WAG Grips

[gfgymnast]

most girls in my group got them around old level 4-5. i tried them when my teammates got them and absolutely hated them, i refused to get grips until after a year of level 7 when my coaches told me they wouldn't move me to 8 if i didn't get grips. I had giants, and release moves without my grips and had no intentions of ever getting them. To this day i still hate grips and i actually rip more with my grips than i did without. I think it's completely personal preference with grips and obviously it's more common to love them, but i never push the girls i coach to get them if they don't want them because i know how much i hate using them.

 

[Aero]

I may have an unpopular or unconventional opinion on this matter, but I do not make and of my girls use grips unless I see that they need them. Sometimes, girls are better off with grips for bars, and sometimes they fare better without grips. There are many factors involved in my decision on this matter, but they are always individual to the athlete. Things such as the girl's grip strength, the girl's hand position on the bar as she swings, the rate of peeling (if at all), her description of her own grip to me, the size of her hands, and the rate of rips occurring. I think it's better to have a natural feel for the bar, but I also understand that if a girl needs grips, she needs grips! I will certainly not stand in the way of that. I have nothing against grips, but I feel that they are not necessary for every girl, and in same cases, grips can actually be a bit detrimental to some athletes.

I have arrived at this decision after observing a number of things over the years. Many high level athletes such as Georgia Dabritz of the University of Utah fame, as well as a number of elites, have had incredibly successful careers without ever wearing grips. One of my own athletes who is a great bar technician, has never had an issue training bare handed, and has never even had a single rip in her three and a half years of doing gymnastics, and she is now training Level 7 for the coming season! Also, I have observed a number of my other girls doing just fine without grips, where as some have needed grips quite early. I also do some grip strength related exercises during our conditioning, and I have noticed that some girls just need grips, while others can perform well if their strength has improved. The rice bucket is a beautiful, wonderful conditioning tool! The fine motor control needed in the hands can be developed into a very strong synergistic system, and all the muscles working in concert can do incredible things. However, some girls are not capable of this degree of strength and will need grips.

My view is simply that if they are needed, they should be used. If they are not needed, then there is no reason to mandate it.

 

[raenndrops]

I may have an unpopular or unconventional opinion on this matter, but I do not make and of my girls use grips unless I see that they need them. Sometimes, girls are better off with grips for bars, and sometimes they fare better without grips. There are many factors involved in my decision on this matter, but they are always individual to the athlete. Things such as the girl's grip strength, the girl's hand position on the bar as she swings, the rate of peeling (if at all), her description of her own grip to me, the size of her hands, and the rate of rips occurring. I think it's better to have a natural feel for the bar, but I also understand that if a girl needs grips, she needs grips! I will certainly not stand in the way of that. I have nothing against grips, but I feel that they are not necessary for every girl, and in same cases, grips can actually be a bit detrimental to some athletes.

I have arrived at this decision after observing a number of things over the years. Many high level athletes such as Georgia Dabritz of the University of Utah fame, as well as a number of elites, have had incredibly successful careers without ever wearing grips. One of my own athletes who is a great bar technician, has never had an issue training bare handed, and has never even had a single rip in her three and a half years of doing gymnastics, and she is now training Level 7 for the coming season! Also, I have observed a number of my other girls doing just fine without grips, where as some have needed grips quite early. I also do some grip strength related exercises during our conditioning, and I have noticed that some girls just need grips, while others can perform well if their strength has improved. The rice bucket is a beautiful, wonderful conditioning tool! The fine motor control needed in the hands can be developed into a very strong synergistic system, and all the muscles working in concert can do incredible things. However, some girls are not capable of this degree of strength and will need grips.

My view is simply that if they are needed, they should be used. If they are not needed, then there is no reason to mandate it.

That is our coach's opinion too. Like I said before, OG is just starting to use grips 7 years after I bought her her first pair (she wanted them because a few others had them, but hated them after trying them for a few weeks)... And it is because she started ripping more often and taping when you rip in warmups makes bars more difficult.

 

[Flyaway]

Most girls at our gym get them when they compete level 4, which means they have to have their kip. Dd did not get hers until after her level 4 season, mostly because the coach felt like she did not weigh enough (ie, have enough force on the bar) to warrant them.

 

[coachmolly]

I don't have a hard and fast rule- kids get grips when kids need grips. I think for most that falls sometime after they start going to the high bar. I have a group of kids just making the transition to high bar kips and tap swings and my plan for them is to hold off at least another year until they are comfortable with tap swings. But we'll see how it goes. They are all 11 & under, I might have a different opinion for an older/bigger kid.
I do have some kids who have the beginner palm guards which isn't really my preference, however about a year ago if a lower level team kid asked if they could get them I started saying no. It's just too much hassle. And while the kids seem to think they are some kind of magic guard against rips, that's just not the case. I don't see a huge difference in amount of rips between beginner grip users & girls without. When they do rip, I just whip up a tape grip and tell them about it's magical qualities and all is well in the world.

