What is Single Pin Picking (SPP), and how does it actually work step-by-step?

SPP is the precision picking technique: apply gentle rotational tension with a wrench, find the binding pin with a hook, push it up until the driver pin sets above the shear line, then move on to the next binding pin. Repeat until all pins are set and the cylinder rotates open.

* Single Pin Picking — set the binding pin, repeat, until the plug turns. *

The five-step procedure:

1. Insert tension wrench at the bottom of keyway
   → apply LIGHT clockwise (or counterclockwise) pressure
   
2. Insert hook pick above
   → feel each pin from back to front
   → ONE will feel stiffer than the others — that's the binding pin
   
3. Push the binding pin UP slowly
   → at the right height, you'll feel a slight CLICK
   → the plug rotates a tiny amount, the pin SETS
   
4. Find the new binding pin (one of the remaining)
   → repeat step 3
   
5. After all pins set → plug rotates fully → bolt opens

Why the binding pin behaves differently:

When you apply tension, the plug tries to rotate. Manufacturing imperfection means one pin's hole in the plug doesn't align perfectly with the housing. That pin alone touches the housing wall and resists movement — that's "binding." Once you push it past the shear line, the plug rotates a fraction of a degree and the next-most-misaligned pin becomes the binder.

The feel:

Experienced pickers describe it as "talking to the lock" — the resistance, the click, the slight rotation are the lock telling you which pin to address next. You can't see anything; you're working entirely by tactile feedback through the pick.

The trap — too much tension:

Too little tension → no pin binds → nothing happens
Just right         → one pin binds → set it → next binds
Too much           → all pins bind simultaneously OR
                     a set pin slips back when another binds

Tip: The most common beginner mistake is too much tension. Hold the tension wrench like a feather — about the weight of a 5-cent coin pressing your finger. Less is more.

Go deeper:

• Single Pin Picking technique (Art of Lock Picking) — finding the binding pin, setting one pin at a time, reading feedback through tension.