WAG Emergency Grips Help

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Our girls take some pit foam and put it in the finger holes. Also, on the Ginnasta web site they sell something similar that hooks over the finger holes. Gymnastics Grips Foam Finger Fits Ginnasta USA BTW, my DD just switched to the grips for Ginnasta and absolutely loves them! They do not take long to break in! Alex swung bars at open gym one time and they were pretty well ready to go. They have great customer service too. I had purchased 2 different sizes since she fell in between on the sizing chart. I had to call to find out how to return the wrong size. I spoke with the actual owner! Who does that?

 

[mariposa]

We love Ginnasta, too. Amazing customer service. Grips are very well made and last a long time.

 

[cbifoja]

Even if the grips arrived in time, I'd be tempted to use the current ones for the meet as your dd will be comfortable in them. I was going to suggest the elastic method or stuffing the holes with foam!
It's always good to have a back up pair of grips though, wear them in then in case of emergency you have them ready!

No way that she's using the new grips at Sand Dollar. Riding in a car isn't conducive for breaking grips in! I'm going to ask the coach to try either the foam in the finger holes route and if B doesn't care for that, we'll see how the rubber bands works.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm hopeful that one or the other will work.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

find another girl with similar grips/hands. we have had to do this before. It's not perfect but it's better than what she is dealing with now. Also, you may be able to work on them on the way to Florida and maybe you can find a gym there where she can work them for a little while. Again, not perfect but may work...

edit:
also, is there a way to expedite shipping? Calling the distributor?

hold on here. YOU NEVER WEAR ANOTHER ATHLETES GRIPS. EVER.

you can either tape just below where the grip will stop on the first digit of the knuckle or take a rubber band thru the finger holes on the outside of the grip. then place the rubber band thru the buckle strap before you pull it tight and place the pin in the hole. this will hold the top of the grips to the fingers.

again, this is why i post that everyone should have a back up pair of grips at the ready. and for this precise example.

 

[gymgurl]

Either have her borrow a pair from a teammate on the day who have the same style and size grips (failing that just the same size hands) or get bits of foam and put them in the fingerholes - adjust the size of the foam depending on how stretched they are - I used to do this as the holes came a bit to big for me

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes, but once you borrow a new pair and use them they are now your own. you bought them. you never wear another's grips under any circumstances when they have already been broken in and used.

 

[All Chalked Up]

Elastic bands are the way to go. There are also these things called "wedges" essentially the same as stuffing your fingers with pit foam but much easier!

I just realized Alexgymmymom shared the link to them!

I know in my gym we never ever ever share grips, if someone forgets we're told "sucks for you"

 

[gymgurl]

yes, but once you borrow a new pair and use them they are now your own. you bought them. you never wear another's grips under any circumstances when they have already been broken in and used.

Just out of curiosity Dunno, why such the emphasis on never borrowing grips? I don't do bars so I wouldn't have any clue as I don't compete bars and the girls I coach don't wear grips

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Just out of curiosity Dunno, why such the emphasis on never borrowing grips? I don't do bars so I wouldn't have any clue as I don't compete bars and the girls I coach don't wear grips

no 2 hands, left or right, are the same. once the grips have been broken in they form to that athletes hands, fingers and wrists. put your hands in to gloves or feet in to shoes of someone else/same or near size and you can feel the form difference.

in gymnastics, the grips take on the life of the athletes hands. where the dowel rolls and forms in the fingers and how the wrist strap forms and slightly turns to one's wrist and wrist bands. using grips that are broken in and not yours can and will be dangerous.

recently, i had a gymnast working out with us. she forgot her grips. i used those of another athlete where the grips were not fully broken in. i modified the grips by cutting a bit of leather and enlarging the finger holes a bit and placing tape at the knuckles to prevent the grips from periscoping down the fingers. if you don't know how to do this, you don't. and the other child was given a new replacement pair of grips in exchange. and we modified what the child was doing for that day with grips that were not 'her' own.

 

[Gymmommy71]

Yeah, somehow I've always known that borrowing grips was a big no-no... I once had to do the overnight shipping option for a pair of new grips for DD (old grips were not an option)...it added something like $25 to the cost. She was fine after having one regular bar practice at her gym to break them in before the meet (because of the overnight shipping she was able to do this). If I hadn't payed the extra shipping, she would have had to go gripless at her last pre-meet practice (which would have either messed up her hands or been totally unproductive cause she wouldn't have been doing her skills full out), and she wouldn't have had any break in time, so I just paid the expensive shipping...

 

[cbifoja]

The tape worked and coach said Bella had started wearing them a different way. She wasn't pushing the finger holes down as far as she used to so lo and behold....the grips were flying off. HC took off the tape, made her wear the grips the correct way and they stayed on perfectly.

So, now I guess I'm a good gym mom who is following Dunno's advice perfectly by having a back up pair of grips for her gymnast.