Parents Dowel Hand Guards (Reisport)

[Deleted member 14190]

I think OP said somewhere that her gym required them :-(
I agreed with you though. We have several girls that don't use grips.

That's weird, if that is the case then her DD needs to do extra strength. Usually the super strong kids adapt to grips quick and the weaker kids take longer. Just an observation

 

[xxStumpyxx]

That's weird, if that is the case then her DD needs to do extra strength. Usually the super strong kids adapt to grips quick and the weaker kids take longer. Just an observation

Why is it weird? What has strength got to do with badly fitting grips? Her original ones were too big and kept bunching up when she was doing certain skills, the kept trying to make them fit better by adding foam, I ordered my dd the next size down which as also narrower, it was a gamble but it did pay off, the improvement was immediate and she started to do skills again that her old grips would not allow her to do (was fine with bare hands).

I get what you are saying about the need for grips, I also can't see the need for grips, especially dowel grips for the group's current skills level, but the coach insists on the girls having them, we really have no choice. I am kind of guessing she wants them all to start of using the dowel grips for their "basic" bar routine (pullover, cast, back hip circle, straddle undershoot dismount) to save them relearning the skills again, that way they are already used to grips when the move to squat on, catch the hip bar, baby giant over), they are already learning the squat on (most girls have it), they are also doing upstart (kip) drills.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Why is it weird? What has strength got to do with badly fitting grips? Her original ones were too big and kept bunching up when she was doing certain skills, the kept trying to make them fit better by adding foam, I ordered my dd the next size down which as also narrower, it was a gamble but it did pay off, the improvement was immediate and she started to do skills again that her old grips would not allow her to do (was fine with bare hands).

I get what you are saying about the need for grips, I also can't see the need for grips, especially dowel grips for the group's current skills level, but the coach insists on the girls having them, we really have no choice. I am kind of guessing she wants them all to start of using the dowel grips for their "basic" bar routine (pullover, cast, back hip circle, straddle undershoot dismount) to save them relearning the skills again, that way they are already used to grips when the move to squat on, catch the hip bar, baby giant over), they are already learning the squat on (most girls have it), they are also doing upstart (kip) drills.

I was replying to another poster, she said she thought your gym requires the kids to wear grips, I think that is weird. If one of my kids wanted to go bare handed then so be it. But usually the kids are really excited to get grips so it's not an issue. And yes, Strength has a lot to do with kids adapting to grips quickly. the stronger you are on bars, the easier bars is... and that relates to adapting to grips as well.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

I was replying to another poster, she said she thought your gym requires the kids to wear grips, I think that is weird. If one of my kids wanted to go bare handed then so be it. But usually the kids are really excited to get grips so it's not an issue. And yes, Strength has a lot to do with kids adapting to grips quickly. the stronger you are on bars, the easier bars is... and that relates to adapting to grips as well.

What about if the grips are too big and the gymnast cannot keep hold of the bar due to grips bunching up? How would strength help there?

My dd's strength isn't the best in her group but she adapted to her new grips straight ask, so she must be pretty strong.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

What about if the grips are too big and the gymnast cannot keep hold of the bar due to grips bunching up? How would strength help there?

My dd's strength isn't the best in her group but she adapted to her new grips straight ask, so she must be pretty strong.

? Your daughter is wearing double zero's, I have some extremely small kids wearing double zero grips, same brand. So i have doubts they are too big. It is possible that she doesn't know how to wear dowel grips and broke them incorrectly, causing wrinkles in the leather. totally possible, however the fact that she (using your quote) "cannot keep hold of the bar due to grips bunching up", leads me to believe that hand strength could be problem as well. I am just trying to help because you asked.

 

[profmom]

What CoachP is saying resonates with my DD's experience. Most of her group started with grips as they were moving up to old L6. She got hers a year later because she had broken her arm and was off for a while, and thus did not have the necessary hand strength. She spent a long time off bars with a back injury this season, and she's been doing a lot of specific exercises to maintain hand strength. It usually but does not always correlate with other kinds of strength.

I think with grips, it's best to have someone knowledgeable look at the grips/guards. Has your DD tried a few other kids' grips on if other girls are using different brands/types and had the coach check the fit? Both optional boys and girls in our gym will sometimes borrow a set of grips from someone else on the team and try them out under coach supervision before placing an order. (Hahaha, especially the boys who are longing for those stupid Hambuchens that are always on back order for three months!)

