Women Best dowel grips for under 5" hands

[putri]

Hi! I have a 5yrs old who just started in Oct. It's probably equal to pre team in the US. Initially coach and I decided that dd can do without grips (they wanted the dowel grips, not the beginner ones) since her hands are tiny and she hasn't really done gym.

First day she could do three chin ups and two weeks later dd could circle up on own and do swings for a good while. Coach and I quickly found out that she's super strong and dd has complained about hurt palms.

Question: Are there tiny grips? The UK shops doesn't seem to carry anything under 5" but we have an APO address and can buy from the US as long as they ship APO. Or should I suggest beginner grips to coach for now? I can find small ones for those.

The children who has been in a year are already prepping for kips. While dd is still working on splits, cartwheels and confidence on beam, if she continues to do as well on bars, she's going to need something for her little hands.

Thanks!

 

[cbifoja]

It sounds like she just needs to do bars without grips and let her hands toughen up. DD's coach believes grip usage is based more on gymmie weight than rip prevention. No sense rushing into grips although I understand because my DD wanted grips from the moment she got on pre-team.

Wanna cure that? Buy her some palm guards and let her "use' them. The new will wear off quickly and she will see what a pain the grips are because they aren't particularly comfortable.

At our gym, girls don't go into grips until they are getting ready to compete (not learn, compete) kips. They learn kips without grips and then start into grips the summer before L4.

 

[putri]

Wow, that sounds rough!! I don't want to hurry mainly due to not knowing if it's what dd really wants to do (fun factor, did I mention she's 5yrs old? I can't see what I typed via this app). She seems really keen on gym but who knows.

If most of you think it's a better idea to let her strengthen her palms then we'll just stick to the original plan. If not, I'll ask coach if it's ok to get palm guards <-- this was what I meant by beginner grips in original post.

 

[cbifoja]

Believe me, I totally understand. My DD wanted them just for the fun factor. The palm guards are fairly inexpensive, especially compared to dowel grips. I don't think they did a bit of harm. My DD tried to wear them 3 to 5 times then declared that she didn't really need grips anyway. LOL

We have a little L8 in our state who is the same age/size as my DD. So she is doing pirouettes and giants but doesn't wear grips. She told my DD that her hands are too small for dowel grips and she's used to not wearing them now. So even if your DD wants dowel grips, you might not be able to find ones to fit. My DD is in the smallest size still and she's been wearing grips for three years now. She weighs 60 pounds and her coach said that she really could have gotten away without grips until this year after her last growth spurt/weight gain.

 

[cbifoja]

I just checked the grips my DD wears. The smallest size fits hands that are 5 and 1/4 inch. LOL So your little one is probably too small.

http://www.gibsonathletic.com/pdf/Just_Right_Buckle_Sizing_Chart.pdf

 

[Firefly]

My 65 pound level 4 doesn't use grips yet. Her team begins using them at L5. Her hands are sore sometimes, and she gets rips sometimes, but that's just part of gymnastics. Your 5 year old probably doesn't need them at this point so I wouldn't panic about finding them small enough.

 

[Half-Pint]

I think dowel grips start at 5" because hands that are smaller than this are not long enough to grip around the bar and the dowel safely. Little hands can easily fly off the bar!

Her hands will get much stronger as she practices. My dd has tiny hands and has really had to work on her grip strength over the last year. She got her kip this past spring but her hands were still not strong enough to do her bar routine with the grips on. She competed without grips for most of her season and her coach said her grip had improved a lot. When she tried her grips again, there was a huge difference and they actually made her routine better rather than worse.

After all of this I see no reason to rush into grips for those with tiny hands. Let those hands strengthen and toughen up on their own and then when they put on the grips they will be ready for them.

 

[bookworm]

Hot shots by US Glove

 

[Vivianflips]

I think you should wait until she's a bit older and working harder skills. A small L7 at my gym used dowels for awhile but they just kept making her slip off as her hands were so small! With time your daughters hands will build up calluses so bar will not hurt anymore, my hands are a testament to that!

