Tiger paws vs Golden Hands wrist supports?

[gymjourneymom]

I'm actually posting this for a friend at our gym...her DD(level 7 training 8) has been to hand specialist & is in PT. She knows of the 'whole wrist supports leading to weak wrist' theory. But after much evaluation & discussion....wrist supports are what have been recommended for her DD. Now the question for her is which brand. Anyone have any suggestions regarding Link Removed vs. Golden Hands? She will need them for both wrists. Thanks!

 

[gymdog]

I have Link Removed and not much experience with the other brand...everyone I know has Tiger Paws really. If the price is about the same I'd just go with them, if not go and one is a smoother surface go with the rougher looking suede type. I've had mine since I was, I think 13? I used them almost every day, several hours a day, blah blah blah, for about two years, and then the year I was like 15 or 16 we decided to go with the "build up strength theory" so I didn't use them at all for one year...months of pain later, ended up unable to move my left wrist after a rogue yurchenko. Got it looked at some more, and I have some lack of cartilage or something else random that basically isn't going away, so I've used them (again almost daily, etc) since and haven't had problems.

My basics: I use them on floor and vault, and I tape on beam (after your hand slips in various series for the 100th time, you start to catch on...I can do a single BHS on beam fine with them because I know I'll be dead on, but with a series, being a little off where I usually could grab the side of the beam would result in my hand slipping right off. Other people have indicated similar problems enough that I feel confident I'm not just a failure and this can be an actual issue). I don't use them for any conditioning really even when it hurts, because strike pain was always the big problem for me. I don't usually use them on tumble track, but it depends. If I don't have them on, I don't use them for front tumbling or RO (no BHSs) whip, whip half, type tumbling. I don't use them for basics unless I have existing pain before I start. Tiger Paws are a pain in a lot of ways so I wouldn't jump to put someone in them but it's workable. I don't see it as a "this can never be an option" thing. But they look awful and really hinder the presentation and extension through the wrists and fingers IMO so that's a drawback.

I'll look up the Golden Hands and look at them a little more closely and come back and edit this if I see anything different about them from the paws.

Edit: they look pretty similar. Like TP they have a smooth and a rough version. I wouldn't get the smooth. The "rough" kind gets slick in parts anyway but you can rough it back up a little with a grip brush thing. Since that's one of the things I hate most about mine, I can't imagine getting a pair meant to be smooth that would get ruined by grip brushing it. If you're going to be like me and keep the same pair for ten million years. But I don't know anyone who has them (don't know many people with wrist supports period) so I can't say on a quality comparison basis. My Tiger Paws are still usable after about six years, not ideal, but all right. My main problem with them is the velcro coming unstuck, but I have my ways of silencing their rebellion

 

[gymjourneymom]

Thanks gymdog! Very informative! I'll pass this all along to the mom! She did tell me the sizing was different between the two brands & that had her confused too. One goes by wrist measurements & one goes by the gymnast weight(don't know which was which). But this mom said her DD was between two sizes in the weight sizing brand & she didn't know whether to size up or down????

 

[ex-gymnast]

I used TPs They are the one based on weight. I would size up on them when ordering for gymnast who was between sizes. They will gain weight into them. Dont really care to see most gymnast drop weight.

 

[gymjourneymom]

I used TPs They are the one based on weight. I would size up on them when ordering for gymnast who was between sizes. They will gain weight into them. Dont really care to see most gymnast drop weight.

Thanks ex-gymnast! Not knowing much about this topic...we were "theorizing" sizing up might make them loose & unsafe. You don't think that will be a problem????

 

[gymdog]

Well, I have a small and they've fit me from age 13-19 so far. I probably wouldn't, you know, die in a medium but the smalls are fine for your average teenage gymnast. I would get whatever the weight is now, and don't size up. I don't think it would be exactly dangerous (you can pull the velcro pretty far over if you don't mind it hanging off a bit...I do it all the time), but it's unnecessary and they might still not tighten enough. If they aren't tight certainly she should not use them and send them back before getting chalk on them, etc.

 

[ex-gymnast]

We always had them just pull their valco tighter.

 

[gymnastgal]

Tiger paws forever!!

 

[cher062]

My DD has always used tiger paws because the color of them is closest to her skin color so they don't show so much. Yes they come in all the cool colors but when competing the coach wants as close to flesh tone as we can get.

I don't really think it matters which you use as they are just so similar. It's like getting grips - It's all in what you get comfortable with.

 

[gym law mom]

My gymmie has used both and honestly didn't notice a difference and she uses them for vault(yurchenko) and floor.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Coming in late to this thread. My DD has used the "golden hands" for years. They are the same thing, just a generic (i.e. cheaper not lesser quality) than the Tiger Paws. Tiger Paws does have some cooler colors, if that's worth the extra price...

 

[JBS]

They are the same.

One another note...all grips are not the same. There are definite differences in grip (leather) quality from brand to brand with grips. It is not that important with low level gymnastics...but you will see most of the men gravitate towards a couple brands as they get to a higher level.