Thumb position on bars?

[Deleted member D3987]

My coach always yells at us if we wrap our thumbs around because she says you can break your thumbs by doing that. But we are not doing handstands or anything where it would help at all.

actually, that's a bit exaggerated but you're told that so that you don't do it. what does happen though, is that you will tear the cuticle on the side of your thumbnail away from the nail and nail bed. it is very painful and can cause infections.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

So, out of curiosity, how come the men do it but not the women? Does it have something to do with the fact that the men's bar is thinner?

 

[BlairBob]

Exactly. The bar is thinner and men swing harder and are heavier typically. Better have that thumb around for a stronger grip.

One of the main reasons to use the overgrip, thumb on top is because of the wider bar. Especially with smaller hands of children.

Young boys will often have the same issue on Men's HB and they will overgrip the bar some of the time.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Related question: I know women's UB rails are larger than men's high bar rail because they evolved from parallel bars not high bar. BUT I am curious, with the women now doing so many of the same moves on UB as the men do on HB, has there ever been any discussion of making the women's rails thinner? Then they would be able to use their thumbs like the men.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

actually Wandrewsjr, the rail we have now is 1.1mm od. i don't recall at the moment of the 1st girls rail but it was egg shaped and huge. almost twice the size and more like a mens p-bar rail. it also had a 1/4 steel rod that went thru the center of the rail in the event it cracked or shattered. it was all wood thru and thru. we've had 3 rail changes since the early 70's. today you know, the girls rail is birch laminate adhered to a composite fiberglass HOLLOW rail. you can't see that it is hollowed because they put a 'cap' on the ends. maybe someday FIG will shrink the rail again, but i doubt it cause they don't want girls bars to be like mens high bar. hence, the low bar that they'll never gid rid of in my lifetime.