 

[gymdog]

.

I have arrived at this decision after observing a number of things over the years. Many high level athletes such as Georgia Dabritz of the University of Utah fame, as well as a number of elites, have had incredibly successful careers without ever wearing grips.

Many seems like an exaggeration The overwhelming majority of American gymnasts over a certain level and over 12 wear grips (I'm specifying American because I think it is relevant information in this case that teen gymnasts tend to be bigger than some other nationalities).

 

[MaaikeGymnastics]

Our girls get them once they are kipping consistently.

In our gym we have the same rule

 

[InbarSquirrel]

I'm happy to report as DD is in week 4 of grips and all of her bars skills have returned fully as she now moves over to the L8 grouping for the summer. Now that I reflect on my earlier comment wishing she had worn them sooner; I believe I was way over thinking about this and these last 4 weeks went quick.

 

[3gymgirlsmom]

Our girls can get grips when they get the kip , tho it has been suggested that my dd and a couple others have such small hands they suggest they hold off , so my 8 yr Old is not getting nor does she want any.

 

[mommyof1]

So based on the conflicting opinions in thread and the blog post linked at the beginning of the thread, I still cannot figure out whether grips will make my kid safer by helping her stay on the bar or less safe by interfering with the development of hand strength and proper tap swing technique. In case it makes a difference, she's just finished L3, has been kipping consistently on low and high bar in palm guards for 6 months and doing tap swings for 2.5 years, weighs well under 60 lbs, and has long-ish but narrow hands for her size.

I can only hope the grips make her safer, because she is getting them within the next week or so.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

So based on the conflicting opinions in thread and the blog post linked at the beginning of the thread, I still cannot figure out whether grips will make my kid safer by helping her stay on the bar or less safe by interfering with the development of hand strength and proper tap swing technique. In case it makes a difference, she's just finished L3, has been kipping consistently on low and high bar in palm guards for 6 months and doing tap swings for 2.5 years, weighs well under 60 lbs, and has long-ish but narrow hands for her size.

I can only hope the grips make her safer, because she is getting them within the next week or so.

I do not believe that grips make you safer. I see them as a luxury item.

 

[mommyof1]

I do not believe that grips make you safer. I see them as a luxury item.

As long as they don't make her any less safe!

They are definitely a status symbol for these little girls.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

They can if the kid is unprepared and the coach asks them to do something they are not ready for .

 

[MuggleMom]

When they do rip, I just whip up a tape grip and tell them about it's magical qualities and all is well in the world.

My daughter got her first rip yesterday and I made her little tape grips. She thinks they are so cool...she wore them to school today---to protect her hand of course. She also told me she wasn't sure how much she could participate in PE lol

 

[GymDad9.9]

My daughter got her first rip yesterday and I made her little tape grips. She thinks they are so cool...she wore them to school today---to protect her hand of course. She also told me she wasn't sure how much she could participate in PE lol

Your situation reminds me of when my daughter started Level 2 and she would want to get an ankle brace from the drug store because she saw other team girls wearing them. Nothing was wrong with her ankles of course.

 

[gymdog]

They don't help with safety. Actually for smaller kids on jump to he high bar it's less safe in my opinion.

 

[NY Dad]

My daughter got her first rip yesterday and I made her little tape grips. She thinks they are so cool...she wore them to school today---to protect her hand of course. She also told me she wasn't sure how much she could participate in PE lol

Your situation reminds me of when my daughter started Level 2 and she would want to get an ankle brace from the drug store because she saw other team girls wearing them. Nothing was wrong with her ankles of course.

These both remind me of when my dd (shes level 2) came home from gym and insisted that she needed grips and wrist sweatbands. I rushed out and bought them. 2 weeks later noticed they were still unopened in her gym bag. She admitted that she just wanted them. I'm guessing by the time she needs them (if) they won't even fit.

 

[she.drives.me.crazy]

At our gym, the girls get grips after they move to level 4 and have their kip unless they are really small with small hands. My daughter got hers for level 5.

 

[Jeannie6]

Hi

I am the levels 3,4 and 5 Coach at our gym. I look at grips as a right of passage. My girls cannot wear then until they get their glide kip.
I have a few girls that hate wearing them, so I don't require them, but I do encourage them.

 

[Jeannie6]

I hated grips when I competed. It was a long time ago and they have come a long way. I do not believe that they make the girls any safer. I do prefer the girls toughen up their hands.