- Nov 6, 2025
- 1
- 0
Hello everyone! New here. I realized that I replied to my welcome message instead of creating a post, so I have copied and pasted below. Thanks for reading!
My daughter is a level 5 gymnast. Does well in the other events, but has been struggling since the kip and the grips. Changed to new gym when advancing from Level 3 to 4. Was told she was taught incorrectly at previous gym about the kip. Did not have a kip yet, but initially told that she was having difficulty breaking what she had learned so far.
Clearly, I am clueless when it comes to gymnastics, so most of what she is saying doesn't make sense to me, and I need a visual.
She had not used grips until going into Level 4 last year. She previously did very well on the bar in Level 3, but struggled once the kip was introduced. She does well in all other events. We have done private on the bars. I try to figure out what the issue is, and I can't. She is strong, or at least I feel that way and her Level 3 coach told me that she was one of the strongest, even upper body, but I am having difficulty figuring out why she is just now getting it consistently. Last year, she only had one competition that she scored in 8s on bars, which is not typical for her.
We purchased grips. The sizing is correct. We have quadruple checked, had my husband check that I measured correctly and per the site instructions, but she refuses to wear them. She refused all season for Level 4. I finally purchased a pair, but we did not receive until before the last competition. Once competition season was over, she used for approximately 2 weeks and decided she was done with them. She is very vague when I try to figure out what it is that she doesn't like about them, so that I can purchase a different brand or style that addresses her complaints, but she is no help really. She hasn't been forced to wear them at practice, but is continuing to struggle, getting a score in the 6 at their recent mock meet. We have done plenty of privates. She is determined, but does seem to be losing that drive this year, when it comes to bars, and I want to figure out this issue before she becomes so discouraged that she doesn't want to continue, because she loves the sport and loves her team and is very competitive. And, for selfish reasons, I cannot watch her continue to struggle all season long and cry at meets (which makes me cringe) when she performs poorly on the bars.
I have asked the coach. We have great coaches. Her favorite for the bars worked with her privately many times last year. He continues to say that she needs smaller dowels, smaller grips, because she was slipping and that is why she didn't like them.
Is this a hill that I need to die on. I know there are successful gymnasts that do not use grips, but the vast majority do. Is getting the "perfect" pair of grips going to magically fix most of her issues, or does she need to work on strength, technique, etc. I would appreciate honesty, but wonder if he is just saying new grips, but that comes across much more gently than, she sucks on the bars, she is not strong enough, she just isn't getting it, etc.
I apologize for the long winded post, but my non gymnast brain has been researching grips so much without much help from my daughter (probably because she doesn't want to wear them and believes on some level that she can manage without and still be successful) that I could cry.
Thanks everyone!
Kristen
My daughter is a level 5 gymnast. Does well in the other events, but has been struggling since the kip and the grips. Changed to new gym when advancing from Level 3 to 4. Was told she was taught incorrectly at previous gym about the kip. Did not have a kip yet, but initially told that she was having difficulty breaking what she had learned so far.
Clearly, I am clueless when it comes to gymnastics, so most of what she is saying doesn't make sense to me, and I need a visual.
She had not used grips until going into Level 4 last year. She previously did very well on the bar in Level 3, but struggled once the kip was introduced. She does well in all other events. We have done private on the bars. I try to figure out what the issue is, and I can't. She is strong, or at least I feel that way and her Level 3 coach told me that she was one of the strongest, even upper body, but I am having difficulty figuring out why she is just now getting it consistently. Last year, she only had one competition that she scored in 8s on bars, which is not typical for her.
We purchased grips. The sizing is correct. We have quadruple checked, had my husband check that I measured correctly and per the site instructions, but she refuses to wear them. She refused all season for Level 4. I finally purchased a pair, but we did not receive until before the last competition. Once competition season was over, she used for approximately 2 weeks and decided she was done with them. She is very vague when I try to figure out what it is that she doesn't like about them, so that I can purchase a different brand or style that addresses her complaints, but she is no help really. She hasn't been forced to wear them at practice, but is continuing to struggle, getting a score in the 6 at their recent mock meet. We have done plenty of privates. She is determined, but does seem to be losing that drive this year, when it comes to bars, and I want to figure out this issue before she becomes so discouraged that she doesn't want to continue, because she loves the sport and loves her team and is very competitive. And, for selfish reasons, I cannot watch her continue to struggle all season long and cry at meets (which makes me cringe) when she performs poorly on the bars.
I have asked the coach. We have great coaches. Her favorite for the bars worked with her privately many times last year. He continues to say that she needs smaller dowels, smaller grips, because she was slipping and that is why she didn't like them.
Is this a hill that I need to die on. I know there are successful gymnasts that do not use grips, but the vast majority do. Is getting the "perfect" pair of grips going to magically fix most of her issues, or does she need to work on strength, technique, etc. I would appreciate honesty, but wonder if he is just saying new grips, but that comes across much more gently than, she sucks on the bars, she is not strong enough, she just isn't getting it, etc.
I apologize for the long winded post, but my non gymnast brain has been researching grips so much without much help from my daughter (probably because she doesn't want to wear them and believes on some level that she can manage without and still be successful) that I could cry.
Thanks everyone!
Kristen
