For me, the difference is quite dramatic. My best orgasms are whole-body, gut-wrenching affairs with extreme muscle tension – especially in my legs, stomach, and buttocks. I gasp and moan, and shoot from 5 to 7 hard jets of semen that can fly above my head if I'm lying down, or 4 to 6 feet away if I'm standing. Aftershocks (short muscular spasms every 5-20 seconds) may continue for 90 seconds. My lamest are generally quickies, and are just a mild, tingling spasm with no muscle tension. The ejaculation then slowly oozes in a single stream – no shooting jets, although the volume of semen can be quite large. Although they are still definitely pleasurable, they leave me feeling faintly cheated. But if there were no lows, there would be nothing to compare the highs to. It's all part of that complex being called me!
- age 36, United Kingdom
This Week's Wackiest Response:
Most of my great orgasms involve me accidentally starting to sing the National Anthem through mid-ejaculation. My lamest ones don't even let me ejaculate.
- age 16, California
I used to masturbate every day, but I found that if I abstain from ejaculation for a few days, my orgasm is much more pleasurable. Now, I ejaculate only once or twice a week, either during sex or with the "Rosy Palm" technique. My past orgasms from daily masturbation felt good, but they didn't make my whole body tingle. Now when I ejaculate after a week's abstention, I feel my semen gush out and I scream from the pleasure of releasing all my pent-up fluid.
- age 21, Kentucky
All my orgasms are pleasurable, but if I have masturbated every day for several days in a row, the intensity of my ejaculations isn't as high as when I go several days or a week without. My not-so-great orgasms don't last long enough. Recently, my wife and I had sex for the first time since the cast came off my broken leg. I was so horny and full of sperm I had a wonderful orgasm. Now, I ejaculate twice a week: once during sex and once during masturbation. My testicles get time to build up more sperm, and my orgasms are much better!
- age 36, Texas
It's usually a breathing and sound thing. If it's mind-blowing, then I usually have to make noise and my breathing gets really erratic and my whole body cramps up. That's great. But when it's lame it's just a let down. Sometimes, I don't even feel the orgasm. And of course, I don't ejaculate as much, which takes away from it as well.
- age 17, Australia
My best and weakest orgasms can be different, but the difference is hard to describe. Even a weak orgasm is better than none, but the strong ones have a propulsive force that the weak ones lack. A weak orgasm is just less satisfying. It's not different in any way other than strength.
- age 46, Tennessee
The saying that "sex is like pizza – even when it's bad, it's still pretty good" describes my orgasms. Still, the difference is like filet mignon versus a McDonald's cheeseburger. A *great* orgasm leaves me satiated and trying to remember my name for a while, proud of the puddle of fluid I've produced. A *bad* orgasm leaves me feeling frustrated and simply relieved that it's over – surprised that semen even spurted out of me at all.
- age 26, Illinois
The best orgasm is usually when a decent amount of ectoplasm comes out. However, that sometimes causes me to lose my "mojo" for a few days, making it difficult to "perform." It is really disappointing when I have other things on my mind, and I lose my "mojo" in the middle. It seems that now, it takes a while longer to recharge the batteries than when I was 14, but the proton thrower seems to have more output when it does work.
- age 17, Illinois
Being able to have multiple orgasms, you would think that my first orgasm of a masturbation session would be the strongest, but mine are not. The second, third, and/or fourth are stronger and much more enjoyable. It must be that my body has gotten more sensitive as I get further into masturbating. Also, the later orgasms come upon me much faster – sometimes almost unexpectedly.
- age 47, New Jersey (female)
For me, a truly incredible orgasm comes only during sex with my girlfriend. That strange body tingle, combined with loss of motor control, is usually about ten times that of a lame orgasm. A good orgasm reminds me of stretching in bed when I first wake up – only in my penis. On the other hand, a lame orgasm feels subdued. And, if it follows another recent orgasm, my testicles often hurt for a few minutes afterwards. These orgasms still have the same indescribable waves of pleasure – they just seem more like eddies, and the feeling doesn't last as long.
