I'm new at gardening and this tool definitely makes me feel like a pro. At first it was awkward to use since, again, I'm new but didn't take long to adjust. It's strong in its grip but in some weed that were over grown (left to grow too long) I had to search for the bottom of the root before stabbing it with this tool.With such strong grip, do expect to have some collateral damage. This tool grabs everything withing the 4 forks. I wish the pole was a bit longer though. I'm 5'10" and still have to bend down just a tad to use this fully.