When and why do you have your gymnasts wear grips?

[Canadian_gym_mom]

I searched this topic and found a ton of "survey" responses from parents and gymnasts about what their gym's policies are, when their dds got grips, and it seems like US Level 5 ish is about average.

My question is more about reasoning why a gymnast would need to start using grips at a certain point? Is is for particular skills, does their age/weight/level have a part in your decision?

I ask because my dd is 7 years old and desperately wants grips like the big girls, and her coaches have said not until next year. Please understand I am FINE with the decision and I am not trying to push her to get them. This question is ONLY for me to understand the reasoning behind this and to help me understand one more part of gym a little more, and to give me an answer to her question of Why?

I am working on the assumption that everyone eventually gets grips, because I've never seen elite level gymnasts without them.

Thanks

 

[bogwoppit]

Look up videos of gymnasts from Omega in BC, most of their gymnasts do not wear grips. This includes little phenom Shallon Olsen. It is very unusual not to though!

[video=youtube_share;taELi4-Xa2E]http://youtu.be/taELi4-Xa2E[/video]
As you have discovered every coach and gym has a different phiosophy concerning grips, some put them in from very early days, others want to wait until they are doing circling skills like giants. Some coaches feel that it is hard for tiny hands to grip the bar properly with grips, therefore making it more dangerous for them. You will see L7 gymnasts without grips that are quite tiny, I assume this is because their coaches feel they are not ready for them.

I totally understand how your DD wants them, they do look cool and they are what the big girls use.

Both of mine started wearing them when they got their kips consistanly with straight arms. But they could've worn them earlier if they had chosen too as the HC didn't mnd.

 

[2gymmies]

My dd got her grips at Level 7 (almost 10 years old) because the coaches felt she needed them to be able to hang on better for the bigger skills - they actually set her back quite a bit because she has very small hands and took a long time to get used to not feeling the bar so much. She also wanted them very badly, but then really didn't like them for quite awhile. Now she can't imagine doing bars without them (its been just over a year).

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I got grips because I rip very, very easily. I got them in level 5 (age 14), but probably would have waited longer if I hadn't had the ripping problem. Having that extra layer of protection is very useful, as now I usually only rip on the edges of my hands where the grip doesn't cover! Additionally, the dowel makes it easier to hold on. I mostly notice this during clear hips and at the end of a bar routine when my arms are tired.

 

[Bella's Mom]

My daughter is 7 as well and also wanted grips like the big girls. I got her an inexpensive pair of palm guards and she was thrilled. Wore them on and off and will occasionally put them on at gym but like others have mentioned, she doesn't seem to benefit from them at all. She can't do a mill circle while wearing them and she takes them off when she is seriously doing bars.

Her coach showed her how to wear them and helps her put them on in practice but our gym doesn't require them. For our girls, it seems they gets grips between L5 and L6.

 

[lhmom]

I think it depends on the coaches. At DD's gym, they do not allow grips until the girls are at least level 5 if not level 6. DD occasionally wears her tape "grips" when she has a rip, but has not bugged me yet for "real" grips.

 

[Quadqueen]

I know you asked for coaches opinions, but just wanted to share our experience. DD is 8 and L5 and at her gym, they typically let the girls start using grips in L6. She tends to use her "tape grips" almost every time she's on bars though, because she also rips very easily. I'm in no hurry for her to get them because I know girls usually experience set backs on their skills when they first get them!

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Girls at our gym get grips when they reach level 5. Most do struggle with skills at first but I have to say that Alex can't swing bars now without them. She says that she can grip the bar much better with them and she has also not had a bad rip in ages. (not sure if that is because of the grips or not)

 

[Iwannabemargo]

our little girls get them when the enter advanced rec, they just get the palm guards. The theory is that if they get used to them then they wont loose skills at a later date when the get propper grips.

'Margo

 

[gymgal]

dd's gym doesn't really have a set level. Some girls get them really early but i have noticed that they really don't wear them consistently until they start working their kips. dd got hers just before she got her kip. I had read a lot about when is the best time and it seemed that a lot of girls lose skills once they get the grips because the bar feels different. So we decided to do it just before this big skill. we have girls that go through 6 level skills without grips but by L7, the coaches really encourage the grips because the girls can stay on the bars longer - less bar to hand contact means less friction. Yes, you can still get rips but the grips really allow the girls to do more repetitions. Of course, if you do enough on the bars without grips, your hands will get used to it anyway and toughen up on their own.

 

[BlairBob]

With your typical girl, I do not put them in grips till they start working free hip to hand and giants. It's as simple as that. If they are tiny, they might never need them.

If they are poor at properly gripping the bar in say jumping to high bar or the low bar in a glide swing, involving grips will just complicate things and make it worse.

For older girls it might be necessary so they don't chew up their hands. They have much more weight and leverages going against them when it comes to bars.

There is the pressure and desire for many parents and girls to get into grips soon but that is where you as a coach have to make it a stand.

For guys, you don't really need them till you are working giants and when you are really starting to swing big on rings.