WAG Best dowel grips for under 5" hands

[Rockygym]

Did you move countries? Your flag says US and you are asking about the UK. Perhaps you can edit that.

If he/she has an APO address, he/she is probably military stationed in the UK.

 

[putri]

Hi again! Thanks for all the comments! Been a busy weekend and just now checking CB.

Yes, coach specifically asked for grips with dowels. Don't ask me why. I don't know Since it seems like grips are not needed for little hands, or not at all until higher level, my logical guess is that probably for the kids to get used to them early?

I think I'll go and buy palm guards. At $10 they're cheap enough. If dd quits, whatever, if it'll help to prevent rips, great. I want her to built callus but, I don't want her to be in too much pain. She may just quit. She's a big baby and I can't afford for her to quit yet She's got way too much energy and since she started gym, she's been eating and sleeping better!

On my country status... We're US military. Is the country in CB suppose to be where dd does gym?

 

[gymdog]

Taping her hands or using chalk will help more with friction/rips than palm guards will.

 

[Jenny]

Taping her hands or using chalk will help more with friction/rips than palm guards will.

Our little kids use palm guards, they have tiny hands and don't rip. We use chalk as well.

 

[bogwoppit]

On my country status... We're US military. Is the country in CB suppose to be where dd does gym?

It does help people with their answers. I am from the UK but live in Canada currently.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

its seems there is a different culture over here about grips.

Just about everyone gets at least palm guards as soon as they are swinging on bars over here. The theory is they don't want them to have to re-learn skills when they change to skills using grips. Maybe that's why we find it odd that you have to wait for them in the US.

 

[gymdog]

its seems there is a different culture over here about grips.

Just about everyone gets at least palm guards as soon as they are swinging on bars over here. The theory is they don't want them to have to re-learn skills when they change to skills using grips. Maybe that's why we find it odd that you have to wait for them in the US.

I guess if it works for them then it works. Many US coaches have that philosophy but it certainly wouldn't extend to 5 year olds. But maybe you also have different developmental routines than us. In the grand scheme of things, MOST American gyms put kids in grips far earlier than the rest of the world superpowers in gymnastics (Russia, Romania, China). These countries which traditionally didn't use grips at all are starting to put their elite athletes in grips if you notice though. They are harder to get used to but make a difference. They were designed for athletes putting a lot of force on the bar. For example, I can't do anything much more than hold a bar without grips. But I am over 5 ft tall and over 100 lbs. The force I put on the bar doing anything which is not much nowadays (giants at the most) can't be compared to a 5 year old doing tap swings.

I think they definitely develop more grip strength by waiting. But it is a delicate balance. At a certain size the grips become more necessary for the average gymnast to be able to do things.

But again it's the same diameter of bar no matter how small you make the grips. If you have dowel grips you have to get the dowel over the bar in order to hold on. If you don't, you'll probably peel. If your hands are that small that you aren't on the size charts then you already don't have a lot of hand spanning the bar, then you also have another layer of thick leather going over your second knuckle...common sense tells me that is a situation that is going to result in worse grip...but then again it would never remotely occur to me to get dowel grips for a 5 year old so admittedly I haven't experimented. With 7 year olds I have seen it and they did better without.

 

[NoDramaMama]

My dd's gym will let her have tape grips if she has a rip or her hands are sore, but even then, the coaches look at her hands before allowing them. She is a 7 yo level 3 and about 45 lbs. They don't get dowel grips until they have a solid kip and are swinging to high bar.

 

[2gymmies]

My little dd is 9 and is in 000 English Bulldog kipper grips - they are for 4.5" to 5" hands. She learned to giant in bare hands before she was big enough for these grips, but transitioned very easily. We love the grips - she has the single buckle but they also come in velcro... Good Luck

 

[CameraShy]

My DD (7) doesn't have grips yet and last we heard from her coach - her hands are still too small. She will be competing L6 in January and is doing L7 and L8 skills in her up training. She never rips anymore and doesn't even complain about it. She's got good callused hands now and hasn't ripped for at least a year or so. I'll be honest, I'm unsure how she'll do when grips are introduced. Maybe she'll never use them. I know some gymnasts never do.

 

[gracyomalley]

DD got grips when she could safely do Old L6 with dowel grips - for her that was at age 9 and she stayed in size 0. Even now. When she was in development and old L5 she competed without due to safety. I never really realized how tiny she was until I saw an old video recently - and the fact that at age 12 she's shorter than most of the compulsory girls at her new gym! She hardly ever rips.
DS 14 has terrible rips ALL THE TIME - even with grips for rings and bars....which he's had since he was kipping. He started late and therefore was larger and heavier than others when learning the skills. His hands are horrible - and he hides them from his violin teacher constantly. He won't do much in the way of taking care of them, though...so just lives with the pain - and cleans up all the blood!

It seems very coach and gym dependent - but certainly better late than early , I'd say - since it doesn't help with the rips, and could be a safety issue!