Use the right tool for the job. Bypass pruners (with blades arranged like scissors) make the cleanest cut. Anvil pruners may feel more powerful, but the blade tends to crush small branches, leaving a jagged wound more vulnerable to rot. But anvil pruners are essential if wrists are weak. If bypass pruners aren’t working it’s time to move up to a lopper or a pruning saw. For a concise discussion of all the various pruning tools go to: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/pruningtools.html