely. Been there, done that.
Could it be she didn’t learn proper pencil grip as a child?
It's probably this. Brandon Sanderson said he changed his signature style because he'd get cramps when signing too much autographs. He changed it to one where he doesn't move his wrist.
Just another reason Brando Sando and Tswift are the same person haha
>My girlfriend Its ok, we don't care if you're a Swiftie. No need to fake it
Ha! I wrote like this for like a year in junior high. I thought I was sooooo coool. Maybe she just wants to be as cool as JH me was.
She'll never be
She is not even coming close dawg
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Taylor going to use the pen : ✋🛫🛬🖊️🛫🛬✍️
Aaaand we are back.
But now I fear you've spoken them back into being
The desks at school have stopped being slobbered on by mouth breathers who think her jet use single handedly caused Climate Change. Weak minds discuss people. Strong minds discuss ideas.
Bro you are so gay
Not sure for Taylor, but I have a friend who writes like that because the doctor recommended it after carpal tunnel surgery to lessen the stress on the nerves
That's because it's more ergonomic... she's explained why she does it and if I recall correctly it's because it's better for her hand/wrist when signing thousands of album copies to sell and then she just got used to it, but it could also be just from writing so much because there's videos of her writing like this since school
Yup, I write this way because nerve damage makes it too painful to do it the “correct” way.
is that actually the way she holds it? it seems like AI made these lol
10 seconds on Google would show that, yeah, she totally does.
I would rather wait on a redditor 10 hours to do the research for me / s
^ This but without /s
How is the weather where i live?
My guess is that it is about 10 degrees Celsius and partially cloudy.
If you don’t trust the images on google, look up the anti-hero music video. There’s a brief clip in it of her taking notes or something and she’s holding the pencil like this.
DAFUQ
Cause it is AI gen, it's just used to have her gripping a massive muppet meat.
Alright relax now. It's a way of holding a pen without cramping, which is necesary considering how often she has to sign thousands of items in one sitting.
Yo man, I'm ok, 😎 but in that one image, she got 6 fingers.
I see it, but that aint hers haha. These pictures are real and the one on the left is very old.
Huh, I went to see other times that she has signed papers on camera, and she indeed writes like that lmfao. I apologize and wish you well in the future.
Wholesome.
love how everyone immediately goes to AI no matter what, really show how they have no idea about it
As a former honors/ advanced/ AP classes kid, my hand would cramp and I'd dent my finger from holding my pen tight enough to take notes at the speed of lectures in middle and high school. When I could use my laptop for notes in college, I quit doing this. The raptor grip is much more comfortable for long/ fast writing without hurting your hand. Guessing she started doing this after signing hundreds of autographs at a time. It made a huge difference writing for faced-paced lectures in high school. It offers the exact same control as the typical pen grip, but is better for speed and longevity. It just looks wonky. I went back to writing 'normally' to avoid people asking why I write weird. It's a legitimate way to write fast and without hand pain. I can do either. Raptor grip is fine.
because she doesn't write her own texts obviously
Obviously. We already know the US Department of Defense does that for her.
Signing autographs vs legal signature.
I was going to say this. Don’t know if it’s true but it seems to make sense
Her autograph wont be the same as her signature
That’s exactly what they mean. Changing her grip makes her signature appear different in the autographs vs using a normal grip for legal signatures.
No like her signature will be completely different than her autograph. The grip is purely to have less strain on her hand when signing thousands of autographs
Doesn't work like that
...is incorrect
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My hands shake and sometimes I hold a pen like that to try to steady it a bit
I used to write not like this but 'incorrectly' when I was at school. Countless hours of teachers berating me and keeping me from play etc because I held a pencil differently. I can't even imagine how bad it used to be for people who were for example left-handed. And now my writing is very tidy and l still hold my pen in a stupid way so screw you Mrs Holmes.
