Gymnasts who perform on the bars often use gymnastics hand grips, which are leather objects worn on the hands. In essence, they are a piece of leather that covers the hand’s palm. The holes in the gymnastics grips secure them on the fingers and fasten them at the wrist. They are used on the Uneven Bars by female gymnasts. On the High Bar and Still Rings, male gymnasts hold grips.

Why are Gymnastics grips used?

Gymnasts use grips to assist them in holding onto the bar and stopping blisters or “rips” on their hands. Rips are friction wounds in which the hand’s outer layers of skin peel or pull away. Although beginner gymnasts don’t usually use grips, many do after rips and blisters appear. Gymnastics grips are usually worn by competitive gymnasts.

Dowel grips and non-dowel grips are the two types of gymnastics grips available to female athletes. Competitive gymnasts who perform advanced circular manoeuvres like giants utilise dowel grips. The Gymnast uses the dowel, a rod close to her fingertips, to improve her hold on the bar. Because they don’t require this, beginning gymnasts adopt a non-dowel, less complex grip.

A gymnast just starting out in her profession will probably demand grips for novice gymnastics. She could desire a thinner, more forgiving leather grip as she reaches the mid-levels of gymnastics so that she can maintain a good feel for the bar. She will probably desire a stronger leather grip as she develops into a high-level gymnast because it will take longer to break it in, and it will be able to withstand more difficult skills.

Does a Gymnast Need Grips?

Some gymnasts in the professional ranks reportedly don’t use grips. It’s a reality that some of them don’t wear grips, particularly international athletes. After a period of several rips and tears, their palms develop calluses and become tougher. But many elite gymnasts, especially in the USA, use grips since they are inexpensive, widely advised by professionals, and accessible.

Therefore, whether you are a novice or not, I highly advise getting gymnastics grips, especially if you are serious about gymnastics and want to compete at a high level. In fact, it’s recommended to begin utilising grips  you can get acclimated to the sensation of wearing them and avoid having to learn all the motions again.

Grips are unquestionably a wise purchase since they not only shield your hands from rips and tears but also strengthen your grip on a variety of techniques that will boost your performance.

Gymnasts who do not utilise grips occasionally use gauze or tape instead, although these materials are not always reliable. It is recommended to talk to your Gymnast’s trainers about this if you are unsure about whether they require grips or not.

What Kinds of Grip Styles Are There for Men?

Leather Hand Gloves (Three-Finger Holes)

If your Gymnast is a man, he will be holding onto the high bar with his three fingers holes (leather hand gloves). These grips have a little dowel (small rod) that will aid in his appropriate balance and safeguard his hands.

Leather Crossfit Grips (Two-Finger Holes)

When training or performing on the parallel bars and still rings, your Gymnast will hold the apparatus with two finger holes (leather crossfit grips). The main distinction is that he will use grips with a bigger dowel on the stationary rings than he would on the parallel bars. He will place little dowels in the grips for the parallel bars.

What Kinds of Gymnastics Grips are Available for Female Gymnasts?

Now-dowel Grips

Gymnasts who are just starting out employ these grips. Naturally, your Gymnasts won’t be swinging all over the place and leaping from the low bar to the high bar when they first start out. Non-dowel grips should be used, to begin with, so that your Gymnast may become accustomed to them and how they feel as they do not involve the rod. Many parents get them for their Gymnasts simply to avoid scorching when they are just starting out.

Here are our favorites options for beginner grips:

  • Nastia Liukin Basic Handling
  • Gibson Gymnastics Rainbow Hand Grips

Dowel Grips

Gymnasts that are more experienced and compete employ these grips (competitive gymnasts). Dowel grips include a rod close to the fingers so your Gymnast may swing around more easily and gain a better feel for the bars. Additionally, the grips have two-finger slots where your Gymnast may insert her ring and middle fingers.

Non-dowel grips should be used, to begin with, so that your Gymnast may become accustomed to them and how they feel as they do not involve the rod. Many parents get them for their Gymnasts simply to avoid scorching when they are just starting out.

Different characters of dowel grips:

Gymnasts have disagreed about the ideal grip to utilize when competing on the bars for a very long time. Straight grips and slim grips are the two primary varieties of grips. Each has benefits and drawbacks of its own.