- age 18, California
When I was younger, orgasms that were just okay felt good, but the build-up of good feeling was more centered in my penis, the orgasm was shorter, and it didn't feel as satisfying as the better ones. Still, it felt good and I ejaculated. As I have aged, orgasm and ejaculation have sometimes become more separate when it's just okay. The feeling builds meagerly and is only strong enough to trigger ejaculation, after which it quickly fades. My great orgasms have always had an intense build-up of good feeling starting from the time I begin to stroke and extend beyond my penis through my whole pelvic area. Orgasm and ejaculation happen more closely together; I breathe heavily and moan; and I am left with a deeply satisfying, warm glow throughout my entire pelvic region. These usually occur after I have abstained for a few days or with intense stimulation from erotica.
- age 61, New Jersey
There is an extraordinary difference. My greatest orgasms come from anal stimulation. The orgasm is incredibly intense, and I ejaculate more semen than I usually would from a whole week of regular orgasms. My lamest orgasms happened during the two weeks before my first ejaculation. I would work my way up to orgasm, but rather than pleasure, I would feel a dull, aching pain and would squirt a few drops of semen and urine. This subsided in a few weeks once I started to ejaculate properly.
- age 14, New Zealand
There is a quite massive difference between best and lame orgasms. Where shall I start? Okay, a typical lame orgasm: I last masturbated this morning. I'm lying in bed this evening, I get hard, and I stroke really fast. In a minute, or maybe even less, I have an orgasm. There's a little semen (though not much) and it feels nice. Greatest orgasm through masturbating: I've been stroking pretty much all day. I haven't masturbated for a week. I'm all lubed up and my penis feels as though it will burst. The orgasm seems to last forever and I nearly pass out. My eyes open to find semen not just on my stomach, but all over the place, as if I've let off a fire extinguisher. I wish every orgasm could feel that good!
- age 22, United Kingdom
My greatest orgasms erupt in a sweaty,
screaming pile of *me.*
There is a *big* difference! My greatest orgasms erupt in a sweaty, screaming pile of *me.* Every inch of my body and soul is drawn into ecstasy. My lame orgasms always have good buildup, but then, instead of an explosion, I just kind of fizzle. It's very disappointing. I lie there with wet fingers as my nether regions halfheartedly pump out a few orgasmic "thumps." Then I go wash my hands and feel kind of guilty.
- age 28, California (female)
For me the difference is so great that it is almost impossible to put into words. Once or twice a year I'll experience one of my best-ever orgasms (with strong anal contractions and a second, more intense feeling deep within my groin after my very powerful ejaculation). My poorest orgasms give me pleasure similar to the times that I urinate with a very full bladder – it's better than nothing at all, but my heart rate stays about the same and my semen just dribbles out with very little force.
- age 15, Norway
I wouldn't call it a simple difference between great and lame orgasms. They are two altogether separate events. A great orgasm consists of total loss of self-control. You shake, get goose bumps, lose your load, and feel ready to pass out from the bliss. A lame one is simple: it feels good, but there's not much to it – you lose your load and that's it. Zip up your pants and away you go. A not-so-great orgasm still feels good (duh), but you don't lose yourself to your emotions. It's just not the same as those great ones.
- age 17, Canada
Once, while getting to orgasm, I had an experience that went far beyond normal. My wife was just twirling her tongue around the head of my penis when the feeling suddenly became so intense I could hardly take it. Then it changed and I could relax completely. I felt that I should be climaxing, but it continued to ramp up and up until suddenly it spiked in a blinding intensity that reduced my consciousness to a tiny pinpoint at the head of my penis. It went on until my wife changed her technique and I came (down) to orgasm. A bad orgasm is when I jam one out quickly and it just feels very flat with no power behind it.