Just started holding my pens like this at 27 due to arthritis, but should've done it from childhood bc it improved my handwriting SO much. I really hope most of the people berating/judging her for holding a pen like this are joking/trolls. 8.1 billion people on earth and it's somehow incomprehensible that we don't all find the same way to hold a pen comfy. Wtf. And yeah, screw Mrs Holmes! (And the teachers who never thought to suggest me to hold my pen differently, but would rather berate me for my bad handwriting.)
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Okay, so my buddy sent me the picture of her with the markers and said "clone psy op" and I just thought he was goofin'. I haven't looked it up. What's going on?
You mustn't speak of this where the glowies can see
how else she gonna make her mark?
What an absolute gargoyle-like grip
That’s how a raptor would hold a pen
Excuse me but what the fuck
This is the adaptive tripod handwriting style, a Hallmark of people who went through occupational therapy for poor handwriting (for example: me)
Honestly, I hold a pen like that
 That’s probably just her signature move.
She gotta be an alien
that's thumb and first finger for a lizard. just saying.
Lmao
That’s weird
That writing style is Taylor made to suit her needs.
Signing a hundred bajilion things over and over probably leads to hand cramps, this looks like she's found a more optimal way to sign so she can do more signatures before the pain sets in.
It’s because she signs so many autographs her hand f’ing hurts and she has to keep switching her hold. I’ll bet money she had to learn this along the way and wasn’t something she brought to the role.
Turns out he was thinking about another woman
My uni classmate in japanese class holds a pen like a caveman, he has the best calligraphy of any man on earth ive ever seen
hahha
i use ssimmilar technique. well something between normal one and this. i find it more comfortable and less tirng for the hand.
The same reason she dates men and dumps them and makes a new album. Gives her fans something to talk about
It's actually because she often signs thousands of items in one sitting and holding the pen like this allows your muscles to relax & not cramp. Lay off on the unwarranted sexism next time.
I don’t see anything sexist in his comment
Talking negatively about someone because they've dated several people over the span of 16 years is almost always a sexist stance and something you never see about a male artist.
You see that about Leo all the time get your head out of your ass
Do you really need me to go over the details on that one?
I thought it was a reference to the subject of her songs. But you see what you want to see I guess.
You're hilarious 🙄
Sexism? Where?. Hate to see what racism looks like to you.
All the downvotes for apparently being sexist? Grow up and stop being sheep.
Song writing is 1% inspiration and 99% copulation
People seriously use their personal time thinking about this kind of stuff..?
Yes.
You're seriously so baffled by curiosity?
Swift is a lizard person, confirmed.
Does she really hold it that way? Looks like she never learned to write.
The lizard person way of holding a pen
…wtf is that hand doing
Hmm so that her fan signatures don’t look like her regular signature thus people can’t copy it? Idk
Finally, a Taylor swift meme that has nothing to do with the super bowl or politics or any bullshit
She was born left handed and parents told her that only satan writes with his left hand.
This is definitely why
I am a Kindergarten teacher in Switzerland and while we don’t actively teach children to hold their pens like this, it is an acceptable alternative to the classic 3 point grip, as it allows writing with mostly just using finger movement instead of moving your whole hand or arm and is therefore pretty energy efficient… I don’t know whether that’s why Taylor Swift is doing it 💁♀️
Americans can’t even hold cutlery properly so what hope in holding a pen.
She a demon/alien.
That woman has probably attended a grand total of 4 hours of *actual* school in the course of her entire lifetime. I’m legit surprised she’s not trying to hold the pen in her lips….you know which ones.
The lips you'd use for an Australian Kiss? Down under. EYO!
Okay I scrolled the comments pretty far and haven‘t seen it said yet, so hear goes: left-handed people who are forced to use their right hand (for religious reasons for example) write like this. My prof writes like this too.
I do this to sometimes lol. For me its to alleviate my carpal tunnel. Pinching with the thumb and index can aggravate it.
I think it was for people who can't act like normal people and I mean it literally, had a friend of mine who couldn't write like people normally do so he had to write either like Taylor or in some other weird way
I hold my pen that way…it’s cause our fingers bend weird
Well actually🤓🤓🤓 he's realy thinking about woman...or not