Test blows

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings, 
    It would be helpful to distinguish between test blows that are used to 
check the stability of a "set pin",  and the "test blows" that accompany 
every move of the hammer.  
    Bill Garlick taught that a light touch on the hammer while tuning, 
followed by a really sharp test blow was a proper way to tune.  The tuning 
hammer hand should develope the finesse required to accomodate the pin 
torque, friction, and string movement while moving the pin and leave it  so 
that there is more topstring than speaking length tension when the string is 
at pitch.  Simple, eh?  It can be, but sometimes it takes faith to stop 
pushing the hammer, hit the note a test note and move on.  With repetition, 
the move to pitch can become near automatic, and the test notes may number 88 
or so for an entire tuning, (rare).  
     I have seen techs pounding the entire time they are moving the pin, 
using 10 or twelve "test blows" while they tune the string.  This can wear 
the body and piano out.  I think it is better to train the hammer hand to 
leave the string properly set, and just hit it once for insurance.  If it 
consistantly goes out of tune when you hit it,  reexamine how you are leaving 
the string, don't just pound down from somewhere sharp!
regards, 
Ed Foote 
 i was once a pounder, back when tunings were $25, ......
(I guess you could have called me a quarter-pounder?)