- age 38, California
As I'm sure it's this way for most guys, you have the best orgasm when you are the most turned on. Sometimes, I will get the urge to masturbate, and doing so will give me an orgasm. But if I'm not completely erect as a result of not being extremely turned on, such as when viewing pornography, the orgasm isn't very strong – it just happens as a completion to the act of masturbating. On the other hand (no pun intended), when I'm really turned on, my orgasm feels the best. This is especially true if I haven't had one in a few days.
- age 25, Georgia
There is a huge variation in the quality of my orgasms – on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate some as an 11 and some as 2 or 3. The good ones are usually associated with a nice long session of masturbation, particularly if it's been a few days since my last orgasm. In those cases, I ejaculate a lot of semen in about eight contractions; pleasurable sensations run the whole length of the spine; and my whole body experiences pleasure. In the least pleasurable orgasms (that usually occur if I have already masturbated that day), the orgasm lasts about one second, I ejaculate a small amount in one contraction, and I feel very let down by the whole thing.
- age 33, Australia
The greatest is just that – the greatest feeling a guy can get. It is enjoyable from the standpoint of building up to the actual orgasm and eventual ejaculation. The not-so-great orgasms are not too different in terms of the build-up before the big event, but tend to be less satisfying at the point of actual ejaculation. In the latter case for me, there seems be too much early, hard muscular contraction that does not alternate with pleasurable spasms. Again, in the latter case, the more frequently I masturbate, the less likely I will have the not-so-great orgasms, which gives me another reason to keep treating myself as frequently as I can.
- age 70, Texas
The physical intensity of my orgasms varies greatly. The main factors that affect it are how aroused I am before a session starts, how long I go before finishing myself off, and the intensity of stimulation. A great orgasm would be one where I wake up from an arousing dream and really need to resolve the desire I have, but have an hour or so to tease myself with my hand and massager. If I keep working to the point of being close and backing off until I simply can't hold back any more, and then swamp myself with intense vibration on my most sensitive place, I almost pass out with the result. A weak one would be when I am tired and just want some self-comforting; so I just use the massager directly for a quick and uninterrupted orgasm. All orgasms are satisfying, but the head buzz from a powerful one and the awakening it gives me is quite different from the warm, cozy, and relaxing feeling a more gentle one gives.
- age 39, United Kingdom (female)
A great orgasm affects my whole body. My legs twitch, my PC muscles contract quickly and strongly, my pelvis thrusts, and my body shivers with pleasure. A lame orgasm is when nothing happens – just a little squirt or two of semen comes out.
- age 17, California
A world-class orgasm for me lasts what feels like a good 20 to 30 seconds, affects my whole body, and creates an altered state of consciousness that beats any drug trip by a mile. It also leaves a good-sized puddle of semen in its wake. A crappy orgasm usually comes from some weird, undesired mental image intruding at exactly the wrong moment, and lasts only a few seconds, with my penis contracting only four or five times, and hardly any semen. Of course, a lousy orgasm is better than none at all, but it still feels like a lot of effort for nothing. (Those who, like me, are on antidepressant medication will know what I'm talking about.)
- age 43, California
A great orgasm for me is where I feel my semen rush as it gushes out and once I've finished I realize (much to my horror) that I have been screaming in ecstasy. A lame orgasm is where I grind away for ages, only to feel numb when I finally ejaculate. I feel bored and depressed. But then, I guess I deserve it for not getting properly aroused in the first place.
- age 23, United Kingdom
Sometimes I have an orgasm but don't ejaculate; it feels like a 50% orgasm.
- age 14, Australia
The "greatest" orgasm leaves me gasping for air, my heart pounding, my body limp. The lamest is when I have to look to be sure that I did, in fact, ejaculate. But even then it is good.
- age 64, Arkansas
The lamest orgasms feel somewhat like a letdown. They still feel good, but I'm left with the feeling that I missed something. My girlfriend can tell when I have a not-so-good orgasm, as she says when it happens, my orgasm inside her does not feel very strong.
