Influence of Mouse Grip Type on Flicking and Tracking Tasks Performance

The First-Person Shooter is a very popular genre in electronic sports (esports), where there are different aiming techniques such as Aim Flicking and Aim Tracking. Although the mouse grip is suggested as one of the most important factors in gaming performance, there is a lack of evidence on this topic. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the performances of three types of mouse grips (palm grip, claw grip, and fingertip grip) in two different tasks (flicking and tracking tasks) by analyzing kinematic and scoring variables. Twenty-two participants performed the tasks on a computer with the same monitor and mouse, each using their preferred grip: palm grip, claw grip, and fingertip grip. The aim400kg was used to perform the tasks, and a camera system (Optitrack’s Flex 3) was used to capture the mouse movement. The results from the flicking task indicated significant differences in the minimum cursor trajectory, with higher values observed in the claw grip compared to both the palm and fingertip grips. However, no significant differences were observed in the tracking task in terms of velocity, acceleration, or hand movement. Moreover, only high correlations were observed in the flicking task between Score and Reaction Time (r = −0.911) and between Score and Total Distance (r = 0.724). In conclusion, the mouse grip does not affect the Aim Flicking or Aim Tracking task performance. This study has revealed interesting results related to performance, including correlations between the Score, Reaction Time, and Total Distance in flicking tasks.