  • Straight grips offer more stability and are preferable for abilities like swings and casts that call for a lot of hand motion.
  • Conversely, skinny grips offer more grip power and are preferable for abilities that call for a tight hold, such as releases and transitions.
  • The advantages of both are combined in a curved grip (straight and skinny grips). Gymnasts can retain a firm grasp on the bar even when their hands are sweaty due to the design of the grip.
  • Additionally, the curvature aids in uniformly distributing pressure throughout the palm, decreasing the likelihood of calluses and blisters. Additionally, the curved grip offers the thumb a comfortable area to rest, reducing fatigue during prolonged exercises.
  • For these reasons, a curved grip is preferred by many gymnasts during practice and competition.
  • The ideal grip to employ ultimately relies on the Gymnast and the maneuver being executed. Test out both grips to find which one suits you the best.

What Size of Grips do I get for my Gymnast?

So, grips come in various sizes (duh, of course, they do). It is crucial to accurately measure your Gymnast’s hand, therefore, pay special attention to the sizing tables on the websites. We DO NOT want your Gymnast to suffer an injury as a result of incorrect measurement. Grip sizes range from 0 to 3, and much like other products, each brand may fit differently.

How to Take a Good Care of Gymnastics Grips

The key to properly breaking in grips is to do it gradually. The first time you put bars on, you shouldn’t just go ahead and do the most insane skill. It’s crucial to start off slowly and have your Gymnast practice only the most fundamental moves until the grips begin to feel less rigid.

The kind and type of grips you buy will affect how long it takes for them to feel comfortable on your Gymnast’s hands. Not all grips require a lot of break-in time.

Many businesses advise keeping grips separate from other items in a bag. This will not only stop the chalk from spilling everywhere, but it will also maintain them in good condition, so they are not thrown to the bottom of the gym bag and squeezed or scratched.

There have been reports that a lot of gymnasts utilize grip brushes. After each usage, a grip brush can be used to remove any remaining chalk residue because too much residue might harm the grips and shorten their lifespan.

Because you do not want the grips to be too smooth or your Gymnast will slide left to right on the bars, a grip brush will also make the surface of your grips rougher.

Advantages of Cross Fit Gymnastics Hand Grips

Gymnastics grips have been used for decades, despite the fact that Cross Fit may have promoted their use recently. Dowel grips are frequently used by competitive male and female gymnasts during practice and competition. This prevents gymnasts from getting blisters on their hands when they flip and turn around bars.

Of course, we all aspire to move like Simone Biles. Therefore, if you are conducting cross-training that incorporates bar work and she is utilizing gymnastics hand grips Crossfit, you might also want to take that into account.

Injury Prevention

We often wear grips to prevent injuries to our hands. You can get calluses just by hanging from a gymnastics bar or ring,but executing muscle-ups and kipping motions while spinning around them will actually rip the skin. Your hands are protected from such friction by grips. However, even when using grips, you still have a chance of tearing. They do, however, reduce those chances.

Better Grip Strength

If you’ve ever tried to grab onto a slick pull-up bar, you know how difficult it can be. Many top-notch gymnastics grips are made to genuinely improve your grip on the bar. Perhaps the grip offers some stickiness that your hands and the chalk are unable to provide.

In certain circumstances, grips increase the amount of time you can hold onto a bar by reducing grip fatigue. The grip should be secured by a band around your wrist, that relieves part of the strain on your hand muscles, perhaps extending the duration you can hang onto a bar.

Cleanliness

Last but not least, some individuals feel a little safer using a pull-up bar or set of rings. Where other individuals, presumably strangers, have been perspiring or possibly tearing or bleeding. A grip is by no means meant to serve as a germ defender and shouldn’t take the place of hand washing and hand sanitizing. However, rock on if it makes you feel a little more at ease.

Gymnastics Hand Grips FAQs

What Gymnastics Grips Are the Best?

The Victory Grips 3-Hold Leather Grips, in our opinion, is the best option. These leather hand grips function remarkably well throughout at-home exercises, Cross Fit sessions, and even as a substitute for weight-lifting gloves. The material utilized is among the nicest we have ever seen.

What Grips Do Cross-Fit Athletes Use?

When it comes to grip choice, Cross Fit competitors are a little disorganized. The fact that these elite athletes are utilizing the grips we determined to be among the finest does not surprise us.

Are Grips With Two Or Three Holes Better?

Like anything else, this is typically a matter of personal preference. However, because they tend to better protect your hand where it is most prone to rip, we prefer the three-hole leather gymnastics hand grips.

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