Aiming Essentials 2 – Wrist & Arm Aiming

The Basics of Arm vs Wrist Aiming Mechanics

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Before we dive into aiming mechanics, there is one technique that is particularly  ill-advised when it comes to playing FPS games: resting your wrist at the edge of your desk. Don’t do this!  There is very little stability and range of motion in this position, and the risk of nerve, ligament or tendon injury is greater, especially if your wrist sits higher than your elbow. Instead, it is recommended to play with your some or all of your forearm sitting on the desk, as described below.


TL;DR:  Incorporating arm movements into your aiming will provide the best precision, mobility, and control—and limit repetitive stress injuries.

Let’s look at a couple of definitions, to get us started:

“Wrist aiming” = Moving the mouse with your hand and wrist.

“Arm aiming” = Moving the mouse with your arm.  

The technique you use largely depends on your favorite mouse sensitivity:

Low mouse sensitivity (50cm/360 to 80cm/360):  Someone playing on a very low mouse sensitivity is likely to primarily use their arm to aim with wrist movements for smaller corrections. This is because they have to cover a larger distance on their mousepad to perform relatively small movements in-game. A swipe of their wrist would only rotate a  small distance.

Mid-range mouse sensitivity (30cm/360 to 50cm/360):  A player using a mid-range mouse sensitivity of around 35cm/360 on the other hand will likely find the most success combining wrist and arm aiming. At this sensitivity range the wrist can control some, or all of the aiming done in front of the player, while the arm helps with mouse swipes to change directions and/or aim.

High mouse sensitivity (1cm/360 to 30cm/360):  Someone playing on an extremely high mouse sensitivity is likely to just use their wrist to aim, with minimal arm movement. This is because a small mouse movement performs large movements in the game. A tiny movement of their wrist at will spin a big distance.

Except for very high or very low sensitivities, there is no single technique of arm or wrist aiming, but rather a spectrum of how heavily you rely on each aiming technique. The lower your sensitivity the more you use your arm, and the higher your sensitivity the more you use your wrist. Incorporating arm movements into your aiming will typically provide the best precision and control—and limit repetitive stress injuries. While there are outliers who manage to have great aim using only their wrist, they are the exception to the rule and the vast majority of competitive FPS players incorporate arm movements into their aiming to great effect.

How to Size Up Arms, Mousepads, and Desks for FPS Gaming

How much of your arm should be on the desk?  There is no right or wrong answer, as it depends on a variety of factors and preferences. The main variables we’re looking at are friction, mousepad size, and desk surface. The more arm you have sitting on the desk, the higher the friction which means movements will require slightly more force to perform (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing). If you have a small mousepad and part of your arm sits on the desk while another part sits on the mousepad, you’re going to have some inconsistencies, especially if the desk surface is grippy and slows movements down.

Best practise is to find a mousepad large enough to accommodate enough of your arm on the mousepad, without the arm being in contact with the desk surface itself.

The Ergonomics of Aiming – Plan to Prevent Carpal Tunnel

The idea of placing all or some of your forearm on the desk may be new and could feel quite uncomfortable at first so here are some tips on making the transition as smooth as possible.

1. Get high enough:  Ensure your seat is high enough so your arm can rest naturally on the desk without having to lift your shoulder. You may need to add cushions, towels or a seat booster to achieve a comfortable height. It isn’t necessarily wrong to have a low shoulder position but in general the extra weight and friction on the desk does more harm than good. Alternatively, too high of a shoulder position can leave too little weight on the desk making movements difficult to control, so it’s advised to experiment around with positions to find what suits you best.

2. Stay cool:  If you live in a warm or humid environment without air conditioning you can point a pedestal fan at your mousepad to keep it and your arm dry. Otherwise you might find your arm sticking to your desk or mousepad which will have a negative impact on your aim. Another alternative or addition is to wear an arm sleeve which has become popular with competitive FPS players especially in the Overwatch League as it allows for consistent aim regardless of the environment.

3. Desk space vs. desk angle:  Sitting front-on to your desk may not leave enough room for your arms if you don’t have much desk space. You may also find that you can’t place your arm on the desk without having it extended forwards uncomfortably. Angling your setup like in the image to the right allows you to easily plant your arm without your body or the desk getting in the way. This isn’t recommended over a front-on setup, but if you are having issues transitioning then it is a solid alternative.

4. Mouse sensitivity:  While there is no such thing as one perfect FPS mouse sensitivity, you can try decreasing your mouse sensitivity. If you are still set on a very high sensitivity, placing your arm on the desk may feel strange, especially since it isn’t contributing to the aiming action when mouse sensitivity is high. Lowering that sensitivity will force you to recruit your arm for aim movements and ultimately expedite the process of becoming comfortable with the new arm position.