- age 37, Missouri
There's this much difference (stretches hands out)! Though I don't have a recipe for the greatest orgasms, there are guidelines that sometimes lead me to have one. Ironically, the lamest orgasms have taken place when I use the famous Stop-and-Go technique. I sometimes stop too late and then have a tiny ejaculation practically without orgasm. All I get is a tolerable amount of soreness in my glans and less desire to keep masturbating. Still, I can resume masturbating at once. My best orgasms would come when I was insecure about masturbating and would abstain for several days, yet already aware that taking my time could lead to stronger orgasms. So far, it's been a couple of times that I ejaculated as far as my chin while lying on my back, and a half-dozen times when masturbation felt particularly great.
- age 18, Latvia
Orgasm forecasts are tougher than the weather, and my highs and lows are quite extreme; but I have no idea what's coming or why. When stronger than expected, a good orgasm can take my breath away and resonate nicely all through the day. But weak ones can happen even after I've masturbated for a long and happy time, have a nice big erection, feel a major buildup, and am all ready to shoot the moon. Then, blip – and it's over. The point of no return feels like a speed bump, there's a little squirt just for show, and that's it. Often my penis stays erect for quite a while afterwards, as if to say, "Hey, is that all?"
- age 51, Wisconsin
There was a huge difference between best and worst, for me. Best ever would've been the product of an hour of stop-and-go masturbating to a porno, which was explosive and made me nearly pass out (I fell and hit my head on an end table)! The lamest would be when I did stop-and-go for 15 minutes, but pushed it too far over the edge, and then didn't masturbate during the orgasm. It felt like I hadn't done anything at all, and I wasn't motivated to do anything else for the rest of the day.
- age 14, Canada
After 15 years of masturbating, it seems to me that the very best orgasm is a whole-body experience felt as an intense tingling sensation from the tips of my toes to the hair on my head. The worst orgasm, although still quite satisfying, is usually limited to the pelvic region. A not-so-great orgasm usually comes when I have been rushed or have hurried to orgasm (3-5 minutes). This less-than-perfect orgasm still involves a tightening of my scrotum followed by the deep muscle contraction of ejaculation and expulsion of semen. The cool-down after a not-so-great orgasm usually lasts quite a bit less time, as well.
- age 26, Oklahoma
There is a huge difference between a good orgasm, and a bad one. A good one is when you do the stop-and-go, and you stop about 10 times – and then go and keep stroking. When I do that, I blow my load like nobody's business. A bad orgasm is when only a little semen shoots out (or it might only dribble). It's a quickie – like the ones you do in the summer camp showers or at your grandparents' house because you don't have enough privacy to do it properly.
- age 15, Pennsylvania
There is a big difference between best and worst orgasms for me. The best I can remember lately was when I set my alarm clock to ring in an hour-and-a-half. Then I masturbated and edged and wouldn't let myself climax until the alarm went off. The worst was when my wife and I hadn't had sex in well over a week and I had abstained from masturbating. When we finally had sex, I expected it to be a whopper, but it was actually very disappointing. I ejaculated copiously, but there was very little buzz to it. It seemed almost as if my body just needed to dump a load quickly, and the orgasm was not very important. The next time we had sex was soon afterward and it was a good orgasm, though not one for the record books.
- age 49, New Jersey
I have had orgasms where nothing really happened except that semen came out of my penis – I lost my train of thought. My greatest orgasm was also my worst. After masturbating for an hour, I had the most pleasurable orgasm along with a man's worst nightmare, *blue balls*!
- age 14, Iowa
Orgasms are like pizza, even when they're bad, they're still pretty good! My orgasms all feel basically the same, but it's the intensity and the amount of ejaculate that varies. I think the only way to improve the intensity is to ejaculate less frequently, so that it builds up. I know that it's difficult to fight the urge, but you must – in the name of shooting across the room!
