#LearnLockpickingWithAlice lesson 3: Reproducibility.
The key to opening locks easily, quickly, and consistently is...consistency.
Limit your variables.
Know your tools.
Know your lock.
Focus on your technique.
When I did speed-picking, I only used two tools. A short hook and a medium-sized turning tool. But I knew those tools inside and out.
When I went to meetups and conferences, folx would show up with *huge* kits full of dozens of picks. I could often have a lock open before they could select a tool. Not to mention, their picking practice was spread out over a dozen pick profiles and gimmicks. Instead of focusing on their technique when they hit a wall, they'd reach for a different tool in the hopes that it would make things easier.
When you open a lock successfully, ask yourself "how clean was that open?", "can I do it better?", "did every movent count?"
Every movent should do one of three things:
1. Give you more information about the lock.
2. Set one or more pins.
3. Recover from a misstep.