 

[DefiniteMaybe]

US Glove has a size 000 that fits 5" hands. Link Removed

And Gibson Just Right has an xxs which fits UP TO 5 1/4", so they also may work for 5" hands. FYI, Gibson has a regular version and a "soft" leather version (which my girls greatly preferred). Sometimes you have to call Gibson to order the "soft" leather.

 

[emorymom]

Pixie grips has a dowel grip for hands "up to" 5". http://www.ten-o.com/Pixie-Velcro-Uneven-Bar-Dowel-Grips,2849.html?b=d*14679 They also have a palm guard.

 

[3gymgirls]

I am surprised that her coach mentioned grips at all. My oldest will be competing level 2 thus year and her hands are constantly ripping just practicing 3 hrs per week. I made her some tape grips and those are allowing her hands to heal. One of her teammates asked her if I would make a set for her too so that's on my agenda before next practice. They are super easy to make, but I'm hoping she doesn't get so used to them that she can't do bars without them.

 

[gymdog]

5 years old? Don't get any grips. She is too small. Did the coach specifically ask for them?

 

[Vaulter]

5 years old? Don't get any grips. She is too small. Did the coach specifically ask for them?

Just wondering? Why? I want my gymnast to get into grips (dowels) as soon as they are swinging (good tap swings) at bar height. Learning to tolerate grips are the biggest obstacle, I see.....Am I over looking something?

 

[munchkin3]

Wether to wear them at her age or not, is up to your coach.....as far as grips, there is a company in Florida that will make the grips with a photocopy of your child's hands. They will custom make dowel grips for 35-40 dollars. They are nice leather and are narrow in the palm, and the buckle. Certainly not heavy duty serious grips, but for what you want, they will get her through until she needs 'real' ones.

CA Gymnastics Grips.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

If her coach really wants her in grips, Bailie's makes a beginner dowel grip to fit as small as 3.5 inches. It has a narrower and thinner leather strip, too. My dd has smaller hands and has worn these since level 5. She's training 9 now and still wears this same style and brand. They don't last as long, but probably for what your dd is doing, they would last her a while. Gripsetc online has them. Only when coach calls for them, though. Again, make sure that's coach's decision.

 

[gymdog]

Just wondering? Why? I want my gymnast to get into grips (dowels) as soon as they are swinging (good tap swings) at bar height. Learning to tolerate grips are the biggest obstacle, I see.....Am I over looking something?

I just don't think it's necessary for 5 year olds developmentally. If you have an extremely tiny 7 year old or something, you have to determine whether their hands are big enough to safely grip the women's uneven bar to do something like underswing into tap swings or jump between the bars. Even if they can, if their hands are that small I think adding grips often makes it hard for them to grip the bar. The way the dowel works requires a certain length of grip to actually make it easier to hold the bar in my opinion. The companies can just make smaller and smaller sizes of grips for women's uneven rails, but it's still the same diameter of rail. When they are smaller wearing grips and jump to the bar and can't get the dowel over it, they slip. I had two small kids in grips come to me having this problem, I took the grips off, they got it.

Also because if the reason is because her hands hurt, then there is no reason...grips are for athletes putting more force on the bar to grip the bar. It's that simple. They don't prevent friction or rips.

 

[Jenny]

Would the little palm guards be easier for her at the moment until her hands grow a little and she needs them for more advanced skills. They go really tiny and definitely help stop rips.

 

[gymdog]

Palm guards just put another layer between already small hands and the bar.

 

[bogwoppit]

Hi! I have a 5yrs old who just started in Oct. It's probably equal to pre team in the US. Initially coach and I decided that dd can do without grips (they wanted the dowel grips, not the beginner ones) since her hands are tiny and she hasn't really done gym.

First day she could do three chin ups and two weeks later dd could circle up on own and do swings for a good while. Coach and I quickly found out that she's super strong and dd has complained about hurt palms.

Question: Are there tiny grips? The UK shops doesn't seem to carry anything under 5" but we have an APO address and can buy from the US as long as they ship APO. Or should I suggest beginner grips to coach for now? I can find small ones for those.

The children who has been in a year are already prepping for kips. While dd is still working on splits, cartwheels and confidence on beam, if she continues to do as well on bars, she's going to need something for her little hands.

Thanks!

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