diff --git a/interface/src/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
index 2594bb8a0a..076d4d2c18 100644
--- a/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
@@ -116,10 +116,7 @@ Avatar::Avatar(bool isMine) {
 	_sphere                   = NULL;
     _interactingOther         = NULL;
 	_interactingOtherIsNearby = false;
-    
-    _handHolding.position = glm::vec3( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 );
-    _handHolding.velocity = glm::vec3( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 );
-    _handHolding.force    = 10.0f;
+    _handHoldingPosition      = glm::vec3( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 );
     
     initializeSkeleton();
     
@@ -309,8 +306,7 @@ void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
     
     if ( !_interactingOtherIsNearby ) {
         //initialize _handHolding
-        _handHolding.position = _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position;
-        _handHolding.velocity = glm::vec3( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 );
+        _handHoldingPosition = _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position;
     }
     
     _interactingOtherIsNearby = false;
@@ -337,27 +333,20 @@ void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
                 float distance = glm::length( v );
                 if ( distance < _maxArmLength + _maxArmLength ) {
                                 
-                    //if ( distance < closestDistance ) { // perhaps I don't need this if we want to allow multi-avatar interactions
-                    {
-                        closestDistance = distance;
-                        _interactingOther = otherAvatar;
-                        _interactingOtherIsNearby = true;
-                        
-                        // if I am holding hands with another avatar, a force is applied
-                        if (( _handState == 1 ) ||  ( _interactingOther->_handState == 1 )) {
-                            glm::vec3 vectorToOtherHand = _interactingOther->_handPosition - _handHolding.position;
-                            glm::vec3 vectorToMyHand = _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position - _handHolding.position;
-                                                       
-                            _handHolding.velocity *= 0.7;
-                            _handHolding.velocity += ( vectorToOtherHand + vectorToMyHand ) * _handHolding.force * deltaTime;
-                            _handHolding.position += _handHolding.velocity;
-                            
-                            _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position = _handHolding.position;
-                        }
-                    }
+                    closestDistance = distance;
+                    _interactingOther = otherAvatar;
+                    _interactingOtherIsNearby = true;
                     
-                    _avatarTouch.setMyHandPosition( _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position );
-                    _avatarTouch.setYourPosition( otherAvatar->getBonePosition( AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ) );
+                    // if I am holding hands with another avatar, a force is applied
+                    if (( _handState == 1 ) ||  ( _interactingOther->_handState == 1 )) {
+                        glm::vec3 vectorToOtherHand = _interactingOther->_handPosition - _handHoldingPosition;
+                        glm::vec3 vectorToMyHand = _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position - _handHoldingPosition;
+                        _handHoldingPosition += vectorToOtherHand * YOUR_HAND_HOLDING_PULL;
+                        _handHoldingPosition += vectorToMyHand    * MY_HAND_HOLDING_PULL;
+                        _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position = _handHoldingPosition;
+                    }
+
+                    _avatarTouch.setYourHandPosition( _interactingOther->_handPosition );
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -370,8 +359,13 @@ void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
         
     }//if ( _isMine )
     
+    //constrain right arm length and re-adjust elbow position as it bends
     updateArmIKAndConstraints( deltaTime );
     
+    if (_isMine) {
+        _avatarTouch.setMyHandPosition( _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position );
+    }
+    
     if (!_interactingOtherIsNearby) {
         _interactingOther = NULL;
     }
@@ -867,19 +861,6 @@ void Avatar::renderHead(bool lookingInMirror) {
     glPopMatrix();
  }
 
-
-void Avatar::startHandMovement() {
-    
-    if (!_usingBodySprings) {
-        initializeBodySprings();
-        _usingBodySprings = true;
-    }
-}
-
-void Avatar::stopHandMovement() {
-    //_usingBodySprings = false;
-}
-
 void Avatar::setHandMovementValues( glm::vec3 handOffset ) {
 	_movedHandOffset = handOffset;
 }
@@ -1135,7 +1116,7 @@ void Avatar::updateArmIKAndConstraints( float deltaTime ) {
 	// test to see if right hand is being dragged beyond maximum arm length
 	float distance = glm::length( armVector );
 	
-	// if right hand is being dragged beyond maximum arm length...
+	// don't let right hand get dragged beyond maximum arm length...
 	if ( distance > _maxArmLength ) {
 		// reset right hand to be constrained to maximum arm length
 		_bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_HAND ].position = _bone[ AVATAR_BONE_RIGHT_SHOULDER ].position;
diff --git a/interface/src/Avatar.h b/interface/src/Avatar.h
index ab1f993bf5..925ac15cae 100644
--- a/interface/src/Avatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/Avatar.h
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ const float COLLISION_RADIUS_SCALAR = 1.8;
 const float COLLISION_BALL_FORCE    = 0.1;
 const float COLLISION_BODY_FORCE    = 3.0;
 
+const float MY_HAND_HOLDING_PULL = 0.2;
+const float YOUR_HAND_HOLDING_PULL = 1.0;
+
 enum eyeContactTargets {LEFT_EYE, RIGHT_EYE, MOUTH};
 
-
-
 enum DriveKeys
 {
     FWD = 0,
@@ -108,14 +109,6 @@ enum AvatarBoneID
 	NUM_AVATAR_BONES
 };
 
