People are just learning how Taylor Swift holds a pen and it's freaking them out

There's no denying Taylor Swift's songwriting talents, but people are just realising how she holds her pen when writing and it's prompted discourse on the matter.

In the 'Anti-Hero' music video, Swift at one point begins to take notes as another version of herself teaches her that "Everyone will betray you," and this is the quote she's copying down from the chalkboard.

Now when it comes to handwriting, the most common way a pen is held is with your index finger, thumb, and middle finger but viewers quickly noticed that Swift holds the pen differently.

Instead, the singer held the pen between her index and middle finger - known as the "adaptive tripod grasp."

Swift sparked a conversation as people noticed how she held her pen in the 'Anti-Hero' music videoYouTube/Taylor Swift

While Swift has no doubt been snapped signing CDs and merch in her two-decade-long career Swifties are aware of this, and there have even been Reddit threads and Quora threads, all about her unique pen holding.

Conservative website The Federalist were not happy with Swift's pen holding as one of their headlines was "Taylor Swift Holds Her Pen Like an Absolute Psycho."

Even today in 2024, people are just learning this fact about her.

"My 2024 is off to a rocky start, as I just learned this is how Taylor Swift holds her pen," one Twitter/X user commented.

But why does Swift hold her pen in this unconventional way?

Well, an early childhood snap of Swift would suggest she hasn't always held a pen the way she does now and so she might have switched a grasp for a particular reason (though this is speculation and something Swift herself has not commented on).

"It’s so she can write and hold a guitar pick at the same time!" one fan theorised, as the pen is held in between her middle finger and index finger then she can hold a guitar pick with her index finger and thumb, as another posted a snap of Swift playing guitar while holding her pen with her usual grip.

Meanwhile, occupational therapist Cheryl Crow from Seattle told Slate there are two possible reasons for adopting this kind of grip.

“One is that they’re hypermobile, or their joints move too much. And the other one is hand pain, or rheumatoid arthritis, specifically," she said.

Retired Occupational therapist Cathy Richmond from Nebraska who spent 12 years in schools described the grasp as "unusual," to the same publication and said saw very few kids use this, but those who did had "really low muscle tone."

The low muscle tone point was also noted by Crow who said hypermobility goes hand-in-hand with low muscle tone, meaning Swift may also " have a hard time holding her posture."

Holding a pen Swift's way means that it is "more stable," due to the person grasping it higher up and so it is "less likely to wiggle around and move out of place.”

As a pop star, Swift has signed thousands of autographs in her career and Crow mentioned how she could have changed her grasp to avoid "any sort of repetitive stress."

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