 

[xxStumpyxx]

? Your daughter is wearing double zero's, I have some extremely small kids wearing double zero grips, same brand. So i have doubts they are too big. It is possible that she doesn't know how to wear dowel grips and broke them incorrectly, causing wrinkles in the leather. totally possible, however the fact that she (using your quote) "cannot keep hold of the bar due to grips bunching up", leads me to believe that hand strength could be problem as well. I am just trying to help because you asked.

Thanks for your reply..

They were diffently too big, her hands measures just under the minimum size for the double zero grips (13cm+ for size 00 and they didn't come any smaller in that brand so they gym got them and probably hoped she would grow into them) now, I hate to think what her hand measurements were a year ago when she got them.

I ordered 000 pixie narrow dowel grips (she really does have tiny hands) and they fit fine and she has had no issues with doing her skills from the first time she used them.

She could have strength issues and grip strength issues but how come these smaller grips work for her? More of a curiosity question.

 

[Half-Pint]

My Dd got her dowel grips a couple weeks after she got her kip. It's a rite of passage at our gym. She has tiny hands, and wears a reisport 00. It took her 3 months to be able to do a kip with them on. I think it was a combination of hand size, hand strength, the width and thickness of the leather (they covered her whole palm and it was hard for her to feel the bar), and getting used to the new hand positioning with the dowel. Once she got used to them she loved them and skills became easier, but there was definitely a period of frustration there. I will say these grips are excellent quality. She has worn the same pair for two years now, and they have stretched with her and are beautifully molded to her hands. Now that I think of it, I should probably order a new pair for her to start breaking in....

 

[profmom]

If your child has had them for more than a year, it's probably not a bad idea to have her/him ask the coach to check the fit. A few years ago, DS was at a clinic and the coach there noticed that his had stretched and were no longer fitting properly. Poorly fitted grips can be dangerous.

 

[sce]

If your child has had them for more than a year, it's probably not a bad idea to have her/him ask the coach to check the fit. A few years ago, DS was at a clinic and the coach there noticed that his had stretched and were no longer fitting properly. Poorly fitted grips can be dangerous.

The leather will also weaken and get brittle.

 

[profmom]

The leather will also weaken and get brittle.

Especially if like . . . some people . . . they have a bad habit with the spray bottle.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Thanks for your reply..

They were diffently too big, her hands measures just under the minimum size for the double zero grips (13cm+ for size 00 and they didn't come any smaller in that brand so they gym got them and probably hoped she would grow into them) now, I hate to think what her hand measurements were a year ago when she got them.

I ordered 000 pixie narrow dowel grips (she really does have tiny hands) and they fit fine and she has had no issues with doing her skills from the first time she used them.

She could have strength issues and grip strength issues but how come these smaller grips work for her? More of a curiosity question.

The answer is in the reverse question. How is it possible that other kids with the same or smaller hands are able to swing with the exact same grips. Answer they are stronger and stronger on bars. Putting kids in trainer grips or Pixie grips is totally fine and is done because a lot of small handed kids cannot handle a regular size grip. But I can assure you that when properly prepared there is nothing wrong with double zero reimport grips. Sounds to me like your gym pushes kids into grips very early in the skill development area (we put kids into grips when they finish their first year of level 4, so even if they are small they are better prepared to adapt to them). Anyways here are two kids who are very small in these videos (smaller than all of our 6 year old level 3's at the time these videos were shot), now keep in mind when watching the videos that they have been in Double zero reisport grips for over 2 years prior to these videos.
Here is Alenna and Court in optionals a few years into grips both well under 3.10 tall.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

Those girls are amazing...

Thanks for your insight, I really hate the fact the our gym pushes grips at low level skills, the pixie grips are dowel grips, hopefully the Reisport grips are in good enough condition to use later.

 

[sce]

I understand what coachp is saying. Grip strength makes a big difference in being able to do bars with grips on. No mater the size of the hand.

Also, I have seen many girls who overly widen the finger holes in their grips. Then the grip goes to far down the fingers and will then, possibly, bunch. This is not a sizing issue but an improper use issue.