ripping the skin off of thumbs doing mill circles

[dinkalina]

Hello!
Any advice on how to keep DD from ripping the skin off of the side of her thumbs when doing mill circles? Its like she rips big hangnails/takes big chunks out of the side of her thumbs by the nails. She just started learning these 2 weeks ago. Last night I put strips of athletic tape around the ends of her thumbs but she kept playing with it because it got sweaty undernth. BeeBee Loo is 8 years old. Thanks!

Lisa

 

[Deleted member D3987]

she must learn to do them on her wrist pads. you only use your thumbs as a 'brake' when completing the circle on top of the bar.

 

[dinkalina]

When you say wrist pads, are you talking about some kind of equipment she should have or are you talking about hand anatomy? Her coach hasn't said anything about wrist thingies? Sorry - she's only been doing the equipment side of gymnastics for 6 months and I know absolutely nothing about that side of it! She's moved so fast through the skills/levels at her gym I am struggling to keep up with her.

 

[mariposa]

Sounds like maybe she is hanging on too tight. Like Dunno said, thumbs are the brakes in that skill. And yes, he is talking about hand anatomy.

I am not a coach, but remember when my daughter was first learning mill circles, she was using her thumbs for the entire mill circle until a coach showed her to grip the bar without using her thumbs when going around and she brought her thumb around to stop herself at the top. Maybe that is what your daughter is doing, using her thumbs when going around?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes, the wrist pad is part of the anatomy. bottom of the hand at the wrist.

 

[dinkalina]

Thanks for the advice! I think she is hanging on for dear life since it is so new. I will have her show her thumbs to her coach so he knows. Thanks again!