- age 33, Ohio
A wonderful orgasm is when my head, back, and body arch off the bed without my control. The head of my penis just throbs and I can't touch it anymore. I release a gallon of semen. A bad orgasm, is when I keep rubbing and rubbing for over an hour to get the faintest hope of a pleasant feeling. Then, boom! It's over in a split second and only a drop of semen trickles out – all that for nothing. Damn!
- age 23, California
For me, how much work I have to put into masturbating makes all the difference. (Note I didn't say *get* to put into it...) Sometimes, when I masturbate early in the morning – say, just after waking – my penis isn't very sensitive since I'm not fully alert. Then I actually have to masturbate longer and more intensely to reach orgasm and when I finally do climax, it tends to be short, not very intense, and I don't ejaculate very far. By contrast, if I masturbate at night when I'm most alert and energized, I can quickly get to a very pleasurable plateau and stay there without ejaculating for a long time. When I finally do, I have amazing orgasms – they are very forceful, last for a long time, and are incredibly pleasurable. At times like these, I can easily ejaculate onto or past my face (if I happen to be lying on my back). Maybe that's why I'm such a night owl!
- age 20, Oklahoma
I don't get really great orgasms. I've always wondered about these people who have toe-curling, scream-out-loud intense orgasms. Sometimes I don't feel anything at all – it just comes shooting out.
- age 24, Connecticut
For me, the difference between great and lame is about 50,000%. My greatest orgasms have been (1) very good sex with my wife after hours of foreplay; (2) finally ejaculating after three hours of horny chat on the Internet. My worst have been (1) desultory sex in a loose vagina; (2) fast masturbation where the ejaculation felt more boring than a joke on a bubblegum wrapper. Mostly, the difference has to do with how I felt *before* the orgasm. Occasionally, I have had orgasms where they just kept on and on and on, but at a reduced level. They were also quite high on my list of 50,000 per centers.
- age 55, Australia
For me, there is a big difference between the "good" ones and the "not-so-good" ones. If I'm having a good orgasm, then my eyes roll back in my head, and my body sort of convulses. After that, my whole body feels calm and relaxed, and really quite good. If it's a bad one, then I just have this feeling of disappointment. Kind of like, "Dang, I thought it was going to be better than that." Also, my eyes stay put!
- age 19, Indiana
Sometimes, I feel like masturbating, but for whatever reason, there is just not much of a payoff. The orgasm is brief and kind of flat with the sperm just oozing out. But when a really good orgasm is building up, my skin gets all bumpy and alive, my penis gets harder, and waves of pleasure surge through my balls and groin. When I reach orgasm, my semen really shoots out and everything goes twitchy.
- age 50, Canada
There is a *big* difference between my greatest and lamest orgasms. My lamest orgasms usually occur when I try to masturbate quickly, or if I'm disturbed just before I climax and not touching my clitoris at the point of orgasm. These orgasms feel as if I have just been running up a steep hill, and fall down just before I get over the top – they're a big disappointment! My greatest orgasms usually occur when I take the time to caress and stimulate my whole body beforehand, and I make the masturbation session last as long as I can. It also helps if I am fantasizing about something that turns me on; the more detailed the fantasy, the better the orgasm. My greatest orgasms make my eyes clench up, my clitoris usually explodes in ecstasy, and I can't stop myself from crying out. Afterwards, the orgasmic feeling travels down my legs, making them feel wonderful, and I usually fall asleep.
- age 16, Australia (female)
My orgasms vary greatly. When I have a really good masturbation session (with plenty of privacy, high level of arousal, and some good pornography), I can achieve really powerful orgasms. My ejaculations spurt all the way to my chest, my testicles rise up into my body, and I become breathless and very satisfied. When the conditions are not great, or if I'm just masturbating out of boredom or habit, then my orgasms are nothing to speak of. My sperm sort of dribbles out, and there is very little. Sometimes there is only one tiny little drop that oozes out. In short, my lame orgasms leave me with an unsatisfied erection, and there is no real physiological change.
