Anyone found a solution to having a bent finger? I physically can’t straighten my little finger (I am using the outer edge for this exercise).
Also - how do you know if your fingers are strong? I learnt to touch type as a child on a manual typewriter and used a keyboard all my working life (I.e. using all my fingers) so I think they may be pretty strong already. That said, I am carrying on to improve accuracy and to sort out my flying index finger which waves around in the air if I don’t concentrate hard.
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I don’t have that problem, but if I did, I would focus on doing Justin’s finger/hand stretching exercises…especially on the stretch between ring and little fingers. I think that would compensate to some degree.
BTW, a former co-worker had a similar problem, and didn’t use his little finger…at all. But he was able to play lots of 60s and 70s folk songs perfectly well…though I’m not sure what he did to compensate.
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i don’t understand what are flick-offs. Are the same name for pull-off? Why call they this way?
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Yes Dave, exactly the same.
Justin just prefers the term " flick off" as it better describes the mechanics of the technique.
Cheers, Shane
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Is it because the motion is somewhat similar to flicking off drops of water from your fingers?
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Hmmmm… never thought about that. And yes, I am a leftie as well 
When trying this exercise, I’m having two problems-
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I get a bunch of tension in the hand beginning with the second and third fingers and absolutely with the third and fourth fingers. I try to force relax my hand, but then I just have no strength to press even 9 gauge electric strings.
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And on the thickest strings, when using the second, third, and fourth fingers, I just cannot seem to get any leverage to exert pressure on the strings adequately without moving the palm away from me. I basically have a natural, very strong tendency to bend the wrist in order to exert pressure on the fretboard on the thickest strings with the weakest fingers. There’s no sound coming from the strings with the 3rd and 4th fingers when I to relax the hand.
Its like trying to remedy #1 results in #2, and trying to remedy #2 it results in #1 happening again. Don’t know if its a short finger thing, a small palm thing, a bad technique thing, a weak muscle thing or what.
What do I do!?
Based on your description, it sounds like you are having trouble curling your fingers and hammering, but you are able to fret the notes OK if you’re not trying to hammer-on.
I suggest starting out by modifying this exercise a bit. Start out by just fretting the notes instead of hammering. Once you have that motion under your fingers, then slowly start being slightly more “aggressive” about fretting each note, moving each finger slightly more aggressively, while maintaining your normal fretting hand position. Don’t be worried about getting a note to ring out on the hammer, just try to move your finger a bit more quickly and with a bit more force each time. If the note doesn’t ring out, then simply fret the note as if you weren’t trying to hammer-on, release, and move to the next string. This should slowly build your finger dexterity and strength.
Enjoy the Journey 
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Good suggestions and I will definitely do them. Thanks so much.
I seem to have great difficulty keeping my fingers together, so they are all at right-angle to the fretboard like Justin’s in the video. When my hand is in the correct position with my wrist straight, fingers curled and my middle and ring fingers at right-angle to the fretboard, my index and little fingers splay out to the sides and I can’t physically bring them straight, especially the little finger. But it’s not preventing me from completing the exercise, and I’m able to hammer-on even with the wonky little finger. Is this a problem and if so, any suggestions to work on rectifying it?
I’ve never been able to get my index and pinky straight and they splay as yours. I can still do the hammer-ons OK. Given up worrying about it to be honest.
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