-
-struct AvatarHandHolding //think of this as one half of a distributed spring :)
-{
-    glm::vec3 position;
-    glm::vec3 velocity;
-    float     force;
-};
-
 struct AvatarBone
 {
 	AvatarBoneID parent;				// which bone is this bone connected to?
@@ -216,8 +209,6 @@ public:
     void renderBody();
     void renderHead(bool lookingInMirror);
     void simulate(float);
-    void startHandMovement();
-    void stopHandMovement();
     void setHandMovementValues( glm::vec3 movement );
     void updateHandMovement( float deltaTime );
     void updateArmIKAndConstraints( float deltaTime );
@@ -258,7 +249,7 @@ private:
     glm::quat         _rotation; // the rotation of the avatar body as a whole expressed as a quaternion
     AvatarBone	      _bone[ NUM_AVATAR_BONES ];
     AvatarMode        _mode;
-    AvatarHandHolding _handHolding;
+    glm::vec3         _handHoldingPosition;
     glm::vec3         _velocity;
     glm::vec3	      _thrust;
     float             _speed;
diff --git a/interface/src/AvatarTouch.cpp b/interface/src/AvatarTouch.cpp
index bd99cecd2b..ad4f0ccf33 100644
--- a/interface/src/AvatarTouch.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/AvatarTouch.cpp
@@ -3,41 +3,61 @@
 //  interface
 //
 //  Created by Jeffrey Ventrella
-//  Copyright (c) 2012 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//  Copyright (c) 2013 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
 //
-
 #include <iostream>
 #include <glm/glm.hpp>
+#include <SharedUtil.h>
 #include "AvatarTouch.h"
 #include "InterfaceConfig.h"
 
+
 AvatarTouch::AvatarTouch() {
 
     _myHandPosition   = glm::vec3( 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f );
     _yourHandPosition = glm::vec3( 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f );
+    
+    for (int p=0; p<NUM_POINTS; p++) {
+        _point[p] = glm::vec3( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 );
+    }
 }
 
 void AvatarTouch::setMyHandPosition( glm::vec3 position ) {
     _myHandPosition = position;
 }
 
-void AvatarTouch::setYourPosition( glm::vec3 position ) {
+void AvatarTouch::setYourHandPosition( glm::vec3 position ) {
     _yourHandPosition = position;
 }
 
-
 void AvatarTouch::render() {
 
     glm::vec3 v1( _myHandPosition );
     glm::vec3 v2( _yourHandPosition );
     
-    glLineWidth( 8.0 );
-    glColor4f( 0.7f, 0.4f, 0.1f, 0.6 );
+    glLineWidth( 2.0 );
+    glColor4f( 0.7f, 0.4f, 0.1f, 0.3 );
     glBegin( GL_LINE_STRIP );
     glVertex3f( v1.x, v1.y, v1.z );
     glVertex3f( v2.x, v2.y, v2.z );
     glEnd();
+
+    glColor4f( 1.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f, 0.8 );
+
+    for (int p=0; p<NUM_POINTS; p++) {
+        glBegin(GL_POINTS);
+        glVertex3f(_point[p].x, _point[p].y, _point[p].z);
+        glEnd();
+    }    
 }
 
 void AvatarTouch::simulate (float deltaTime) {
+
+    glm::vec3 v = _yourHandPosition - _myHandPosition;
+    for (int p=0; p<NUM_POINTS; p++) {
+        _point[p] = _myHandPosition + v * ( (float)p / (float)NUM_POINTS );
+        _point[p].x += randFloatInRange( -0.007, 0.007 );
+        _point[p].y += randFloatInRange( -0.007, 0.007 );
+        _point[p].z += randFloatInRange( -0.007, 0.007 );
+    }
  }
diff --git a/interface/src/AvatarTouch.h b/interface/src/AvatarTouch.h
index 8371ea3a19..3c7a58a2b5 100644
--- a/interface/src/AvatarTouch.h
+++ b/interface/src/AvatarTouch.h
@@ -15,12 +15,16 @@ class AvatarTouch {
 public:
     AvatarTouch();
     
-    void setMyHandPosition( glm::vec3 position );
-    void setYourPosition  ( glm::vec3 position );
+    void setMyHandPosition  ( glm::vec3 position );
+    void setYourHandPosition( glm::vec3 position );
     void simulate(float deltaTime);
     void render();
     
 private:
+
+    static const int NUM_POINTS = 100;
+    
+    glm::vec3 _point [NUM_POINTS];
     glm::vec3 _myHandPosition;
     glm::vec3 _yourHandPosition;
 };
diff --git a/interface/src/main.cpp b/interface/src/main.cpp
index aec92245e2..e6427a1c2d 100644
--- a/interface/src/main.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/main.cpp
@@ -1512,8 +1512,7 @@ void idle(void) {
 		// tell my avatar if the mouse is being pressed...
 		if ( mousePressed == 1 ) {
 			myAvatar.setMousePressed( true );
-		}
-		else {
+		} else {
 			myAvatar.setMousePressed( false );
 		}
         
@@ -1532,7 +1531,7 @@ void idle(void) {
             networkReceive(0);
 		}
 		
-        //loop through all the other avatars and simulate them...
+        //loop through all the remote avatars and simulate them...
         AgentList* agentList = AgentList::getInstance();
         for(AgentList::iterator agent = agentList->begin(); agent != agentList->end(); agent++) {
             if (agent->getLinkedData() != NULL) {