- age 20, Florida
Until a year ago, there was very little difference; all of my orgasms were really great. However, I've recently started taking Viagra before a masturbation session and I can describe the experiences only as "extreme sexual pleasure" compared to anything that I've ever experienced before. These orgasms are significantly more pleasurable than even my very first ejaculation (which I thought would never be beaten) and the sexual pleasure is almost too great for my body to handle. With Viagra, even a second orgasm only half an hour after the first gives me extreme pleasure.
- age 18, United Kingdom
Most of my orgasms fall pretty close to a norm for me. Differences are how far I shoot and how many visible individual ejaculations occur; in other words, does my semen shoot over my head or just ooze out of my penis and can I see eight individual streams coming out or do I see one or two little squirts. I remember orgasms when I was younger that gave me a real rush. My face would turn red and I would sweat and get light-headed. Now, most of the feeling is within my penis, itself. Sometimes, it's short-lived; other times, it's more drawn out. I can't predict which it will be and can't control it, either – though increasing the time between having sex and letting someone else use their hand to masturbate me seems to help sometimes.
- age 41, Oregon
My greatest orgasm was about a year ago when I took a video game controller (that vibrates) and put it to my penis until I ejaculated. It was amazing. My lamest orgasm was when I tried to stop right before I ejaculated so that I could hold it back and continue in a couple of seconds; but I was too late and some semen dribbled out. It was horrible because my penis was sensitive, so I could not go on any more, but I was still so horny. I was so irritated with myself!
- age 15, Florida
The ultimate orgasm for me was when I masturbated by putting some shaving cream into a condom! The ejaculation was so intense that it felt as though it came from my feet! I squirmed and wiggled with intense pleasure! My worst orgasm was once when I was a kid, I sat cross-legged and went at it. My orgasm was forced and "muscular." There was no pleasure at all. It felt as though I had gripped my balls in a vice! So the difference between the two was huge! At my age, every orgasm counts. So, I take my time and make it good, no matter what!
- age 34, France
My greatest orgasm (not including actual intercourse) was from a long session of the Stop-and-Go method. It's a really cool experience, especially after a long period of time and you're almost dripping in sweat. My lamest orgasm has to be when I ejaculate after *just* beginning to stroke. Usually this happens only if I go a while without masturbating.
- age 16, Alabama
Ninety percent of my orgasms are quite similar, as good as the lamest ones. Generally, lame orgasms have come from poorly planned masturbation. The great ones have come from great sex and extended masturbation (with the perfect fantasy in my mind). But my greatest orgasms have all come after an extended make-out session that failed to result in sex!
- age 32, United Kingdom
The greatest came in my maturity, not in my teens. The lamest have come recently, in old age. The difference is huge. Sometimes now the nerves involved in orgasm just don't generate the sensations they once did. I can tell whether they are in good working order with the first few strokes, and decide whether to go on or quit. I would still masturbate about once a day, as I did throughout life, if the bodily structures would handle it. They won't. At 81, I am lucky to get one good orgasm a week. A good one is as good as ever. A poor one is little more than a mild burning sensation near the head of my penis, and not worth all the strokes it takes to get there. I'm not complaining, just telling you how it is. I had about 65 years of good masturbation – all that a man could ask for.
- age 81, Texas
Okay, everyone knows what a not-so-great O feels like. But I've only had one that reached far beyond anything else. It was a one-night stand that left a memory to last a lifetime. She had a small vibrator in my anus while she was riding me. We both climaxed at the same time. All of a sudden, it felt like nothing I had felt before. My whole body tensed up and I couldn't move for at least 20 seconds. She had time to get up and walk into the bathroom before my muscles relaxed enough for me even to move. I'll never forget it, or her. Now I know how a woman must feel in a really intense orgasm.
- age 29, New York